The National tribune., 1891-08-13
PRISONERS OF WAR.
A Plea for the Passage Of Legislation for ThsIE
Relief

Plea for the Passage Of Legislation for Their
Relief
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: There has
been a great deal written in regard TO tho
mortality and suffering of the Union prisoners
of the late war in Southern prisons, and even
the official statistics bring facts to memory
which are enough to make this great Republic
today look on the past with u feeling OF regret
and responsibility. 4 great deal has also been
said in regard to the responsibility Of the Gov
erument i'm the matter of exchange Of prisoners.
But this I do not wish to criticize. as the Gov
eminent at chat time was strained toits utmost
and was at q loss sometimes to know which was
the wisest plan to pursue.
From a military stand point, considering
that We held in the North so many more pris-
Oner5 who were we'll fed and able 10 enter the
field the moment they were exchanged, the
Government was probably right But. on the
other hand, to think Of thousands Of those
patriots who were captured in the heat Of bat
tie and in the front ranks, only to meet that
most horrible fate of death BY starvation at the
hands of a heGrtless people who was trying TO
establish a Government whose chief corner
stone rested upon human slavery.
But the time for redress and assistance from
any Government or people to many thousands
who now peacefully sleep their last sleep in the
| land they made free, is past Their heroic
patriotism and love of justice and truth has
passed to q hi CHER tribunals but there are others
yet living who suffered all but death in those
prisons, and whose lives for many years have
been a burden to them from the effect of those
filthy places Of starvation.
Now, want TO ask, what is the duty OF this
great and rich Government, that claims to ba
the pride of the world, 20 those men who have
grown old, aud many of them destitute and
unable TO support themselves? Does tho Con-
gress of the United States realize the great re-
sponsibility resting upon their patriotism in
this mattor2 The prisoners Of war pension
bill has been before them for years, until nearly
half that should have received its benefits have
already joined their silent comrades Of the
dead observation-disclosures fact that many State
Assemblies have passed resolutions asking Con-
gres5 to pass this bill and do Justice TO those
who thus suffered to help to save this great Re-
public from being numbered with the things OK
the past
/ viii here state that I am proud Of the past
record of Senator G. X. Davis Chairman Of the
Pension Committee, yet his duties arc Dos
finished and as / am q resident Of his own city
(St Paul, Alinn.,) / Join with many others OK
his constituents in urging him to use all honor
able means to procure the immediate passage OF
the prisoners. Of-war pension bill. In speak
ing of the suffering OF those prisoners / do so
from personal experience, as l was seriously
wounded and captured at the battle of Chieka-
manga, Sept. 90, 1868. with thousands Of others
who were left wounded on the field in the
hands of the enemy, and who had been in tho
front and heat of the battle.
/ viii not here attempt to describe the suffer-
ing Of our wounded, only to say that many
died from want of proper care, j was finally
scut, with others, to Libby prison. and after re-
naming many months in this famous bastiis
we became the inmates Of many different pris-
Ous OF the SOuth--Danville, Va; Macon, Ca;
savannah, Ga; Charleston and Columbia, 9. O.,
from where, on tho 18th day Of November 1864,
made my escape. and after travelling many
weeks in the swamps Of South Carolina and
mountains of North Carolina I reached our
lines at Knoxville, Tenn. I immediately
Joined cur command at Huntsville, Ala, and
not being able to march was placed on tho staff
of Gen. Nathan Kimball as d-de-Csmp where
I remained to the close Of the war.
My present condition, from the effects OF
prison life, is Ike that Of many others of the
old prisoners; from three to six months of the
year I am unable to walk
will close by asking all the sx-prisOners OF
war 70 urge upon their members Of Congress
the justice of the immediate passage of tha
above named bill.-E. GORDON, Captain, Co. ID,
s1st Ind, st. Paul, Mimi.