Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-26

committee of the Confederate Congress-
And it is also true that in 1876, Rev.
John William Jones, d. D.. who was then
editing the Southern Historical Society
Papers, made q full and mastery investi-
cation and report on this subject, vindi-
eating the South and it's leaders from
these aspersions For this work, as we
said in our last report, the Southern peo-
pie owe DIR. Jones a asting debt Of gratl-
tude. The letter of Mr.. Davis the report
of the Committee of the Confederate
Congress, with other valuable material
collected by DR.. Jones. are.all published in
the first volume of the Southern His
torical Society Papers. and also in sep
arate volume. But whilst these publ
cations were most satisfactory to us at
the time, they. necessarily, did not con-
tain, the contemDoraBeoUs correspondence
in reference to the exchange and treat
ment of prisoners. contained in the publ
cation known as rebellion Official Re
cords published by the Federal Govern
ment snice that time-a correspondence
invaluable, as ii makes the representa-
tives Of the two governments. at the time
tell in their own way. the true story OF
these events.
WHAT CONTEMPORANEOUs PAPERS
SAY.
It is from these letters and other con-
temporaneous orders and papers. that we
propose to show which side was respons,
bic for Andcrsonvile, Salisbury, '"The
Libby" and Belle Isle" in the South,
and for Camp Douglas, Gratiot Strees,
Fort Delaware, Johnson's Island Elmira.
Point Lookout, and other like places in
the North. In doing this we do not think
It either necessary or proper to revive the
tales Of horror and misery contained in
many of the personal recitals of the cap
tives on either side. such as are collected
| in the works of DR.. Jones. the Sanitary
Commission and others. Many of these
are simply notwithstanding and disgust
ing; and, making allowances for all eNas
gerations necessarily incident to the sur
roundings Of the writer's. there is enough
in them to convince any candid reader,
that there were crueltics and abuses in
ficted on helpless prisoners, by petty
| officers and guards that should never
nave been inflicted, and which we hope
the higher officers of neither government
would have permitted or tolerated for
moment.
But what we are concerned about Is to
show by these Official records" that
neither A1r. Davis nor any department,
or representative Of the Confederate Gov
eminent. was responsible for the estab-
ltshment Of these prisons. and the suffer
ings therein, as heretofore charged by oul
enemies, and that the Federal Govern
mert through Edwin NJ. Stanton. II. ".
| Halleck and L. S. Grant as its repre-
sentative actors, was directly ana solely
! responsible for the establishment Of these
| places, and consequently for all the sui
| ferings and deaths which occurred there
| in.
The reports and correspondence relative
10 the exchange and treatment Of prison
ers fill four of the large volumes Of the
rebellion Records" and whilst we have
etriverl TO tell the true story or rather tc
omit nothing essential to the truth, it is
simply impossible within the limits OF
this report 10 do more than call attention
! TO some Of the fnost important and salient
features Of the correspondence, etc, ano
only to an extent necessary to disclose
the real conditions at the several oates
referred to. This is all that We have at
tempted to do, but we have tried to do
this faithfully.
THE POLICY. OF THE CONFEDERATE
GOVERNMENT. AS SHOWN BY
ACTS OF CONGRESS, ETC.
tn show the declared purpose and policy
Of the Confederate government towards
+to ,,,;soners of war from the beginning:
AZ early as May 21st, 1851, two months
before the first battle of Manassas, the
Confederate Congress passed an act pro-
viding that
All prisoners of war taken. whether on
l.n6 or sea, during the pending hostlii-
ties with the United States, shall DC
transferred by the captors from uihi' ~
time. and as often as convenleht, 70 .ne
RECRUITMENT of War; and it shall be the
At Of The Secretary of War. with the
annroyal of the President, to issue such
Instructions to the Quarter-Master-Geh-
e,,al and his subordinates, as shall pro-
vide for the safe custody and sustenance
! If prisoners of war; and that ratons tur-
nishcd prisoners of war shaH De tnt
same in quantity and Guanty as those
furnished to enlisted men in the army OF
the Confedcracy.
BY an act of February, 1864, the Quarter
DTaster-General was relieved OF TINS GUY
ord the Commissary-General of Subsis-
+a,,c. was ordered to provide for the sus-
tenance Of prisoners Of war: and, acoro-
;,.r IN General Orders No. 159, AdJutant-
Insnector- Generals Office, it was proVldeo
| that Hospitals for prisoners OF wax are
,,1sced on the same footing as other Con-
federate States Hospitals in all respects
and will be managed accordlnsly.
GENERAL LEES ORDERS.
General Lee, in his testimony otloi'
The Reconstruction Committee OF Con-
gress, says or the treatment VI -
OF the field:
..7,he orders always were, that the whole
cola sho,,ld be treated alike. Parties We're
sent out to take the Federal wounded. as
we'll as the Confederate. and The surgeons
we're told to treat the one. as they osc
The other These orders, given py ine'
were respected on every field
And there is nothing in all the Iecoios
ca far as we can find which indicates
tba+ any department Of the Confederate
| government. or any representative Oh
any such department, failed TO carry ou'
| these provisions of the law and these or
ders as far as they were able 10 GO SO
| az course. there Were times, Wien, es
reason Of insufficient transportation, arc
| insufficient supplies of food ana cio.'s5.e
| Of all kinds, it was simply impossioie 70
get proper supplies and in sufficient auaii-
| titles to prevent great suffering anon.
| The prisoners in Southern prisons. ou'
| This was equally true Of the Com
| soldiers in the field, and the assertion OF
mage 6s of the aforementioned TO puollca
| lion by the Northern Sanitary CoIl,iii.s
sion, headed by DR.. Valentine Mott' sn ,.s.
! It's partisanry and worthlessness as ms
| +orv when it declares the Confeperate au
thorities guilty OF deliberately "i,hololns
| Necessary food from their prisoners ..
war and furnishing them with What W., VIZ
| ndiyestible and loathsoIne. Wheh LEI ...,n
| n..n army was abundantly supplied VIZ; :
GOOD and wholesome food. %. o.
| ssrr,vfnr their prisoners OF theiI CIV v. =