Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-04-22

! believe that it was written by inc
courteous and intelligent Editor OF
that paper. We do not believe that
he would be capable Of such express
ions. 1t is unnecessary for us to call
attention to the ignorance OF the
writer, in regard to the late war, for
his own language demonstrates that
fact better than we could.
He denies, upon his own lOse d'c't
that prisoners of the Confederate
army were starved with the approval
of E. NJ. Stanton Secretary Of War.
1t is only necessary to call his atten-
ton to Stanton's reply to an APP
plication for food for sick officers,
in the hospital at Johnson's lsland'
after the surgeons hal reported that
they were dying because they were
denied the necessary food. Let me
also call your attention to the follow
inc quotations from the testimony OF
true loyal republican and a Union
Soldier.
During period Of ten months l
was a member of the garrison of the
Rock Island Military prison. **Those
men were retained in a furnishing
condition by order Of Edwin NJ.
Stanton, Secretary of War. ~ Some
time in January a batch Of prisoners
arrived. They were captured at
Knoxville.
+ & 4
I am ready to swear that in my
opinion the Knoxville prisoners were
starved to death. *@* The weather on
January lst was the most intensely
cold ever experienced; and from all
parts of the prison came intelligence
of prisoners frozen to DEATH" This Is
the testimony of John a. Bateson
ll5th Eighth V. r. c. Second Bat
talon.
Mr.. Bateson is vouched for by a
district Judge and prominent law
yer Of Phoebe as gentleman Of
''perfect truthfulness and reliability
and he refers to a number Of leading
Republicans in the Northwest, with
whom he has always been politically
associated, for an endorsement Of
his character rs a staunch Republican
and honorable man.
The writer could give YOU a mum
Der of instances of suffering ut John
sons Island that came under his own
observation and for which Secretary
Stanton was directly responsible,
which YOU would not believe to be
possible, much less probable or true.
We would not detract from the
single instance of the boosted magni-
nimity of Gen. Grant at AppomattoX.
He acted there as he might have been
expected to act; for if he had inherit
ed the instincts of a soldier, or had
acquired them by education at the
best military school in the United
States, he could not have acted other
wise in the presence of the grandest
military hero Of the world, and the
greatest of the great family that has
proved itself an honor to America
from colonial days and from the first
American revolution to our difficulty
with the Spanish government.
And yet he is the same man VINO
issued that cruel order to Sheridan
on the 10th of Aug. 1864, to chang
Confederate prisoners without trial. "
Sheridan's brutal reply was written
on the nth of the same month.
We have abundant testimony from
officers Of the United States army
that we are prepared to present, but
we consider it unnecessary; these are
well established facts which you cam
not gainsay by your unsupported as
sertion that the charges are false
and malicious.
We have no desire to reopen these
old sores, especially at time when
our country is about going into war
with foreign nation. They were
only referred to by Us several weeks
ago to show that, in our opinion, the
United States was not justified in
making war upon Spain upon hui
manitarian grounds.
However much we may regret that
our government will inaugurate a
war upon what are not considered
Just grounds, by many Of our people,
our allegiance is due to her and we
have no disposition to create senti-
ments which would tend to prevent
her receiving the united support OF
the entire people.