New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-10
THAT NIGHTMARE" STORY
CRUELTY AT CAMP MORTON DENIED By %"
FEDERATE SOLDIER WHO WAS
PRISONER THERE.

FEDERATE SOLDIER "HO WAS
PRISONER THERE.
To the Editor Of Tine TIL
SIR The following extract from letter bearing ia"
Aprl 1s 1891, written by an eXConfedelae SUMMIT
once prisoner at Camp Norton is valuable rom la
correct statement of the facts of prison life al that po
and IFS close harmony with the text OF existing esu
tions respecting food correspondence, etc, theh anu
there in force Contemporary records, Inspections
sanitary visits orders, complaints ana rcmedieo' w
tween August 49, 1862, and June, 1850, WILL III uue
time and place. confirm his statements ana $40" 'n" "
was impossible for q man either TO freeze OF s"'io "
death in the proper of the feeding and warming
anpiances of that post Many hnted. while was TO
sponsibe for the safety of Camp Morton fPom "i.in
and without, that too sentimental IN reEdu :"
prison conf rts, because my classmates, kchau ray
Or William Conner, Isaac Monroe ST. John anu %Niur
Tappan were all generals In the Confederate scr.'0of
and even family relatives from the South WERE from
fine 70 time among the prisoners Of war The impua-
ton was untrue. l did for the Confederates' WINS
under my care Just what would ask Tor son Il
pnsoner at the South. I recognized and exerciseu
every obligation prisoners o. war by the ihos'
humane principles Of international law. never
allowed nv views as to the war itself to affect my
sense OF what was due TO men who fought as bravery
as we did, but came helpless ragged, hungry SICK VI
wounded a. hostages for future exchange. NV
records show that in case when 300 wounHed
Confederate prisoners were TO arrive suddenly on
winters night, I prepared the dinlng-room OF ue
soldiers Home for their comfort untn suitable nus
pitaI arrangements could be made
postpone particular data until dates and names
NAV nossibv rescue hitherto careful Journal from tho
,mnos,tton OF its "nightmare" sketch, SO carelessy
mt In narrative FORM My charity recognizes tho
diagnosis OF a thoroughly morbid CONDITION. ara my
sympathy flows freely toward the artist OF lie Nen-
t,r,v Other officers who for portions OF the peris,
named had special responsibility for the care OF the
of will SDea
and his staff, with single exception, have paSSeo
away The noble Christian soldier 80 long on NY
staff as quartermaster and commissary, While COM
msnded in Indiana, General James A. Enn, mas also
passed away but General o. 3. WILCOX ana Governor
uovev of Indiana who commanded the district, each
sor severaI months while organizing ana dis-
cipning the Indiana quota as well as iS local eeoa
or militia survive to speak Of t1ler own experience
Even then no death experiences such as appear III
the Aprl number Of "The Century" couIo nave UD'
curred without my knowledge and that OF te puouo'
They did not occur.
One statement is due to the memory OF Governor
Morton He was aggressive, fearless, almost dehant IN
Ne Aee use NJ all means within his reach TO prosecute
The war but he had the heart Of a woman toward inc
en- ferng the sick or the wounded. he was also
sentative to an extreme degree lest anything shouo 90
wanting In the care Of prisoners OF war thao coud
possibly react against Indiana soldiers whom ths
fortunes Of battle might place In similar atude 40
m South I could name instances WHcIo Oh0 PAN''
accused us both Of showing needless thought Tor tho
personal comfort of Confederates under my charse'
Colonel Cal" Morgan, If living can TESTIFY as 70 ms
good rest at the Bates House, and the spacious ee
for himself and party at Camp Morton, when IL was
hard 10 find room for any more. Ihere was o"o
perod OF nearly ten months when Governor hor'".
eon,red from me daily reports TO the condition OF
,ha camns ahout indianapolis. During the coolest
davs ~ 1s63 and 1864 land some were very cold
made personal inspections. As general RUE mo
prisoners Of war, In the Judgment OF many oo"i
planlnr halffrozen officer or soldier, on exposed guu
duty were to be envied rather than TO DC plueo oy
those who had the immediate responsibility over them
their Quarters and their ratlons The officers OF tho
17tb and 18th Veteran Reserve Corps who did tllS
hard ouard duty portion OF the time were veterans
~ the battlefield; many Of them crippled; ana
well remember the pride with which they atUnueu IA
specton and welcomed strangers IN view OF inc ouo
CLEANLINESS and completeness Of the Accommodations
for the prisoners In their charge
Other REGIMENTS. the seth Massachusetts, included.
also performed guard duty. A New-Englsnd clergy
man. editor of leading educational journal, and also
Of leading New England daily city paper, who was
on cnard duty and helped to place upon stretcher
one Confederate soldier who was shot In an attempt 10
escape is another survivor Of the Camp Morton eA.
perience and will make his statement at a time ana
i'm manner suited to his position. Here Is inc eA'
tract from the letter mentioned -. .-..,....
living here. Ienn WHO Will I0OOIoc WHdl l. SOY
about treatment at Camp Morton ina; We, ~. IN
fact, drew more Than we could eat, ana FREQUENTLY
barered the surplus sugar cOee, rice, or oacoi Win
the suer for milk butter, eggs, etc. IL was Whle IN
C,amp Morton that learned how TO work up our stalo
bread (rather than throw II away lho pudolhgs
Favored with orange peeng, which tne en,,e mess
enioyed hugely. The ncwsOOys were allowed 10 CONS
into the prison and always had the news as pup
IIshed by .The Journal and Tho sentinel
1.-THE only restrictions thrown around our cor
respondence were that we should DC united 10 ono
page and these letters had To- be put into the post
office unsealed In order that the prison ohclas could
see that nothing contTaband sent ont, and, d
course the letters TO ms were opened by the same
officials to see that nothing cOntraband came In IL
more Than 81 was sent Us. at time, the rest
was kent az the headQuarter Office, and We werd
allowed to draw that amount every month
The pr sOners would frequently send home gutt4
nercha rings breast pins collar and cum buttons, etc.
etc made by themselves, and II any Of them ever
sent several Of these home, well several photo.
graphs taken as prisoner and know that they ar
rived safe for see some Of them nearly every day
now.
any unless IL whilst attempting To escape, and we
ali knew that this would be done II tried 10 escape
vet the attempt would sometimes be made, taking upon
ourselves tho risk
The above extract will find a cordial response from
| hundreds OF eNConfederafe soldiers throughout tho
| land During visits at the SOUTH since the war,
have been reminded by many Of them OF nv visits 20
their quarters and Of their humane treatment. IL 4
| simply marvellous Just az time when sOftened az
peties merge into renewed and never to- be impaired
the peer II not the SUPERIOR OF any other nation thai
the injection Of this mOnstrOus fantasy. through q
respectable journal, should feed the American taste
| for the sensational and impossible at the expense u
] truth and justice. HENRY b. CARRlNGTON,
I. 5. Army lretiredl, late Brig. Gen. duty n
Indiana from 862 TO 1863