The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-10

and one of them afterwards of Kershaw's
division. Stockades No. 4 and 5 were
under the medical charge of physicians
comparatively strangers to me, but VINO
were as prominent, successful and sclen-
titic as those who pracNced at other Stock
AIDES.
At Stockades Nos. /, Q and 8 good wells
of water were in the yard, with troughs
for bathing and washing, good bakers
ovens for cooking, &c.
In the vicinity Of Stockadcs No. 4 and
S live some of the best citizens of Edge
field, and they were
BouNT1FUL IN THEIR SUPPLIES
to the convicts, furnishing them from
their own orchards, tables, fields and gar.
dens. The bacon and meal instead OF
being bad, rs claimed, was purchased
from the most reliable mercantile houses
of Augusta.
Next let us inquire to what extent the
directors were negligent. The presi-
dents statement shows that he purchased
an abundance of food of good quality.
The cooking was done first by a white
man and afterwards by a convict, who
wa once a cook at the Hamburg Hotel
and afterwards at Aiken,
The secretary's minutes exhibit that
the directors issued strict written orders
to prevent any officer striking them with
anything except the strap used IN the
Penitentiary, and then only when abso-
lutely necessary, and never unmerclfully.
They further show tina the convlctsW were
to have ample.time for washing, &c. Or
ders were issued that they were never to
10 f,,l-o~ "a ,,,n,.ly fn0 conn ,or rat11 rnpn too
late, and that they were to have ample
time to rest ut noon and recesses in sum-
mer. That the sick should not be put to
work except by the consent of the physl-
clan in charge.
When complaint was first made to
Judge Kershaw, the directors offered
every facility for investigation. Again,
when complaint was made by q cores
pondent in the NeWs and Courier in 1878,
we asked an investigation, which Col.
Parmele promptly made. Again, we in
vited an investigation by Col. Lipscomb
as soon as we learned the frightful NOR
tality this year.. Well, now l would ask
in reason and justice if this looks like in
territorial wrong? Does it look like efforts
to conceal any of u management? On
the contrary, does it not establish, that
upon every hint or ruinor OF
treatment. the board adopted what they
regarded as adequate measures to ascer-
tain and suppress any such treatment?
Mr.. President, we next invite your at
ton to
THE CAUSES OF II MORTALITY.
LIST. We claim that the character and
previous life of the average convict rem,
ders him more liable to disease and
death.
I'd. That the mental depression pro-
duced by taking ~convicts from the com
paratively comfortable quarters of the
%penitentiary and heavily %shackling and
putting them to hard work, had a tenden-
cy to produce disease and death.
Sd. That it was impossible to treat con-
victs shackled as described before as sue
csssfully as civilians. ,
4th. That the directors did not and
could not make their camp hospital rs
comfortable and clearly as a charity or
penitentiary hospital.
5th. The location of Stockade No. 8 was
in a nalarial section in which there has
been much fatal congestion.
9th. Stockade No. 4 was near the banks
of Savannah River, in the triangle form
ed bythis river and Stephen'SCreek, a re-
gion peculiarly liable to malignant dis,
Il case, pTOuuCeu W AoS"i N"P
decaying matter.
Eth. THAT our officer may have unwit-
tingIy required fresh and new convicts
! to do as much as old veterans. In proof
of this, every military and medical officer
of the Confederate cause knows the fatal
ity amor our troops on first enlisting.
Every Captain in the Confederate service
knows the mortality of the recruits and
conscripts brought to u army and re-
uuired to do the hard work of trained
soldiers. Well do I recollect that in
General Johnson's peninsula campaign
forty recruits were brought to the right
rifle company of Kershaw's regiment
and put in tho hard active service that
ensued after leaving Richmond for York
town, and in less than six months thir-
ty-three per cent. were dead. l see upon
the floor of this House battle-scarred vet
Grams of the same command who could
bear testimony to a similar history in
their own companies and regiments.
Sth. I think our officer may have unln-
tentionally required convicts to roll dirt
too far in wheelbarrows and to pitch 1t
too far with shovels for there Is an ex-
tent to which human strength and mus
Gle can exert itself daily, but if it is
forced beyond that capacity continually
disease follows. TO illustrate my posi-
ton, a game cock will exhibit a certain
amount of force and power in his first
fight, but make him repeat it once and
his power and endurance are gone: or a
blooded horse will travel sixty miles per
day if travelled five miles per hour, but
force him to eight or ten and he fails.
Thus q convict may do an extra amount
of work per hour or day, but if forced to
that standard daily, exhaustion or worse
follows. But, in opposition to this opin-
ion. the most practical farmers along the
: line of route say that the convicts do not
move as much dirt as ordinary free la
Dor.
9th. We received many diseased con-
yicts. Now I am far from believing that
either of the boards of directors or either
of the superintendents Intentionally sent
us a diseased man. On the contrary, the
three boards of directors have been kind
: to myself and usually to u road. Col.
Parmele was always indulG ent, and our
present excellent and successful super
intendent, Col. Lipscomb is a warm per-
soual friend to myself, as well as Of other
directors. But the fact is undeniable
that we received many who were diseas-
ed. In our first detachment I have al
ready stated that one died without doing
a DAYS work, and others were sick. The
second squad of fifty vas carefully ex-
amined by DR.. Neill, our physician, yet
Messrs. Sheppard and Klugh, two of the
most reliable citizens Of Abbeville, who
CHANGED to be in Columbia, and kindly
assisted in guarding them to Greenwood,
informed me that a large per cent. were
suffering with diarrh9a, and it became
necessary for them to stimulate or
two before reaching home, This squad
was carried to Stockade No. s, and here
our first terrible mortality began with
diarrh9a. They were treated by two of
our most successful county physicians,
who were efficient medical officers of the
Confederate army. One OF them says
they died of an epidemic falliculous diar-
rhna, similar to and as severe as that
which decimated Bragg's army around
Corinth. The small squad Of fifteen l
examined on reaching Greenwood, and
insisted that several should be returned
to Columbia, as they were utterly unfit
for railroad work. But my advice was
not needed. In December, 1878, we ap-
piled for fifty, and Colonel Parmele sue
eeded in finding only forty, and hesitat-
ed to let them 60, as he thought there
was little service in them. The last de-
tachment OF seventy-five, sent us by
Colonel Lipscomb, were regarded as the
most desperate men in tho penitentiary,
and two Of them, to my knowledge
McGarvey and a man with epileptic con
vulsions-were unfit for rough railroad
work and too dangerous to be trusted to
camp duty.
10th. The mortality was largely duo to
the Hardship Of marching to and from