Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-10-08
NEW VOL. G--NO. II.
Prisoners or War.

Of war taken from Mr.. Altxind,r Sie-
phens late work. We do it not 10 STR up
strife. But i! is time he people North
and South knew the facts. Dor southern
people have been held ~ 10 lhe wo,lA as
monsters. Il will do no harm ii Ne read
carefully what tie distinguished writer
has 10 say sboui ibis mater, hat wc may
be able 10 attach the blame UpOn the re-
spons,sle persons
I Large numb,Is Of them were 'aIen 20
So.ta-wesren G. o'gIs IN 1864, hc'.u'n
II wsS section mos, remote suj secure
from the Invading Federal Armies. auJ
because too, u wasa country OF oil ot"eIS,
then within tho Confrdrg,ie limits, n"t
thus IhIeuteued with an invasion, most
abuudIui with food. and Ill resources gt
comG,snd for le1l.h and comfort oi prs
oucrs. They were put IN cne ,tAcsalr
FOR tie want cl men 10 guard mere than
one. The secuon Of country, moreover
vas not r,cs d-d os more unhes,ty, rr
more su iecl 10 masrIcuS influences, thsn
any IN the ceCral pau d 'hc State The
OilicIal order lor the erection ol uc
slotkaje crlJined thAtH should be IN 81
healthy locl.liy, p!euty ol lur1 water.
running sweam, and, II possible, shade
,,ees. and m the immediate n'igtburhood
# erl,t and saw mills. he very Sc
lecuon Of the locality, 80 f,r from beng,
as you suppose, made ~i'h cruel d'sI.rS
against The prisoners, w's eovcfLc" by
tie most humane combinations.
Your question might. with much more
point. be IcIoued by ssking. Why we're
Southern prisoners taken III lie deai at
| winter wIIh tnelr thln clothing 10 Camp
| Douglas Rock Island aOd Johnson Is
l1nd-icy regions Of the North-s where II
i. notorious fact thatmaIy II IheD &C
tualy lioze 10 death
A, far as mortuaJy returns shord e'I-
! deucc OF the general treatment ot pr'rn-
ers on boh sides. the flurto chow uoth-
| ing TO the disadvantage oi 'be C'n'tdeI-
sles. NOW outstanding thtIr hml ri cup
! rlles OF al! kinds, and notwithstanding al
/ that las been ssid OF the horrible sacrifice
! OF iIle at AudtrSonvIlle.
! Ii nov sppears lhsia larger number at
/ Coniederstrs died ~ the Northern. lh.n
| Of Federal, ia the Southern prisons. or
s'ockadts. The report OF Mr. Smunton.
az Secretary Of War, On the l0h Of July.
1866. EXHIBIT, the fact that, ,I the fcdtr-
al prsoreis ~ Confederate hsnd' dung
the war. only % $40 died; while OF tho
f, Confederate prisoners IN Federal hands
26,436 died. tbs Report does not ret
furIh the e1sct number OF Pris"uere leli
by each eide respectively. IEese isci-
were gwen more IN detail IN subscqoen,
Report BY Surgeon General Barnes. o!
tie United states Army. lIs N"pori
have not seen. bot according 10 ssie.
neni, editonally. IN the National Intel.
Ggncer-very high au;hoiily-t aFpesfs
from the Surgeon GeuefaPs Report, lhat
tho whole number Of Federal IEI-ontr
captured by Ne Con(edsra'es aud held IN
Southern PRISONS. from GrIl 10 last during
The wal, was IN rOund numb,us, 90 0O3.
while the whole number Oi Confederate.
cspiured and held ~ pnsoos by iic Fed
erals was, m like round numbers only
220, 600. From these two reports itap-
pears that, with COO more prisoner, 10
Sou,her stock ade,, or other modes oi con-
hneneni, tie deaths were nCsrly 1000
less According 10 lhese figures. mo
per ceaium OF Federal death. IN South.
ern prisons was under nine! abie tie
psr cenium ol COOiederatrs deaths IN
Notrern prisons was Ouer fTtfUe
1hese Mortality statistics ore OF no smsIi
weight in determining on which tIje thero
ws. tho most neglect, cruelty. and inhu-
manly !
But the great question m this matter il.
upon ,choB. dots this fTtmsuiOus re-
sbonSiLihIyr rest, Of oil thu, saci6r" Of
human iilc, with all ls lndescrb bic misc
res and soderinps 7 Tho facl'. b'yonf
question or doubt. show that ~ rcss IN.
GrtIy uron ihc AUIhoriuej 81 Washing
ton! Ilsnog we'll under.,und 30 hiVe
been part Of hGr 'eiiied policy IN con.
Quoting The war, not 30 exchange pfi'on-
ers. The grounds upon which M. eI-
rraofdinsfy course was adapted were. that
II WAS humanity 10 the men IN TIC field on
their eide, to le, tier captured Comrades
perish IN prison. rather Than 10 lei al
eau,l number of Confederate soh.Iers he
released on exchange 10 meet them ~
battle ! Upon lhe Federal huihorInes.
and upon them only'wnh th'' policy as
thri, excuse, rests tie wlIOle Of thls re.
spon,ibiIity. 70 avert the injiensnon
which the open syowsl Of this policy by
them. al the time. wovlI have excited
throughout the North, and throughoUt ths
ciy.lizsd world, the flee cfy Of cruelty
towards prisoners vas raised sssIsni the
Confedefsles. This wH bot preieKi 10
cover Their own violation OF the ussges Of
wsr in tins respeci among civilized hs-
iiont.
Died near Peorls, ILLINOIS,. on te25ih
, uIl., Mrs. Margaret Keiler. "iiow oi
, Rev. Isaac Keller, and rI.lsr OI Mr.. Jo-
seph Rerich. OF ll!gsfstJsn. 10 ihe 76h
year Of her age.
The farm OF D. II. Soweu, E-q near
Ca.lleman's Ferry. IN Clarke county ~.
. colo at public ,se, on Tbu"d.y last, for
I $50 per acre; purchaser, James ). O!en,
Esq Of Aide, LouJOgn county.
, The venersbIe Roben Cooper Grier,
: ls'e an Associate Jusuce Of lie UnneI
} Sl-ies Supreme Cosfi, died Ia Pbilstel-
pbls, on Sunday night The deces,rJ