The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-01-03
'AEDERsOEvILLE AND OTHER WAR
PRISONS

"Andersonville and other War.
Prisons" 1t was written last
summer for the North american
ReUieU; but in consequence of
what Mr.. Davis characterized as
the mutilation of his reply to Lord
Wolseley, by the editor of the
Reriew, he withdrew it from that
periodical and gave it to Belford'S
MGQaziRe, in the January number
of which the first part OF it appears.
1t is a remarkable paper, and will
attract widespread attention.
"Nearly a quarter of a century
has elapsed" writes Mr.. Davis,
"since the war between the States
ceased. Has the prejudices fed on
the passions of that period ceased
with the physical strife Shall it
descend from sire to son, hardened
by its transmission? Or shall it
be destroyed by the full develop
ment of truth, the exposure of the
guilty, and the vindication of the
innocent 2"
Believing as MI. Davis without
a doubt did believe, that he, per-
Sonally, and the Confederacy, as
a community, were not response
BILE for the needless sufferings and
mortality of prisoners at Ander-
sonville, it is natural that he should
have written with earnestness and
warmth, EVENT. without bitterness,
in defence of his own record and
his people. The facts that he in
PRODUCES in his paper divide them
selves into three groups: The first
group are designed to show, while
no attempt is made to deny the
existence of great and needless
sufferings, yet that they were not
owing to any fault of the Confed-
crate authorities, and that, contra
ry to the common belief at the
North, neither the suffering nor
the mortality, among the Federal
captured soldiers in Confederate
prisons, were so great as the suffer
ings and mortality among Confed-
crate prisoners in Federal prisons.
This last assertion will seem so
astounding to Northern readers
that, unless fortified, the rest of
Davis articles will excite no
attention. Therefore, although it
is one Of his last points in the order
OF presentation, we quote it first
at must be conceded that the
States are more general
ly healthy than the Southern.
with equal means and care
in providing for the prisoners, it
'ollows that the rate of mortality
ihOuld have been as the salubrity
# ,'he country. 1t may be pre-
umed that all were son duty"
7han captured, and the average of
he wounded among the prisoners
bout the same /; therefore that all
7ere in a condition to be benefit
ed by rest and proper treatment
n a favorable locality. What was
he result? According to the re-
,Orts of the United States War
Department, the relative number
# prisoners and deaths were in
'ound numbers
United States prisoners held by
the Cor fedGracy ............ go, 900
prisoners held by the I
United States. ............. 226, 900
United States prisoners died in
Confederate hands........... $4,000
ate States prisoners died {
in United States hands. ...... 26,OOO .
"From this it appears that the 4
Jonfederates with an excess of 4
prisoners, had 1000 fever :
leaths. This should not have peen '
the case if the means of providing !
for them had been equal but, in
every material respect-in food, in
clothing, in shelter, in medicine, in
sur ,ical instruments, and all which :
free commerce contributes
the North had greatly the advan-
age. Only one element remains :
10 account for the difference-care
or the defenceless; and this, in
he depths of our restitution, new
sr ceased, as the world will appre-
late whenever impartial history
;hall render the justice which con-
temporary prejudice and passion
nave denied"
NJ. nnusn snrfan AhnA IL IL