The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-07
HE WAS AT ANDERS0NVlLLE
rRlJs ACCOUNT OF THE TREAT
MeNt or PRISONERS.
Dr. Isaiah II. white Gives Facts to Con-
trover, the Legends Revived 10 stir up
s.o,,,,,t FeeIIng-The War Ended

in leading magazines and journals IN the
country agitating the treatment of prison
ers at Andersonyille and other southern
prisons during the late war between the
States.
I'm order that the true condition OF THIS
subject might he learned. reporter Tor
rur TIMES called upon Dr. Isaiah ". White
Yesterday, who was chief surgeon OF m'li-
tory prisoners east of the Mississippi dur
inc those days, and his headquarters WERE
for time, at Andersonyille.
Aseyidence of the efficiency of DIR. lsalah
| II. White in the position which be held me
medical and Surgical History oi the Nar
| nj the Rebellion" in referring 10 one oi MS
sanitary reports, says: "The following eA-
tract shows him neither insensIble 10 lhe
| suffering around him nor ignorant 0i the
cause"
bR. WHITES POSITION.
"The papers published by the cninmltlec
of the House Of Representatives snow lna'
Or /. II. White, surgeon IN charge Oh , tne
| nrison camp repeatedly called the attention
| 81 his supeIiors TO the condition OF the PR,
oners. appealing for medical aud hospltai
supplies, additional mesical oinceIs, .I HiI
adequate supply Of cooking utensils hosl.'",
=.
| debt OF gratitude to this gentleman ana ms
| colleagues i'm their abOrs for the unfortunate
men confined at Andersonville'
FACTS FROM Knowledge.
When asked to give his knowledge Of the
| facts connected with the reports OF the IN
human treatment If Federal prisoners Dy
I Confederatc authorizes. DIR. White SAID
"It il not easy to see what purpose Is serve"
bv the publication of these articles: nder
circumstances like those OF the clNll war;
| the remembrance Is painful.
sADDEsr EPISODE.
If was the saddeet Of its episodes not to
be willingly recalled either by the Nort'
or south. If its history is 10 be written,
| however. II is better for II 10 Do paseu ul'o"
| facts than fiction.
otis wel-known fact" said DR.. hite,
..that the Confederate authorities USED
every means in their power 10 secure me
exchange Of prisoners, but II was the pollcN
of the United States Government 10 prevent
il. rs is well shown 10y a letter Of Heneral
| Grant 10 General Butler. dated August the
| 18th, 1864. in which he said
at is hard on our men held IN southern
prisons not 10 exchange them, nut IL Is hu-
nanity to those left i'm the ranks to hghi our
| battle Every man released on parole OF
otherwise, becomes an active sOluiei HShl'1t
US al once, either directly or indirectly.
| liberates all prisoners taken, we VIII nave
| 10 night on until the whole SOuin is eNlerlhl-
| mated If we hold those caught they amount
10 no more than dead men.
| At this particular time 10 release All Iepel
1 prisoners North, would Insure sherman
| defeat and would compromise our safety
here
"This policy" continued the Doctor,
| mot only kept our men out OF the hcld' nul
| threw upon our impoverished comInlssallai
| the feeding Of large number0i prisoners
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.
In refutation Of the charge that prisoners
were starved, let it be noted that the Con-
| fedcrate Congress in May, 1861, passed "A
| bill providing that the ratlons furnished 10
prisoners of war should be the same III
quantity and quality rs those issued to the
| enlisted men in the army of the Coniederacy.
And the prisoners at AndersOnville received
the same rations that were furnished the
Confederate guard. That this was some
times scant. every old rebel in the field can
testify. But this was due 10 our poverty.
MORTALITY.
"Acc0rding TO the report Of Secretary OF
War stanton, the number of Federal pris-
oncrs who died in Confederate prisons l.
22.j1G, and according to the same authority
! the number of Confederate prisoners who
died in Northern prisons is 70, 4J6. Accord
ing TO the report Of Surgeon. General Barnes
the number Of COnfederates held IN Nor
thern prisons during the war was 22O,OW.
and the number of Federal prisoners held
i'm Confederate prisons was 2lO,OOO'
alt is 10 be observed that In all OF the
calculations Of mortality made by the
writers of these articles the figures relate
to Andcrsonyille, which was acknowledged
! the most unhealthy of any Of our prisons,
and vet the mortality rate will compare
favorahly with that Of Alton. ILL.,, which
was jO9.4 annually per thousand
CAMP AT ANDERsoNNILLE.
The camp at Andersonyile was cstab-
lished on a naturally healthy site in the
| highlands Of Sumpter county, Georgia.
| The officers sent TO locate this prison
were instructed 10 prepare camp
| for the reception of ten thousand prison
ers. For this purpose twenty-seNen acres.
consisting OF the northern and southern
| exposures Of TWO rising grounds, between
which ran a stream from west To east. was
was selected In August, 1864, nearly
| thirty-three thousand prisoners were
crowded together in this area, in cOnse-
quence Of the refusal of the United states
| Government to exchange prisoners, We haN-
| ing no other prison 10 which TO send them
| at that time.
CAUSE OF DISEASE.
The sudden aggregation Of these men at
a camp unpreparcd for their reception,
originally designed for only ten thousand
men. developed many unsanitary cOndi-
| tiOns which. combined with pre-eNisting
causes evolving sickness. and stamping il
with greater yirulence. The most prOmi-
nent of these were: The men came from
a higher latitude and unaccustomed to the
| Southern climate in the most unhealthy
season of the year, August. The temporary
| detective police of the camp. and the in
sufficient protection in quarters and the
| bread ration, consisting OF corn meal, used
largely in the South. to which they were
unaccustomed, contributed 10 the spread Of
| diarrhUa and dyscntery, which was the
| cause of 81 per cent. of the entire number
of deaths. But the evil influences exercised
| by the camp conditions and diet would not
| have been followed by the same mortality
| had the same ground and shelters been
| crowded 10 the same extent with well dis
ciplned troops, waiting for the opening o
campaign.
| BROKEN DOWN PHYSICALLY.
These men on their arrival were broken
| down physically by previous hardships,
hurried marches, want Of sleep, deficient
ratiOns and exposures in all kinds of
weather, by night and by day that prccede
| and attend the hostile meeting of armies.
lhe prisoners seldom carried from the fields
"A sutliciency Of clothing and blankets TO
protect them from weather changes. The
depression % spirit consequent on defeat
| and capture, the Inconsistencies of the pris-
0ners, and the dependency caused
by the thought that they had
been left by their own Government III the
hands OF the enemy with no prospect Of
exchange, conspired to render every cause
Of disease more potent in its action and
were the main factors in the production Of
| disease and death.
"Ilow were you of for medical supplies,
| Doctor" asked the reporter.
ave were sadly deficient in medicines,
the United States Government having de-
cared medicines cOntraband Of war, and
| 10y the blockade prohibiting us from getting
| them abroad we were thrown largely on the
| use of indigenous remedies"
| GRANTS TESTIMONY.
| The following testimony Of General Grant
may be of interest. In dispatch to Gen
cral Butler. from City Point, on August Is,
| 1864, he said ut Is hard on our men held
in Southern prisons not 10 exchange them,
| but it is humanity TO those left in the
| ranks IN fight OR battles Every