Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-21
Iihhv-Prlsnn stories.


recently engaged in conversation
with gentleman touching the treatment
that prisoners were subjected to during
the late war, In which | claimed that
Union prisoners Jared better at the hands
OF Confederates than our prisoners did
at the Union prisons. During the CON
versation he cited two instances to show
thst Union prisoners were treated IN the
most cruel manner, neither one OF which
| believe ever occurred, and my purpose
in calling attention to the matter is 10
see if there are not some of our citizens
who can testify positively whether they
did occur or not.
His first assertion was that "on the
day OF the evacuation OF Richmond
long train OF cars loaded with Union
prisoners was run out on the Petersburg
bridge while the bridge WAS on fire for
the express purpose of burning them 70
death" This is the first time have
ever heard this charge made, and while
| am fully satisfied in my own mind that
II il one OF the many manufactured out
RACES charged against the South by those
who take delight in making such charges
against our people, would be glad II
| some OF our citizens can give such de
NAL of the charge as to set the matter al
rest. az,
His second charge was that There
was at one time during the war confined
| in Libby Prison a young Union soldier
| whose mother resided in this city; that
II was the custom of the mother to take
TO her son something TO eat every day
from her own table; that on one occa-
sion when she went dowE to pay her son
her usual visit she WAS detained outside
Of the prison for awhile on account Of
some disturbance or connection which
was going on III and around the prison.
and while she was thus waiting her sol
came 10 the window merely to look on
through the bars, and while at the win
dow was deliberately shot and killed 10y
the guard right before his mother
face.
The young man who made thes'
charges was not in this country durinl
the war, and while he sympathizes wlt'
and endorses the course OF tue Uniol
army, and has been ready listener L
the recital of these southern outrages
that never occurred, feel satisfied tina
he is open to convection If some one VIII
ia in a position to do SO Will give sue
> denial 10 these unwarranted SANDERS a
they deserve, and perhaps IN convincin
him many Others may have the mis-
drawn from their eyes and wake up to
a realization that southern soldiers wer
: not such barbarians AS they have bee
, paicted by those whose chief delight
: 10 SANDER them without regard for trutt
VERY respectfully, W H. MuLLEs.
Richmond October 10, 1890.
/. There is not word OF truth IN tn
first story. 1t is pure fabrication. Th
day before the evacuation Of Richmond
|, under a flag of truce. the Confederate
delivered their prisoners TO the Federal
and got none of theirs III exchange.
Captain John NJ. West, OF Peter
burg, who had charge OF this deliver,
. and who went down the river on th
A flag of-truce boat has written and pull
"a lished very interesting account OF it.
- 2. We never heard OF the shootln
!, mentioned, aud do not believe 1t occu
q red at all--certainly not as stated. III
. prisoners we're always allowed to gath
= about the windows OF the Libby. The
a were to be seen there in large groul
q from sun to sun.
!. We may add that it was General Gran
= not General Lee, who stopped the e
n change Of prisoners, and that the mo
tality of Confederates in Federal prisol
" was larger than the mortality Of Fed
= rails in Confederate prisons, and this nc
"a witbstanding the Confederates suiert
greatly for food and medicines, viii
N the Fsdersls had ample supplies.