Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-25
FOR THE SAKE OF TRUTH.

The writing of an article on the
treatment of Confederate soldiers at a
Northern military prison, and its pub
lication in the Century, was the turn
ing OF new leaf in our war history.
A surgeon, who was captured and
confined in the prison at Indianapolis,
Ind, was the author of the article. 1t
was temporarily written, and dealt
only with such facts as were connected
with the writer's own experience, or
came directly under his observation
But, written ever so temporarily as
| 1t should be, the exposure excited
angry comments in the North, and it
was followed with denials from some
| of the prison authorities, who were in
charge at the time the abuses were
committed. Upon this, the author of
the article published card in num-
Dor OF Southern newspapers-among
them THE GAzETTE-calling upon
other Confederate prisoners to write to
him of their own experience, 10 con-
firm the evidence he had given. A
great number of replies were received,
all sustaining the assertions of the
Century publication. The letters were
from men in all walks of life, who had
been captured while in the Confederate
service and sent to Northern military
prisons. They simply related their
experiences, without establishment or
comment. Their letters have proved,
if anything can be proved by compe-
tent witnesses, that the writer of the
Century article did not go beyond the
truth in what he told.
But now we are cautioned against
bearing witness to these things, lest
the discussion OF events of thirty years
ago '.retard that fraternal spirit which
should exist between the North and
South"
Do we owe nothing to history? The
truth is to be indicated, and in no way
can this be done except by taking the
testimony of men who are competent to
give evidence. The actors in the great
tragedy OF 1S61-1s65 are passing away.
While they yet live let them tell what
they saw, and heard, and did. They,
too, soon will be gone, but their printed
words will live, and future generations
will look to these words for knowl-
edge of the incidents of that great
struggle that has never been surpassed
in the magnitude of its operations.
Histories has been written of the
war, but none that filled the conditions
of impartiality and completeness.
Northern historians have not dealt
fairly by the South. The horrors OF
Andersonville and the ferocity of
Wirz have been so pictured that the
civilized world is shocked that such
barbarity could have been practiced by
a civilized people in this age. They
have read only Northern histories, and
they know nothing but what they have
learned from that source. If we do not
correct the false teachings of ignorant
or biased historians, the world will |
never know better. Fifty years hence,
when the lips of the soldiers and the
statesmen who took part in the war
shall be closed, the only evidence we
can turn to will be the printed page.
Let it tell the truth, and the whole |
truth. Our children will look upon
their fathers as savages, if they have
nothing but the histories of to-day to |
guide them in forming conclusions of |
the men and deeds of the war. Some
day an impartial historian will give to
the world fair and truthful account
Of what took place between 1851 and
1865. He will need material for it.
This material must come from first
hands. 1t must be from the lips and.
pens OF men who spoke OF their own
Who can tell of prison
life in the North so well as the pris-
'ners? The men who are telling of
heir experiences in Camp Douglass
" Camp Morton are doing a service to
heir country. Give all OF the evidence
o the people, and let posterity render
he verdict.