Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-01-21
EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Sec'Y of War
Hon. B. F. WADE,
Chairman of Joint Commlttae on
Conduct of the war.

Chairman OF JOINT COMMUNIST OA
Conduct of the war.
On the receipt of this letter a joint
committee of the two Houses, known
as the Committee on the Conduct of
the War, was sent to Annapolis, to
hold their sessions In the presence OF
thousands of returned prisoners who
had Just been landed, and as the re-
suit of their deliberations, and after
taking testimony on the spot from
| officers and men who had Just re-
turned, they reported not only their
opinions, but the testimony in full
in the volume which hold in my
hand. That committee was compos-
ed of Republicans and Democrats,
and its report is unanimous. The
Democrats on the committee were
among the foremost members of the
Senate and House. One Of them
was Mr.. Odell, of New York, = gen
tleman not now living, who was RGe
of the best men that party has had
on the floor of this House since /
have been a member. Another was
Senator Harding, of Oregon. That
committee made an elaborate report,
from which 1 will read few para
graphs:
The evideuce PROV es beyond all mad
ner of doubt determination on the part
of the rebel aut II oritbes, deliberately and
rsislently practiced Tor long time
past. 10 subject those OF our soldiers who
have b, en- so uniOriuEate as to fall into
their hands to system OF treatment
which has resulted in reducing many OF
those who have surv iVeN and been per-
mItted to return TO U.s. to q condition
both physically and men tsisy--which no
language we can use can adequately de-
scrib~. Though nearly all the patients
now in the Naval Academy hosgital at
Annapolis, and in the West hOspitai in
Baltimore have heell under the Hnde5l
and most intelligent reatment for about
three weeks past, aud many of them for
a greater length OF time, still they ple-
sent, literally, the appearances or living
skeletons, many of them being nothing
but skin and bone; some of them are
MANNED tor life, having been ffexen
while exposed to the inclCmencY of the
winter season on Belle Isle, being CON-
PEELED to lie on the bare ground, wIthOu
tents or blankets, some OF them without
overcoats, or even coats, with but little
tire to mitigate the severity Of the winds
and storms to which they were exposed.
It will be observed from the testimony
that all the witnesses who testify upon
that point, state that the treatment they
received while confined at Columbia, ;. |
G, Dalton, Ga, and other places, was tar
more humane than that they received Al
Richmond, sbeTe the authorities OF the
so-called Conledera cy were cOngIesaled, |
and where the power existed, had the in
clination not been wanting, 20 reform !
those abuses and secure to the prisoners |
they held some treatment tbal would |
bear public comparison to that accord |
ed by our authorizes to the prisoners In
our custody. Your committee, there |
fore, are constrained to say that they can !
hardly avoid the conclusion expressed |
by so many of our released soldiers, that |
the inhuman practices herein referred TO |
are the result of determination on the |
part of the rebel authorities 10 reduce |
our soldiers in their power by privation |
Of food and clothing aud by exposure, 10 |
such condition that those who may |
survive shall never recover so as 10 be |
able to render any effective service in the
held.
/ am not now discussing the mer-
its of the charge at all, but am show
ing that such Is, and for twelve
years has continued to be, the an-
thortative official charge of the eS-
ecutive department of the Govern
ment and JOINT committee of the |
two Houses So much for the re-
sponsible ehsaracter of the charge