The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-12-31
KINDNESS RETURNED
Nv n. I. Cleveland.

Il
| 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 anu
| feeding of them were 10 take the same
| care of their living as was given to the
| Union men. attempted to carry out
| these instructions In spirit as well AZ
| 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
| gentlemanly set OF fellows who had
done their duty as they saw IT, suffered
| and were now ABOUT ready TO begin 10
| prepare for better kind OF living than
making war. Among them WAS
young lieutenant. Ellis Lewis. to whom
took quite a fancy.
"One day in making my rounds ana
on reaching the Confcderates found
them pale. trembling. unneryed. In en-
deayoring TO ascertain what was wrong
with them found that they bad not
had meat for more than n week. that
their rations were being kept from
them. Lieutenant Lewis said this hnd
been going on for some time
"'Still.' said |. 4 have given explicit
orders that YOU shall be fed the same
as the Union officers here. aud have
given no orders that meat shall be kept
from you
But we get no meat answered
Lewis
Il called up the Chicago man who
was In charge Of the feeding or the
prisoners and who Is now a prominent
citizen. aud asked him II he was re-
sponsIble for depriving the Confeder'
ate officers OF meat. He said lie was.
asked him why he did this when had
given contrary orders.
"'Do you suppose. he asked. \ am
going to give these men any more than
| can help when their goSerumeh: IL
starving our people In Libby and An
dersOnvilleT
THAT has nothing 10 do with this
case said. You will feed these men
as 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
THE meat came after that.
shortly after this incident took
place | learned that charges had been
preferred against me 20 General But
Ter was accused OF favorlng the
Confederates That was pretty seri-
Gus charge in those days. but ! was
compelled 10 laugh when | found out
that the charges were based upon my
having required that Confederate aud
Union sick should be fed alike.
Colonel Schaeffer OF General But
ler's stan was directed to visit me
with a board OF inquiry and investi'
gate the matter. | saw Schaefrer be-
fore the board commenced work, and
he said to me:
This Is very serious business. doc
tor. You are charged with fayoring 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
I am to feed Union men and starve
Confederates. do not understand
that course Ia 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. I am not here to slaughter
prisoners. You 20 back and ask Gener-
al Butler II 1t Is desired by him that
shall make this hospital halfway
ground between battlefield and a
graveyard. BY -. IL II Is I'll fight the
proposition
Colonel Schaeffer posted of to Gen
crni Butler at once and told him what
I had said and also my detailing the
circumsta noes OF the meat order. Old
Ben was a pretty shrewd man and "a.
gaclous In many things When Schaef-
fer had finished. he looked up and re-
marked:
al guess we had better let Rush
alone
And they did.
Some time after this a new batch OF
prisoners was brought to US and lodged
10 the same part OF the hospital the 9th
er Confederates were In. They had only
been there q short time when one rainy
night Lieutenant Lewis, sick. barefoot
ed, hatless. made his way 10 my head
quarters and reused me.
doctor be said. you have been
right with US. 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. l
come to warn you. but you must pro
tect me, for II they know bad betray-
"a them they would kill me-
II had only a single guard at the hos
pital. and an escape meant the ruin of
my reputation. got Lewis into safe
place and telegrophed Fortress Monroe
for troops to be sent as fast as they
could come. made II rush message.
and got them fast. The hospital was
surrounded, and In due time the new
prisoners were disarmed and the escape
prevented.
81 shlvered through until ! had
enough soldiers on hand to save myself.
It was too close a call. II the prisoners
had escaped. could never have eA
blamed the matter. especially In view
Of the fact that I had stood out for
treating them with humanity nt time
when most sane men were strongly
prejudiced against acting toward the
south with any mercy. Chicago Rec
ord-Herald.
The Best Plaster.
A niece OF flannel dampened with Cham.