Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-02-24
Mortality Among Prisoners in the
War of the Rebellion.

The survivors Of Andersonville have
a National Union, an organization
which naturally grew out OF the h0r-
rible experience to which they were
subj eoted Its President is Warren
Lee Goss. A summary of his reply
to Jeff Davis's defense of Anderson
vile was published 10 The Journal a
few days ago. The full text of the
documen is now before us. 1t con-
tains a succinct, exact and unans-
werable refutation of the claim made
by Ben Hill, and repeated by jeff
Davis, that the death-rate of prison
ers in Northern military prisons was
greater than that of Andersonville,
Libby and Salisbury. That point
was not answered by Mr.. Blaine,
General Gar field or any other Repub-
llcan in Congress. Evidently none of
them understood the subject as
thoroughly as Mr.. Goss does.
The total number of prisoners cap
tured by the rebels was l8S, 145
number paroied estimated at one
halt, 94,072 number actually con-
fined 10 prison, 94,072; number of
deaths 10 Confederate prisons, &c, 401;
per cent of mortality in rebel prisons,
38 20; per cent. of mortality of the
entire number, 1885 The details Us
to the mortality Of rebels in our
hands, and of the comparison in
question, are as follows:
Total number of captures by Federals, 476,-
l69 paroled 284 500, leaving the number act
ually confined or left as prisoners of war in
our hands, 227, $40 mortality of Confederate
prisoners, 80, 1852; per cent. of mortality in
Federal prisons, 1928; Diligence per cent. in
favor Of Union authorities $50 less 1929,
25.45 per cent. of mortality of entire Union
captures, 6,33; difference per cent, in favor OF
Union authorities (19.35 less g.. 80, 1902.
If the mortality of rebel prisoners captured
by the Union forces had equaled as Mr.. Davis
assumes, that of the Union soldiers captured
by them taking the whole number of captures
as n basis of calculation, the deaths among the
476 lee Confederates would have been 10000
instead of 30,l52; or, calculating it upon the
reduced basis of the prisoners retained in Gus
tody on both sides, to-w;t 227, $40 Confeder>
ate prisoners in their hands, the mortality
would have been $4,000, instead Of 80 1872
Instead of this, the mortality is reversed, and
out Of 94,072 prisoners in confinement by the
rebels, 36,4Ol died, while out of 227, $40 in
the hands of the Federas, only 80, 1872 died.
In other words nearly two out of five, or
thirty 0 each hundred, died in their hands;
while one il eight, or thirteen ofeach one hun
bred, died in ours. This shows the mortality
to be about three times as great among the
prisoners in their hands as among the prisoners
held by the Federal authorities.
These are specific facts, which can
not be denied. They rest upon Off
cial records, and sre absolutely au~
thentic. We have no wish to pro-
long the Andersonville discussion or
to keep alive the embers of hate bat
since the subject has been given 80
much prominence, it should not be
dismissed with the public laboring
under false impression on vital Gu
mortuary, rather,O point of the con-
troversy. We would suggest that
the foregoing figures be preserved.
In the approaching Presidential cam
paign they will be convenient for
reference - Chicago Journal.