The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06
NORTHERN PRISONERS OF WAR.

We took occasion to remark several
days ago. apropos Of a debate In Con-
sress upon the military cruclties prac
ticed in the Philippines, in which a North
ern member raked up the alleged ''hor-
rcrs" Of Andersonville and Libby, that
there must be plenty of living Southern
men who could bear witness that Con-
fede.ates confined in Northern prisons
had as hard a time Of it, If not worse,
than FcderaIs in captivity at the South
A gentleman of Abingdon writes US in
ve,idcation of our belief, and we append
his letter, which speaks for itself.
Editor of The Times:
S!r,-I have just read your article,
Northern Prisoners OF War In your
issue Of June 18th, in which you state
the fact established by the evidence OF
Charles a. Dana, specially appointed by
President Lincoln to investigate the mat
ter. that Union prisoners at the South
were no worse off than Confederate sol
dicls in the field" and in which you say
that doubtless there are plenty OF living
men who can testify to whether or not
they enjoyed fowery- beds of ease in
Northern prisons"
Among the prisoners transferred July
- 1854 from Point Lookout to Elmira.
considered a model prison on account of
its saIubricus air and fine water, three
hundred and eighty-four of us wedged
in the sitting hold of q little steam trans
port in that oppressively hot month";
were Judge a. NJ. Kelley, well known in
Richmond. and your correspondent. To
reach New York city or crazy little
craft required from about the middle Of
the DAY Saturday to the following Mon
cay. On Sunday each man was given a
loaf of bread and a. piece of raw fat
/ acon--nothing more. That was all we re-
ceivcd while in the boat, but many of
the men. perhaps a majority, being sea-
sick, didn't want that. a few days af-
ter reaching the prison in EIlmira both
Judge Kelley and We're fortunate enough
10 be detaile dior duty as clerks at head
quarters. receiving. by the way, for our
services the muniflcent salary of ten
cents q day. I remember that the adju-
tant of the post sold me a penknife. re-
ceiling therefor my pay FOR seventeen
and half working days. Laborers were
paid half the amount that we received.
/ have seen men sit on a rock pile in
the hot sun all day breaking rock with
which to 1nacadamize the streets of the
prison, for which they received at the
END OF the day five cents.
At that time the prisoners at Anderson
VILE We're trying to induce the govern
incpit to resume the exchange of prison
crs which had for some time been sus-
pcrded In portraying their terrible con-
Gitjon TO the government they, OF course,
gave in the report which they made the
number of deaths occurring daily at An
darsonvillc. A copy of this report fell
into the hands of Judge Kelley, q Part Of
wn, Sc duties was TO keep an account
OF the number of deaths occurring in the
Elmira prison. Comparing the rates of
mortality in the two prisons, he found
that the rate at Elmira exceeded that
at Andersonville. What must it have
1een at other Northern prisons, with far
less favorable surroundings than those
az Eulira? In prison population OF be-
tween seven and eight thousand I have
known twenty-nine deaths to occur in a
day. a death rate as great as three hun
i~ed and fifty deaths a day in Richmond
would be. Such a pestlence would depop-
ulatc your city in twenty-four hours:
ret n man, woman or child that could
escape lis ravages by flight would remain.
When the exchange of prisoners was
resumed which included only the sick
and wounded, men SO terribly afflicted by
scurvy that they spat out their teeth
anc whose flesh was almost as inelastc
as dough. when they asked 10 be eX-
changed were refused. because the dis
ease WAS cutchic' INC surgeons Ss'ld' iho''
much better it would have been to pre-
veiIt than even to cure it. especially when
it had produced such frightful results
Many a poor fellow longed TO see the
day of exchange who never saw it. and
many another. pining for home, lived
only long enough to fall into line and
| perhaps answer to his name at roll call
! Just Within the prison gate, out OF which
| he had hoped but q. few moments before
To pass, but through which he did not
| pass until he was borne TO his burial.
THOMAS p. DAVIDSON.
Abingdon, Va, July Sd.