Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-05
rssE FEDERAL PRISONERS OF
WARM THE SOUTH.

The Southern Historical Society,
true to it's mission Of vindicating the
South and perpetuating the true his
sorry of the "Lost Cause" says the
Charleston. Nea0s and Courier, has de-
voted its entire March number to
discussion of the treatment of prison
ers during the war between the States.
For this discussion Mr.. Blaine is re-
sponsible. At time when the people
of the Union were manifesting desire
to heal dissensions and bury the past,
he, for political purposes, saw fit to
tear open old wounds and to excite the
worst passions of men. 1t has been
the task of the Society to expose the
Misrepresentation of Mr.. Blaine and
his followers of the "bloody shirt
school," and TO give plain statement
of facts as they existed, leaving it to
posterity to place the responsibility
where it belongs.
The position assumed by the South
in this matter can be briefly stated. 1t
is not denied that the prisoners, both
Federal and Confederate, suffered
during the war, az prisoners in every
war have suffered and will suffer.
Neither is it denied that the amount
of suffering and disease at Anderson
vile was great. But it is donied that
tho South wilfully and maliciously
maltreated prisoners. And it is
furthermore maintained, as an historl-
cal fact, that the Confederate authori-
ties always ordered the kind treatment
of prisoners, and that any individual
cases of cruelty were in direct viola
ton of orders; that prisoners were
provided with rations the same, in
quantity and quality, as were furnish
ed to the soldiers of the Confederate
army that prison hospitals were
placed on the same footing as
Confederate army hospitals that
tie prisons were established with refer
ence to healthful1ess of locality; and
that great mortality among the pris--
oners arose from chronic diseases and
epidemics, and from the inability OF
the Confederate government to FRO
cure suitable food and medicines fol
them. Il is also maintained that the
Confederate government, recognizing
the inevitable result of a want of suit
able means of ameliorating the condi-
ton of the prisoners, strove earnestly
and repeatedly to exchange them for
captive Confederates; then to obtain
from the Federal government medi-
cines for the exclusive use of Union
prisoners, to be paid for at any price
by the Confedaracy; and, lastly, to re
lease the prisoners without equivalent,
if the United States would only come
and take them away; and. that all
these offers were rejected, or accepted
only after it was too late. Counter
charges are also brought that the Con
federate prisoners suffered greatly;
that many of them was subjected to
brutal treatment, and that, by Federal
the percentage of loss Yves
greater among Confederate prisoners
than among their captive enemies.
These propositions are abundantIy
proved by the papers of the Historical
consisting of letters from
leading Confederate officials, contem-
porary official records, the testimony
of Federal prisoners and of Federal |
officials fully conversant with the facts. |
Mr.. Davis, in letter, triunphantly
relieves himself from the responsible
ty which Blaine. in a malignant and |
indecently vituperative harangue, en-
deavored to fix upon him, by showing
that, after all other means had failed, |
Gen. Lee, by his instruction, en-
1eavored to obtain a personal inter-
view with Gen. Grant, and to urge, in
.he name of humanity, the observance
Of the cartel of exchange. This was
refused. Then a delegation of the
prisoners themselves were sent to
plead with President Lincoln. and
upon these hen Mr.. Davis calls for a
Mr.. Davis sums up his
whole defence in the fact that not even
n the heated times Immediately after
he surrender did the government feel
tself warranted in bringing him to
rial on the charge which Mr.. Blaine
low renews.
The testimony of Gen. Lee before 4
he reconstruction committee attests
lis unceasing endervors to procure an
and letter from him shows.
That is otherwise fully established.
nat the authorities placed Confederate