The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-09-07

About the Number Of Prisoners
Held During the War

.t fr sAN VISA |
By b ANDSOUTB
Some Interesting Statistics That Will
be Read With Relish by Those
Who Want to Keep the Rec.
ord Straight In Such
Matters.
A great deal has been written about
the treatment of prisoners North and
South during war. The responsible.
ity for the harsh and cruel treatment
Of prisoners is not easily to fix in n
specific or dc finite degree, and must
always be considered as general, ex
cept In some special and individual
cases. AS to which side was more to
blame than .he other can only be fair
ly considered and estimated by taking
o comparative view Of tho means.
powers n RESOURCES OF both sides for
the proper treatment Of prisoners.
In view Of the superior ao vantageh
Of the Uoited States government, 1t
seems that fair and just judgment OF
true and impartial history must b.
rendered in favor Of the Confederate
States government. The Confederate
government, at best vas but provis.
ional, aud was not we'll established as
a permanent and reliable government
It's credit was not well established
and could not be counted on for any
more than Its Immediately tangible
and visible in hand at thai
time. It's only available asset for ere
1t was the production Of cotton, and
at this period Of val tho raising tf
oottCn was curtailed and limited so "a
to make al inoreasc In substantial
supplies for cue armies. The property
In negroes at this time was uncertain
as to It's permanent character or OF
duration and was not available as Sc.
CURLY for credit.
Prisoners we're simply SO many par
aStteS CT the enc ny on the COdfeder.
acy. TheJ were a lot OF IDLE, non pay
ing, burdensOmc boarderB, who had tt
be constantly fed and guarded anC
who did nothing to contribute II
their " support They were an In
cUbus upon q government alreSdy toe
weak to carry TIA W burd n, having
4 population OF slaves who did not e
into the armies to help fight the bat
} les for constitutional principles o.
) government wherein they were inter.
ested as to the whole number OF slave!
and counted for three hfths o
their numhsr OF representation.
2 Our women and children had to b;
r supported while our men vera enga
:. ged In the war. Then to take on al
increase OF hearty, hungry men O
more than D quarter Of q million wa!
2 9 great tax and undertaking for s
s people OF limited means and esuurcaa
. Such was the condition OF tho South
ern c5nfederacy when taking 50 many
prisoners.
8 With the Unitrd States govern
e ment matters were diffarent, q govern
mont which the south helped TO or
gan'ze and establish, q government O
means, a government Of prestige ant
power, and with unlimited credit anC
+ Immense resources. The United State!
could afford TO maintain as many ris
oners as 1t would capture OF the Con
federate armies. They could draw
from the whole world for both mel
and money to meet their demands il
emergency. They could and did h.r,
foreigners as soldiers for bounvy
while native southern men went
= war Without hire.
e The total number Of federal prison
y ers captured by the Confederate wa
27O, 600 by the report OF Surgeon Gen
eral Barnes, as quoted by Congress
man Hill IN his famous reply to Blaine
as shown by the official records IN tn
war department. at Washir gton.
+ The whole number of Oonfederst
prisoners captured by tho federals wa
22O. 600 At once 1t Is seen that tn
! federals were so 600 moro than til
y OOnfederates.
The number Of fSderalB who died Il
x Confederate prisons was 90, 576 an,
o the numhcr Of Oonfederatas who die,
in federal prisonA wac 26 1876 So /
appears by tnlc!al records that NOR
CLoh x pSl CShu VI CD6 C"OIl!CCGf8I
q prisoners In federal prisoners die,
, and less than 8 per cent Of tn
Confederate prisoners ia fedal 3
> prisons died. notwithsta lding tn,
U on Srence and disparity in means
and resources between tine north ant
south, considering the superior advan
tages Of the north over the south FOL
tue proper care Of prisoners.
In the north were numerous places
for prisoners. They were located al
points as follows:
Il fghany, Pa, Alton, H., Camr
Builder, Ill. Damp Cha e, o., CANT
Douglas, ILL.,, Camp Morton, lad,
Eimira, N. Y, Fort Columbus, N. Y,
Fort Lafayette, N. Y, F,rt Warren,
Md fort Wood, N. Y, Fort Pioken9,
Fla. Point Lookout, Md, r. ick H..
land, ILL.,, Johnson's Island, O LOUIS.
Vile, KY, Memphis, Tenn, Nash
Vile, Tenn.
In this essay 1t is unnecessary to
specify the number Of prisoners In
each station, as they were distributed
to suit the wishes and c~onveniences
or the government, presumably for
their own convenience for supplies,
guards, and facility for keeping.
In the south prisons were located at
Americus, Ca, Damp Sumter, Ander-
.onville, Ga Cahaha, Als /; Damp
La wton, Mullen, Ca, Camp Og.
lethorpe, Macon, Ga; Charleston