The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
Suffer from Incarceration in Northern
Prisons-Extract from Il Sol
dier's Letter.

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND MOTH
ING EUT THE TRUTH.
Editor OF the Gazette.
DEAR SIE-What have we left aS our III
herltance' Our honor, integrity and his
tory when the old Confederate soldier lait
down his arms on the field of honor and re
tired slowly but sadly TO the place once
his happy home, only TO find nothing but
ashes and chaos, he set about 10 rebuild his
fortune so ruthlessiy destroyed by the in
vader, with an abiding faith that the
affair Of honor was settled, and while 10
and his comrades were toiIing for bread
and rliment, and while the old Federal
soldiers OF the tented fields, war-Torn, but
te-scarred was resting from his labors,
the
HUNGRY CoRMoRtNTS,
vultures and cdmp-TollowerS We're busy az
work plundering, the last vestige LETT -
without mercy or rcmOrSe OF conscience.
We have our testimony left us and our bay
OuCtS have been forged into pen points. and
this IS our weapon of defense against those
unmitigdted cdmp-follOwerS who would
dare TO tamper with untcmpercd mortar.
Let al of those of the survivors place
themselves on record ere we pass over the
river, and give the truth as We saw it. IL
is all we have left Of our inheritance and IL
cannot be called treason" or rebel 10
pen the facts and repe their false insinul-
tionS. If it IS so considered, then let them
make the most fit.
1t is not the purpose Of the articles on
"E,ating Rats TO stir mp strife or open tho
old sores Or get up sectional feeling, or "a
show 4 want of 4 proper appreciation of our
common country or its laws, but to sustain
the sacred principle of truth that the i'm
partial historian may have the facts 10
gather his points to compile fair. truthful
and impartial history OF that cruel struggle.
Testimony IS constantly coming in Vcri-
rying my statements, an'fSnOre startling
tha~ the public generally know. 1 can
state that the letters from eye witnesses IL
my possession would make Uncle Sans
brazcn face blush and the Goddess OF Lib
erty weep, and they are from good men ana
good citizens, who are iudorScd b. any
amount Of evidence as to vcracity.
I desire to state that dnv Of our old SOL
dierS who will write me fully their cXp--
ricncc in Northern prisons Will carefully
keep them preserved, and as often as cam
find paper Of generous attitude enough TO
publish extracts 30 have them do it amt
keep the same for future record. Thanking
The GAZETTE for It's generosity aut
l. T. NJ. Surru.
Extract Of letter from c. y. Carpenter,
Coperas Cove, Tex: Il saw men freeze 10
death in the winter of 'G}-64. My feet areyet
frost bitten. | was captured at Gettysburg
in '63, weighed in Baltimore on my way 10
prison 2I2 pounds, was let loose the l4th OF
June, 1864, weighed in Philadelphia eighty
seven pounds, not sick but starvation
never eat rat or dog, OuT
it was because I could not get the article l
saw men die OF starvation and cold, freeze
to death begging for something to eat Is
long as they had breath II tank. Can give
address of others who viii corroborate a.
this" Mr.. c. belonged to Company |,
Fifteenth Alabama Volunteers, StOnewalls
corps. and states further that the half
has not been told &. y. {.