The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-27
PRISONS NORTH AND SOUTH.
Interesting Statistics as to Mortality among
Prisoners During the War.
ISnrinQneld Republican,

Prisoners During tho War.
Springfield Republican,
To the Editor of The Republican:
The tone of fairness which is evident in
your editorial Of September 4th on Rebel
Prisoners at Camp Morton" emboldens me
10 write you concerning tho treatment OF
prisoners during our lato unhappy war. l
should deeply regret the result OF a Discus
sion OF this subject should IL arouse animosi-
ties or rskindle feelings OF bitterness. AFTER
moro than q quarter OF a century has elapsed
the survivors or tho partishns OF botn sideS
Ia that terrible conflict should be aole-un-
blinded by passions natural 10, and %engender-
cd In the tumuit of war, and unbiased oy
preiudice-calmly 10 discuss the merits anu
dement's of either side of this question:
That which we term civilized warfare ID
really only semi-ciyilized. On either side the
lot of the soldier was hard at best, and the lot
of the prisoner was still harder. This IS the
history Of all wars in all countries. and ours
| Was no exception. The treatment or prison
era by both North and South during our war
was characterized either by indifference or
neglect on the part Of those responsible for
the welfare of the helpless beings placed I'M
der their care, amounting III many instances
TO criminality. careful study Of the subject
by any reasonable and iair-minded being can
lead but TO this conclusion.
II 40 happens that the Southern side OF the
prison question has never been made known
To tho Northern people. Though a good deal
has been written. it appeared in southern
magazines or other periodicals OF limited
! circulation, never finding its way to
tho masses Of tho North. On the other
hand. the narratives OF tnlon prlson-
ers have boon widely diaused through
| the daily papers. made the texts OF
| passionate oratory by the statesmen OF
a day. elaborated by the Illustrated Jour
| nails and emphasized by the immense circu-
| lation and influence of the Northern mag
azines. Until the article on "JOhnsons
Island" by Lieutenant Carpenter. and Camp
Norton appeared in the Century. only one
side Of the ,unerines OF prisoners was known
north of the Mason and Dixon line. Little
wonder then that these articles attracted at
%tention, created surprise. aroused Indignation;
| and still less wonder that those TO whom this
Indignation would direct itself rushed INTO
the daily papers and the magazines with
| column, Of denials Of the accuracy OF my
statements. with explanations Of this and that,
long list. OF rntions. attestod by the commits
ssry. supplies furnished by the q~uartermaster,
all certified TO as correct comfortable quar-
t.rs. warm fires, plenty Of blankets and bed
ding. &c, and yet the men died in large
numbers
Facts are cold and unanswerable and dead
| men do tell tales. The death rate at Camp
Morton WAS within seven-tenths Of 1 per
cent. Of that among all Union prisoners con-
! fined in the Confederaey, and Camp Morton
wa. by no means the worst prison. At IL
mira. &. Y, out Of a total OF II, 147 prisoners,
| 1850 died: that is 2l5 in every 1000. These
fgures nre from tho United States War Re
cords Office. / have the report of the chief
/ surgeon of the prison hospital at Anderson
Vile. Ga, showing officially the number
of prisoners that died at Anderson
Vile. the causes Of death and a classi-
fed list OF all that died IN stOckade
aud hospital. The total number of
prisoners received during its occupation was
IS. 613; deaths. II. 911; ratio OF mortality, 2S3 IN
1000. The United States War Records Office,
however. have revised these Andel sonyille
figures, giving the total confined as fO,62s,
| and the deaths a, IA, 40s. OF 35i per 900.
Accepting the revised statistics, the diler-
ence in the mortality at Andersonyille and
| Elmira is 100 In each 1000. The civilized
world has heard much OF the horrors OF An
| dersonvills. how little it knows Of Elmira and
Camp Morton This death rate on either side
cannot he explained away. These prison
[ pens Of North and South must stand as blots
on even the darkest page OF our history. May
they help TO make WAT impossible!
Now. in all fairness and candor, what ex-
cu.e can there be for 90 frightful q death rate
at ElmirA' The North was rich in all that
should have contributed 10 the protection Of
its prisoners. That they died by wholesale IS
proof, | hold. that they did not receive this
humane treatment. As 10 Andersonville.
there is something OF palliation. / believe
the spirit of fairness in the Northern people
will appreciate and admit it when the facts
are known. The South was greatly Ia need
| Of food, clothing and medical supplies. In
1854 its armies were subsisting almost wholly
was almost exhausted. IN October -. 1864,
s. b. French. major and cOmmissary on sub
sistence, reports: I'VE have on hand IN the
Confederate States rations Of meat to suosist
800, 0oO men for twenty five days." On
August 2. 1854, DR.. White, the medical officer
in charge at A~adersonyills. reports: The
supplies Of medicines have been entirely
exhausted. The ration issuedt to the prisoners
is the same as that issued 10 tho Confederate
soldier In the field. Tho meal is unboltod.
and whom baked Is coarse and unwholesome. 3"
Even sieves or means for boiling. the meal
could not be had on account OF the strict
blockade.
Judge Robert Ould. Confederate commits
sioner of exchange. in his statement published
in the National 1ntelligencer IN August. 1868.
says: in the summer Of 1864, in consequence
OF certain information communicated 10 me
by tho surgeon-general of the Confederate
States as to the deficiency of medicines, i
offered to make purchases OF medicines from
tho United States authorities. TO be used ex-
c~lusively for the reliet of Federal prisoners.
/ offered 10 pay in gold. cotton or tobacco.
and agreed that such medicines might be
brought into tho Confederate lines by United
States surgeons and dispensed by them. 10
this offer | never received any reply"
1t is q matter of history that the Confeder-
ates at this time were DESTROYS of an exchange
of prisoners and that tho United States au-
thorities would not consent to exchange. The
New York Tribune, editorially referring to
the occurrences OF 1864. says: In August tho
rebels offered TO renew the exchange. man
for man. General Grant then telegraphed
the following important order: 1t lie hard on
our men held in Southern prisons not to OK
change them. but II 10 humanity to those left in
the ranks to light our battles. II we commences
q vstsm Of exchange which liberAtes all pris-