The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-05-17
THE BLACK FLAG.
Letter from Gen. q. Il. BeaurrEnrd Reia-
tive to the Treatment OF Prisohcrs DUR
Ing the War.

Glen. @. I. Beauregard, formerly oi
the Confederate army, has written let
ter TO the Governor Of Tennessee, rela-
tive to the question Of hoisting the black
flag during thewar. He says: After the
battle Of the first Manassas, when II was
reported TINT the Federal government
refused to recognize Confederate prison
.ers rs "prisoners OF war" that Christian
hero and able soldier, General Thomas
j. (Stonewall) Jackson, and myself adyo-
Gated that the Confederate government
should then proclaim q "war TO the
knife neither asking nor granting
quarter. We, moreover, thought that
the war would thereby come sooner Ia
an end, with less destruction, finally, Of
life and property. We thought also that
such q mode Of warfare wonld inspire
greater terror in the armed invaders oi
our soil, and reduce greatly the number
OF army followers, bummers, etc, who
were ever the curse OF all armed In
wsiohs. :
Subsequently, when the Federals had
penetrated certain portions Of the South,
and developed q system Of warfare in
their operations in Louisiana, Missis-
sppi and Virginia, and the inexcusabls
burning Of Atlanta and Columbia, and
the destructive march Of General Sher-
man through Georgia and South Caro-
lima, whose track was marked by smoking
ruins and blackened chimneys; TO the
suggestion Of General Halleck TO destroy
Charleston and disprinkle salt on its site
that not even grass should grow thereon,
TO which General Sherman replied thni
no salt would be needed, as one Of hii
most reliable corps formed the right
wing Of his army, and that 1t always did
its work thoroughly; 10 the devastating
march Of General Sheridan through thu
Shenandoah valley, relative 10 which he
reported TO the general l-in-chief Of the
United States armies that 80 crow flying
over the country would have to carry Id
own rations;" but he did not say what
became Of the old men, women and chill
dren who then lived in that fertile val
leyl With regard TO the mortality ol
prisoners on both sides, the Washington
Union (radical Of October, 1868, con
tanned the following article: "In reply
10 resolution OF the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes calling upon the Secretary ol
War for the number OF prisoners oil
either side held, and that died during
the war, he makes the following re-
port: Number Of Union prisoners South,
260, $40; died, 22,59G. Number OF Con
federate prisoners North, 900, 900; died,
20, ,435. That Il, two Of the former out
OF every twenty-five and two Of the hitter
out Of every fifteen"
Comment is here unnecessary, in Wow
of thecondition and resources Of those
two sections Of country, 80 Numerically
opposed to the one practiced by the Con.
federates when they invaded Maryland
and Pennsylvania under their great com.
inander, General r. q. Lee. When ]
saw the emaciated forms and wretched
conditioned our returned Southern pris-
oners Ihgiin advocated the hoisting Of
the black flag, wiling at any time TO for
felt my life in the deadly struggle. Not.
withstanding these views, Ialways treat
cd my prisoners with humanity and
proper consideration. = I had tho fortune
Of taking many thousands Of then. ut
Manassas, Shiloh, Charleston, Drury's
Bluff, Bermuda Hundreds and Peters
burg, most Of whom are, / suppose, still
alive, and can and certainlywould testify
10 the fact.
After The fall Of Fort Sumter. in April,
1861, I granted to the garrison the same
terms which i had offered
before the attack. Through my inter
cession the Federal surgeons and,minis-
ters, Of the gospel taken at Manassas were
without exchange, by the Con-
federate government. The day after
that battle one Of the Federal officers,
whose friends I knew in New York, ap-
piled to me for q small loan for himself
md friends, which / furnished at once
from my private funds. II was faithfully
- Fifa
Shortly after the battle Of Shiloh I
sent, under cartel, q certain number Of
lble-bodied Federal prisoners TO Gem
eral Halleck, who, several weeks after,
an equal number Of GONZALES
cents from ST. Louis to Fort Pillow.
The officer in command refused to re-
,eiye them, because several Of them were
lust from o smallpox hospital. Gem
,nl lHalleck failed aiterward 10 make
yood the exchange. ~ l344
At Charleston I authorized Admiral
Dah1gren to send supplies Of clothing,
,tc., To the prisoners we had taken from
lin. These supplies were scrupulously
ssued TO them. esaa
At Bermuda HundredF, in May, 1854,
vhen passing In front Of q large body
Il Federal prisoners, who had gallantly
defended o position which I considered
Indispensable TO US, 1 took OF my hat
o them, and they answered the saluta-
ion with cheers. 90
Terribly as I desired the effects Of the
var 10 fall On all armed invaders Of our
,ountry, / wanted exempted from them
he non -combatants- sthat Is, the old
men, women and children, and wished
Ilso that private property, not contra
,and Of war and not needed by the con-
ending armies in the field, should be
,ntirely protected from seizure or de-
Itruction. Such would have been my
,ourse hadI penetrated with an army
INTO Federal territory, unless il were in
Itrict retaliation for material departures
" the Federal forces from this civilized
node Of carrying on the war.
An old college professor used to say
hat he would always assign a reason for