Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-14
THE LInnY PRISON FAKE.


proved a failure in Chicago, and Is 10 DC
or already has been, abandoned.
In Chicago there are hundreds OF tnou-
sands OF people who know nothing Oh
the late war. Most Of these were porn
in foreign lands. and have never con-
cerned themselves about the giganuc
struggle that took place between the Norm
and the South. And OF the nortnerners
residents there. many now have TRACE re-
la,,ons with the South. and are quite
willing to let by-gones be py-so"eS'
Others still, moved. we doubt not oiiiy ny
goodness OF heart have frowheu oo"
from the first the attempt TO make 'he
eboets NJ the war walk the earth again
in the Libby Museum. Then, there are
in the Windy City many southefners VINO
know that the story of Libby Prison
as retoiled for the benefit Of South-hatng
folk IS a monumental fake. All these
have been obstacles to the success OF
"the enterprise"
The celebrity the vendors OF slander
would attach TO the Libby Prison Is mat
Il Is. or was building in which Federai
prisoners were inhumaniy treated, ana
where many became martyrs for the
cause of Cuffy and the Union. Similar
lies have. Of course. been told about our
"prison-pens" at Belle Isle, Salisbury
and Andersonville, but the Libby has
been seized upon and adopted as the type
Of them all.
DESTROYS Of reviving the unhappy
memories Of the war, and making money
by the process, spectators came TO Rlch-
mond i'm 1883 and bought of decedent
estate the Libby building. This they
took down. brick by brick, and removed
by rail to Chicago. There the building
was regretted and converted into a war
museum. But it never was much or
success. From the start 1t was regarded
as n flake" enterprise, and 1t Is now
to be abandoned. A suggestion has been
made that the building be removed to
Washington. but we would hardly think
the capital city would care to encourage
that idea.
suffered much, we have no doubt. 1t
could not be expected that we would
give our prisoners better food than our
lighting men had. That we couldn't do,
and did not attempt. But the people
of this generation ought TO know that in
the northern military prisons, in sight
of barns bursting with grain and cattle
numbered by thousands, often our Con-
federates were driven to the necessity
of catching rats and feeding upon Mem
There are here in Richmond living wit
nesses Of the truth of this statement.
We had to give short rations to the
prisoners held by us, but in northern
prisons il was done, not through neces-
sity, but through revenge.
Moreover not the Confederates, but the
Federals. through General Grant, stopped
the exchange OF prisoners.
We hear a good deal nowadays about
the doings of the Spaniards in Cuba, but
let IL not be forgotten that the refusal
| of the United States to continue the ex
| change of prisoners cost the lives o.
more men than all the wars in Cuba have
ever cost, or could cost were they con
tinued ten years longer.
Furthermore, towards the close OF GU
war. when our soldiers had not ever
| enough corn-bread to fill their stomachs
our government begged the Federal Gov
eminent to send for its Andersonville pris
| oners and take them away without ex
changes. Yet. it was two or three months
before this humane offer was accepted!
The establishment of the Libby-Prisoi
| Military Museum was an effort to per
| petuate the ISLANDERS against the Soutl
respecting the treatment of prisoners
| That il has failed is to the credit OF IN
western people. But Chicago ought to I'll
the world of the building, and wash II
| hands clean of the whole undertaking
There's nothing but unhappy memorie
connected with it, and, rightly understood
there isn't the least bit of capital I
| no made for the North out of its history.