The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-02
"coLp CHEER IN CAMP MORTON"

him and TO hundreds of others
there incarcerated, showing that Confederate
prisoners in Camp Morton were cruelty and
inhumanly treated; that inofensive men were
shot and killed in cold blood; that prisoners
were reduced to such straits from hunger
that rats. dogs and tho refuse from the hospi-
tal kitchen swill-tubs had 10 be eaten TO pre-
serve their lives. and that many pershed
from insufficient protection from the rigors
Of winter and from insufficient food.
Since the publication Of this article DR..
Wyeth has Deen made conspicuous object Oh
unjust and malicious attack by Northern
writers. and he now addresses an appeal TO
the surviving prisoners of Camp Morton TO
send him for publication details OF any incl
dents which came under their immediate Cd
seryation. Nor does be confne himself entirely
TO the prisoners Of Camp Morton, but he
requests the survivors of ali othcr Northern
prisons to make similar statements other e1-
perences as prisoners of war. He desires TINS
not only for his own vindication, but that
there may be given 10 the world just con-
ception of the suferings and miseries TO which
Southern captives were subjected while con-
fined in Northern bastiles during the conflict
between the States.
It is TO be hoped that DR.. Wyeth's request
may be promptly acceded to, and that So,i'n-
ern sufferers at the hands of Northern prison
authorities will send him detailed accounts oi
their "reminiscences of their prison lie, sigh
ing thereto their names distinctly. stating
their former commands and present occupa-
tions. This is important in the cause OF
truth Northern writer's never tire OF
holding up to the obloquy of the world
what they are pleased to designate as the
horrors Of Libby, Andersonyille. Belle lsle
and the Southern war prisons, while as rule
Southern writers have sat quietly BY ana
have neither made any effort TO retute those
ISLANDERS, nor TO apply the lex taiionis by
showing that equally as great, and even
greater. horrors were experienced by Conied-
crate soldiers 50 unfortunate as TO fall into the
hands Of the Northern armies.
The only effort of Lote which has ever
been made in this direction was that OF Sena-
tor Hill of Georgia. in the United States
Senate few wears ago. when Mr. Blaine was
rash enough. in a debate. 10 touch on TINS
subject. Then Mr. Hill showed, and proved
by historical statistics, that while there
was necessarily much suffering III An
jacksonville and other Southern prisons
the Northern captives were treated with even
more consideration than were Confederate
soldiers in the field, and that the Confederate
Government earnestly and anxiously sought
an exchange of prisoners on grounds OF HUI
manity, and plainly informed the Federal
Government that. owing to the eMGen-
cies of the case and the straits TO
which the Confederacy was reduced. 1t
was simply impossible TO prevent sickness and
death among the men there held All these
appeals were rejected. however. by Lincoln,
Grant and Sherman, on the ground that most
of their prisoners were men whose terms OF
service had expired, and that, if exchanged.
they would be of no use to the North, while
the Confederate States had a conscript law
which would Immediately return to active duty
every prisoner exchanged. The mortality in
the Southern prisons, of which so much has
been said and written, was therefore directly
traceable to the action of the Federal author
tiles, who became thereby directly or indi-
recty responsible for every death which
occurred from exposure or privation. Still,
notwithstanding all this, Mr.. Hill showed that
mortality of Confederates in Northern prisons
exceeded that of Union soldiers confined in
the South.
It is time that the naked truth was known,
and unless something is done quickly to give
it TO the world it will never be known, for the
ranks of the old Confederate survivors of the
war and Northern prisons are fast thinning
out. DR.. Wyeth's request, therefore, should
meet with prompt and full response.