The National tribune., 1891-08-13
PRISON HOSPITALS.
What these Places Mcnnt at AdusOnsille aud other
tlr!i-liclrs

What these IlUccs hcnnt NJ AdciSOnFllle abd Vlhef
Hci-Hclcs.
EDITOR NATIONAL THBUNE: / noticed in
your issue OF May u some extracts from a
letter by DR. Stevenson, Of Nova Scotia.
Having been prisoner in JACKSONVILLE for %
months, aud enc of the last 70 come out Of what
he calls hospital, feel That il would be an
injustice 20 the living as well ms the dead IL i
also did not contradict DR. Stevcnson's state
ment.
Let me here explain TO you what he calls
a hospital. lt was simply a s'ockade, with old
ragged tents stretched over poles, without beds
only plauks raised about one foot from the
ground. IL the patient had an old blanket, OF
course be was allowed TO keep it, butnonc were
furnished Many Of the tents had no plank,
the ground serving for "A bed. This i know
from my own bitter experience.
As 10 the food am pleased 10 admit il was a
triHc better than the prison fare, but never
enough 10 arrest the hunger. And in what
condition were they in when taken 20 the
place called hospital? They were carried by
their friends in an old blanket 10 the gate Of
this hospital, TO be examined by the medical
officer 10 see If they were III enough TO be adj
mitted TO hospital. ] have seen hundreds
carried back as not being IN enough, and they
would die within "a hours. More especially
was this the case during the months OF July
and August.
i presume DIR. Stevenson was one the ex-
aiming physicians, and knows the truth Of
my statements.
About that water he says was analysed. the
sample must have been taken before il reached
the rebel garrison. II was most filthy stream.
How could il be otherwise with 10000 men
using ID for different purp0scsr i could say a
great deal more about that stream, which he
calls as pure as any water in the South.
Now as 10 the treatment received by Con-
feGeratc prisoners IN Northern prisons, ] can
only speak, of course, Of what ] saw. When
the exchange took place, we were coming
North and met the Confederate prisoners
going South. AT some Of the stations there
was quite a delay, and We had a chance to talk
with the Confederate boys, who were very
kind and VINO sympathsed with Us in our
terrible condition. Aud what q contrast they
bore. They wcyc well clothed, looking like
men who had been well fed, and those who
used tobacco had that in their pockets, while
our poor boys looked like a crowd OF skeletons,
without clothes enough TO cover their naked
ness some having only IA old ragged blanket
around them, aud some Of them idiots, from
long suffering, exposure and starvation; i
myself having only aa old ragged jacket aud
pants, kept together with pegs Of wood, there
being no needles aud thread; no shirt, bare
headed, baro-i00ted, and reduced by hunger
that ! came out OF the s0-callcd hospital on my
hands and knees while many had 10 be carried
out
would like 10 ask the Doctor why IL was
that IL VIC received the amount Of food lie says
We cid, when we arrived at Nicksburg, tho
FIRST stopping place in tho Federal lines, we
were placed in hospitals Tor several weeks,
and the doctors only allowed Us a certain
I quantity o! .O0a until we gained some strength 2
] have no doubt but some Of the doctors who
were a. NicLsJurE arc sill alive and can testify
10 the truth of what ! say
in Speaking Of the number that died M
AndcrE0uvilc, that can never be known, foT
the very reason that when n man died the
Sergeant Of the 80, whose duty il was 10 write on
a slip Of paper tic mans name, company, Tegi.
meHt and from what State he came, that
paper was fixed 70 any article OF clothes or
rags lie might have on but some poor fellow
who stood in need If some rags would strip the
dead mau aud pat them on himself; the paper
would be placed on the body, and If the wind
blew II Of il was lost, and that was tie end
Of ID.
This is the first letter have ever written
on AndeTs5ayillo and in conclusion / can only
say DR. SteyeusOns statements are misrcpre.
seutati0us.-ALLAT MCFEE, Co. d, Path N. Y
Cav, BcllCyille, Ontario, Canada.