The Republican journal., 1872-10-31

thousand Union prisoners nrivata so1-
diers. were sent from Re1ln Isle DanviIIa
and other points in the South TO Salishnrv
where there were no means nj nrnvidin,,
for them. Without shelter without cloth.
ing, and without anv adenlatn snnnIv ot
food, especially as the season advanned
! they literally froze and starvad to aaotb
During the two months nrevions 70 NV
escape, the poor fellows perished nj tha
rate of four hundred a week. a rate of
mortality not edualled even at Anderson
Vile. Had this confined only twenty
| five weeks would have been needed to
destroy the entire numhar. hnt haforn
that time the weather mo lerated and the
long interrupted EXCHANGE was resumed
What we called the hospitals s--scorrelv
better than pgsties- not hold one
sixth of the sick. NV coutreye of the
Tribune" and mvself hayinu bean n]acnd
in charge OF these wretched lazar-houses,
we were brought INTO immediate and
constant contact with suffering and death
ln every repuislve shape Having some
khoWledge OF medicine, | performed the
part OF an amateur physician, for lack Of
Il better. Spending much OF the time in
hosphais' and craving into the holes the
soldlers mad dug IN The ground to protect
themselves from the bleak WIND, to- the
purposes OF visiting my unfortunate pa
tents aa" more clearly than ever how
readliy men resign themselves to decease,
me prisoners generally represented the
average understanding and intelligence OF
the North. Most OF them were from the
small towns and the agricultural regions,
especially OF New England, where the
7pifil "i skeptlcism seldom penetrateS, and
Where men usually run III the groove cut
ny thelf circumstances. | had expected
tha' framed as they had been, they would
eVlhce the effect OF their training in 4 GER
tam theoIo@lc horror OF death but ! was
greatly disappointed, must have seen
ifoin Ten TO twelve III dying condition
daliy Iof TWO months, amt L cannot re-
member THAT single one OF the poor tel
lows manifested the least tear OF the end
nc knew 10 be inevitable.
found the experience rpDaated which
had had elsewhere. The men about to
die looked back ward, not forward were
concerned with what life had piyen them
not with what death might brinr. They
thought of their mothers, wives. sweet
hearts. friends; had trihes or messages TO
leave for them; referred to some pleasant
past; were touched bv fender memories
instead Of hainp honntcJ hv fnars or ~
pressed by solicitudp for tle fn,nra Tha
commonest and coars,.st soIIiers vera hu-
manized and refined as thnv annro,ohnd
the terminus of their weary ionrnnv ,nJ
spoke as if \ new spirt had nossnssad ss,.
them. | remembered Swedenbnro,s idoa
that The oood anoles take cb,rre7 of tbo
dvinr. enter into them. and lead thcm
cheeTt,Illv and iovouslv aw,v Tba vision
Of death is no Grim spectrc. as Has hpen
portrayed; it IS 4 mild.eyed nhantom
rather; benionaut in scemino successive
of consolation They who have hG6alI i
ana come back will te]I Won "a ma thav
who have bcbpIJ # and not r4tnrnnd bava
left evidence of sunb dnnnt;nr IrIifeho
a cynic as he is often forced TO bn Deatb
is a sentimentajisf. softnnino and swentan-
inc many hard and arrid n,7ures to >vhnn,
he comes
Most persons seem anx;nns to know If
they are ooino to din-not hnr,nso tboy
wish TO make nsvcbical nran,r,tinn, hnt
that they may aranoe ihejl, material at-
fairs. giye final directions lor thc lisnosal
OF their effects or remains Again and
again have | been asked by the wasted
wretcheS Ill prison, "No you think I'm II
gone case. doctor? I'm not afraid tp die
but want to know"
II had reason to beIleve-ani | almost
always haG-jhat SucA knowledge Would
not weigh against them in the deirateIV
adjusted scales OF beng and not being, /
gave my opinion frankiy When said,
am AFRAID there Is very little chance tor
your recovery, or III you wish to make
any arrangements should the worst come
70 the worst, observed that such DIS
couraglng phrases We're received almost
uniformly with calmness, and so frequent
~ WIN me repeated declaration, II am
not AFRAID to der that | came to regard
thls as the expression and protest Of
nature ana reason against authority and
superstition.
have tound, particularly at Salisbury.
mat material comfort Is the thing langeG
Tor oy the dying. In their last hours men
ana women want physical rest and ease
above aught elsei and have known IN
stances in which the replies OF persons
near thelf dissolution We're III such sharp
contrast to inquiries made Of them as TO
become positively groteslue.
| was present when an acalantance
| having been struck down in the street h,
a falling chimney. wa5 carried homo in )
diving state. AS soon as he had recovprnJ
consciousness. his wife. Malt frantic with
terror leaned over the sof, m which ha
Law. and sal "Oh NV Iorlinr H., won
really love me ?'' The resnonsp was
Yes. if Won will mn off NV boots }, IN
these were his last words i oantIenon
long i'll OF a WASTING fever had reached
that condition Of rest which ,fann,.llv
1 hpralds the GREAT transiormatin, uis W.,
trothed. who had devntcdIy nnrse1 hin,
| said. .snearest, do von djn hannv p, II
should was tbn answer 81, th3t inter
nal fv woulln,t holbnr mo u, ana s,,ol.n No
more s.WonIdn,t won lilo ,o $40 ,,o,,
father pn inonired \ dotino mother of hnr
| only son a. his life was nhhinu t,st .Of|
course ! sbonld bnt I'J rather b,va my,
face washed ), Sncb words anmarontiy,
harsh and nnfaal;nn cnn,n fron, na,.ln,,,
of natural sensihiIifv and tandarnps. hal
c3use in their dvnG hnnr tha Iasir., f1r
material comfort often cr,wIs ont nva,,v
other consideration
In certain nry,n;z,t;,n. ,,uoh loss