Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-05-13

reason for it, that '' it was reported that
the Federal government refused to recog-
nize Confederate prisoners as prisoners
of war;" And on "report" or rumor
of this sort, he was in favor of the slaugh-
ter of every man who fell into their
hands, All monsters of ferocity who
have disgraced the form of humanity
which they bore, have found some ex-
cuse for their bloody work but we
doubt if one of them ever gave so weak q
reason as this. 1t was "reported I"
There was short time at the beginning
of the war when Confederates were not
regarded as "prisoners of war;" but
with singular generosity, they were
simply required to take an oath of allegi-
ance, and were discharged, when they
went at once again into the rebel ranks.
And for this, Beauregard proposed to
murder every Federal prisoner tina
came into his hands. Not word of
contrition for his bloody intentions,
but statement that "that Christian
hero" Stonewall Jackson united
with him In these views, because "we
thought that such a mode of warfare
would inspire greater terror in the
armed invaders of our SOIL" To "inspire
greater terror they would violate the
ordinary rules of civilized warfare. He
admits that he again advocated the
hosting of the black flag, when he "saw
the emaciated forms and wretched con-
dition of our returned Southern prison
ers." This is absolutely and totally
false. He never saw any such sight.
1t was not Southern prisoners who were
left in rain and sleet and mud, without
shelter OF any sort, except as they dug
holes in the earth, as our men did at Sal
isbury. 1t was not Southern prisoners
who were starved into skeletons and
idiocy. 1t was not the United States
that deliberately planned and carried out
the starvation of prisoners in order that
hey might be useless when exchanged.
Beauregard attempts to justify himself
.urther by alluding to the acts of Sher-
man and Sheridan. Those officers never
did one act except what was for the pur-
pose of GRIPPING the resources of the
enemy, and which they had full and
complete right to do under the well es-
tablished laws of war. 1t was not any
officer of the United States army or any
officer of the government who deliber-
ately attempted to introduce yellow fever
into large cities, or who attempted to
burn cities wholly outside of the theater
of war, or fire steamers on Western
rivers.
Beauregard wishes to convey the idea
that it was after the burning of Atlanta,
and "Sherman's March to the Sea that
he advocated the hosting of the black
flag" In that he lies. 1t was all the
time, from the beginning to the end of
the war. If his acts were better than
his words, we are left to infer that it
was only because absolute power was
not in his hands. He confesses that he
was in favor of indiscriminate slaughter
in 1861 and 1864. But he says nothing
of this letter of his written in 1862. Per-
haps he had no silly excuse Immediately
at hand to hold up as justification:
CHARLESTON, s. c., Oct Is. 1862.
Hon. WM. P. MILES, Richmond. Va.
Has the bill fer the execution of Abolition
prisoners after January next been passed Do
it and England will be stirred into action. 1t
is high time to proclaim the black flag after
that period. Let the execution be with the
garrote.
(Signed) G. 7. BEAUREGARD.
He does not state the full measure of
his guilt. But he states enough to
stamp him a human monster. We
thank Frank Sherman for Directing to
having him participate in a reunion of
patriotic men, who saved the nation
LQDOTte Ind Chronicle