The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-12
JEFF. DAVIS ANSWERED.
The Death Rates In Rebel and
Union Prisons.

From Slr. W. L, Co.'S Letter In Norwich Bulletin.
In regard 10 the mortality Of those
confined in our prisons compared with
rebel prisons, the report OF the War De-
partment shows the following captures
by the Confederate forces: Federal Off
Gers, I ,O92; enlisted men, 179,09l; Union
citizens, 1862; total, lSS,145. OF these
there were legally paroled and exchanged
l54,3SO, and Illegally paroled, !, l4S; in
ali l55 AIS, being S2,G72 to be accounted
for. .-.,.
As the statement Of the War Depart
ment consolidates the Federal prisoners
paroled and exchanged, we are unable TO
determine from this source what proper
ton Of prisoners were actually confined
in rebel prisons. But the Federal au-
thorities parOled 0,5l4 in excess Of one
half OF their prisoners. Taking this
proportion Of one.half as basis for our
calculation, assuming (although 1t gives
undue advantage to the rebel side of the
statement) that the rebels paroled one
half of their prisoners, this would leave
us the following result: Total number
Of captures by rebels, 1888, las; number
paroled, estimated ut one-half, 94072;
number actually confined in prison, o.
072; number Of deaths in Confederate
prisons, 81, 40l; per cent Of mortality in
rebel prisons, $3.50; per cent Of mortality
OF entire rebel captures, 1895.
Let us compare this with the mortality Of
rebel soldiers captured by the Federal
armies: Total number Of captures by
Federals, 476, l69; paroled, 2S4, 400, leav-
ing the number actually confined or left
as prisoners OF war in our hands, 227, $40;
mortality Of Confederate prisoners, 30,-
152; per cent. Of mortality in Federal
prisons, Is 25; difference per cent, in favor
Of Union authorities, (3S so, less 1925
% IS; per cent. OF mortality OF entire In
ion captures, Q SO; difference per cent. in
favor Of Union authorities 10 So, less 6
80, 10 %.
tured by the Union forces had equaled,
as Mr.. DAYS. assumes, that Of the Union
soldiers captured by them, taking the,
whole number OF captures as basis OF
calculation tho deaths among the 49,
160 Confe1erates lin our hands would
have been $4,000, instead Of 80, 1872; or,
calculating it upon the reduced basis Of
the prisoners retained in custody on both
sides, to wit: 227, $40 Confederate prison
ers in our hands, to 94,072 prisoners in
their hands, the mortality would have
been $4,000, instead Of 30,152. Instead
OF this the mortality Is reversed, and out
Of "a, or prisoners In confinement by the
rebels, S6,40l, died, while out Of 227, $40
in the hands Of the Federals, only 80, l52
died. In other words, nearly two out Of
Eve, or thirty.nine Of each hundred, died
in their hands; while one in eight, thir-
teen Of each one hundred, died in ours.
This shows the mortality to be about three
times as great among the prisoners in
their hands rs among the prisoners held
by the Federal authorities.
As Jefferson Davis has appealed to the
records, let him be judged BY them. Is 1t
not Just that this crime against humani-
ty and common decency be fastened upon
lis proper authors rather than a great,
brave, though mistaken people should
longer bear the stigma Of these crimes,
which surpass in needless inhumanity all
and any cruelties recorded in history?
II III be urged that the passion and ex-
elements which are incidents Of war
caused this cruel treatment OF the living,
this. explanation does not apply to the
dead, and does not explain the malignant
manifestations Of hatred towards the
dead. | have no space to enter upon the
discussion OF this subject at large, but It
is sufficient to say shat the total number
OF unknown dead buried by the United
States authorities Of rebel soldiers held by
them, was only 726, while the total un-
known Union soldiers dying in rebel
hands, was 20,5S5. These facts and fig
ures show more plainly than any mere
rhetoric can show, the miseries under
which Union soldiers fingered and died.
In addition to this, might add testi-
money from rebel sources to show the
needlessly crowded condition OF the An
dersonville Prison, and that there was no
necessity for tho starvation OF prisoners;
but have already trespassed too much
upon your columns in thus disproving
the position assumed by Mr.. Davis, by
testimony to which he himself has appeal
ed. WARREN LEE Goss,
President "National Union Anderson
willie Survivors"