Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-12-28

By q. /. Cleveland.

u oont suppose ever tolo you Tue
story Of how q prisoner Of war showed
his gratitude?"
mo. Let us have It,"
ut was toward the close Of the civil
war that ! was placed In charge Of the
officers hospital at Hampton. Va. and
Just back Of Fortress Monroe. found
a good many invalid Union officers In
the hospital. and there were between
fifty and sixty Confederate officers
there, all III and all prisoners. My In.
structions In regard to the care and
feeding of them were to take the same
care of their living as was given to the
Union men. attempted to carry out
these instructions In spirit as we'll as
letter.
"There was another Chicago surgeon
at the hospital besides myself. but he
was under me. My work was agree
able, and found the Confederates q
gentlemanly set Of fellows who had
done their duty as they saw 1t. suffered
and were now about ready to begin to
prepare for a better kind Of living than
making war. Among them was
young lieutenant. Ellis Lewis, to whom
took quite fancy.
Zone day In making my rounds and
on reaching the Confederates ! found
them pale, trembling, unnerved. In en-.
deavoring to ascertain what was wrong
with them | found that they had not
had meat for more than week. that
their rations were being kept from
them. Lieutenant Lewis said this had
been going on for some time.
"'Still,' said ], I have given explicit
orders that you shall be fed the same
as the Union officers here, and have
given no orders that meat shall be kept
from you
".But we get no meat answered
Lewis.
II called up the Chicago man who
was in charge of the feeding OF the
prisoners and who is now prominent
citizen, and asked him II be was re-
sponsible for depriving the Confeder.
ate officers Of meat. He said he was. l
asked him why he did this when had
given contrary orders.
"'Do you suppose he asked. i am
going to give these men any more than
can help when their government IL
starving our people In Libby and An
jacksonville?
"'That has nothing to do with this
case l said. You will feed these men
as l have directed or one of US will
leave this hospital. Charges will be
preferred against you. and will make
them. We will have humanity here or
will know why
1.-THE meat came after that.
shortly after this incident took
place l learned that charges had been
preferred against me to General But.
Ter, was accused of favoring the
Confederates. That was pretty seri.
GUS charge in those days, but was
compelled to laugh when | found out
that the charges were based upon my
having required that Confederate and
Union sick should be fed alike.
Colonel Schaeffer Of General But
ler's staff was directed to visit me
with a board of inquiry and investl.
gate the matter. saw Schaeffer be-
| fore the board commenced work, and
be said to me:
"'This Is very serious business, doc
tor. You are charged with fav0ring the
| Confederates. and General Butler
wants all the facts
"'My Instructions replied, have
been to discriminate against none In
this hospital. do not understand that
! am to feed Union men and starve
| Confederates. do not understand
that course is justified by any rules Of
warfare. What the Confederates them.
selves are doing does not concern me
80 far as the conduct of this hospital Is
concerned. ! am not here to slaughter
prisoners. You 60 back and ask Gener-
al Butler II 1t is desired by him that !
shall make this hospital halfway
ground between a battlefield and a
graveyard. By -, II 1t Is I'll fight the
proposition"
Colonel Schaeffer posted of to Gen.
erai Butler at once and told him what
l had said and also my detailing the
circumstances of the meat order. Old
Ben was a pretty shrewd man and sa.
gacious in many things. When Schaef'
fer had finished. he looked up and re-
marked:
"I guess we had better let Rush
alone
And they did.
'Some time after this new batch OF
prisoners was brought to US and lodged
in the same part of the hospital the 9th
er Confederates were in. They had only
been there a short time when one rainy
night Lieutenant Lewis. sick. barefoot
ed, hatless. made his way to my head
quarters and reused me.
doctor lie said. you have been
right with u.s. and we wish to show
you that we can reciprocate. The new
prisoners that have come in are armed.
They purpose in the night to overcome
the guard. kill him and get away.
cOna IN warn Won hut vOu muSf nro.