The Washington herald., 1907-06-09

OF the army and navy OF the COnled'
eracy Dr Samuel E. Lewis was elect
&c president; Or f. A. Flewellen, Of
Georgia, first vice president. DR.. Clair'
Burwell. OF Virginia. second vice presl
dent; Dr. l. G. Wilson. third vice presl-
dent, and DR. 4. A Ryan, OF NashVllle
Tenn, secretary.
4 resolution offered by Dr. Lewis was
unanimously adopted rendering the thanks
Of the association to Maj. Gen. +. G
Ainsw0rth. military secretary and adJu-
tant general Of the United States army
for his effort to prepare complete roster
Of the medical officers Of the Confederate
army. together with their orders Of as
signment with dates, which will be most
valuable addition 10 the history Of the
war Of 1916. The preamble OF this res
olutiOn SAYS "Too much credit cannot be
given 10 Gen. Ainsworth for the inyalua-
BILE services rendered in bringing abou,
the great works Of preparation and pub
Hcation Of the joint roster Of the Union
and Confederate army and publication
Of the manuscript journal Of the COnted-
crate Congresses. In this new work now In
process he is rendering especial service 70
the medical and surgical history Of the
/ Confederacy which appeals to every
worth was assistant surgeon in the
United States army from November 10,
1884, and surgeon with the rank OF major,
/ February q. 1891; was promoted colonel
and chief Of the Record and Pension Of
/ fee May q. 1892 with the rank Of brig
/ adler general, and subsequently promoted
20 the rank OF major general
Marking Graves of Forgotten Dead.
/ DR.. Lewis. president Of the association.
/ is veli-knOWn WashingJOnian. and il
was due largely 20 his efforts as COM
mander Of the Charles Broadway Rouss
! Camp. No. 1l9l United Confederate Vet
/ crans. Of this city. that the Federal gov
/ ernment undertook TO lurate the forgotten
/ graves of the Confederate dead, mark
/ them with appropriate headstOnes. and
/ 20 see that the ground was cared for anC
/ kept as sacred soil The sum Of $500 90
was appropriated for this work and a
/ commission appointed 20 see that it was
carried out Mai Gen. Frederick Dent
Grant, T.. s. A. in a recent magazine ar
/ ticle, says: This camp Charles Broad
way Roussl, by the unceasing eXpendi-
/ ure Of time and money aud by the un-
firing effort Of its commander. DR.. Sam
! Uel Z. Lewis was the first 20 take up the
matter, and by this agitation Of the ques-
tion the present happy result was brought
about
For several years Dr. Lewis has de-
voted much time and careful research for
facts touching the number Of Northern
soldiers confined in Southern prisons and
the number Of Southern soldiers confined
I'm Northern prisons during the civil war
and the percentages Of deaths North and
T al 4
question. and in times gone by much bit
terness Of feeling has been engendered by
IT, DR. Lewis proceeded in a disp8 ssionate
way 20 obtain the most reliable data
available. He submitted 70 the associa-
ti0n the results Of his work I'm a very in
teresting paper. entitled Treatment Of
Prisoners Of War-The Percentage Of
Deaths North and South.
DR.. Lewis paper proper was as follows.
We have beer told that In round num-
hers the Confederate prisoners in Fed
eral hands during the war amounted 10
27to10 while the Federal prisoners in
Confederate hands amounted 10 10000,
that ont Of the g7ooo Federals IN Con
federate hands 22oo1 died while Of the
22oo10 Confederates in Federal hands over
$500 died. The ratio being that more
than y per cent Of the Coufederates IN
Federal hands died. and less than per
cent % the Federals in Confederate hands
died
This remarkable statement has been
made 10y many distinguished writer's and
speakers, and has now become embodied
In Southern literature.
rs # true? This question will be often
asked in the future
The statement has been confidently
based upon "a certain report, said 10 have
been made by Surg Gen. Joseph X
Barnes. Of the United States army But
the Surgeon Generals Office az Washing
ton denies that any such report was
made
Failure to produce this report would
compel acceptance Of q report made By
the Secretary Of War. Edwin VI. stanton.
July 70. 1S56. which differs from the re-
port said to have been made by Surg.
Gen. Barnes only as To the number Of
Federal prisoners in Confederate hands.
Stanton stating the number 20 have been
l2f $50 On the basis Of Secretary stan
toms report. the ratio would he in round
figures that - per cent Of Confederate
prisoners GIed IN the North. and nearly
Is per cent Of Federal prisoners died IN
the South
Failure to produce this report Of Surg
Gen Barnes referred to would com
pei our writers and speakers 70 recede
from their statements heretofore made.
or produce other evidence in verifcation
Of the figures used by them
Being impressed with this view. the
writer undertook 10 find this report Of
Surg. Gen. Barnes
No Official Report on File.
"On application TO the Surgeon Cen
erals Office. Washington. u. c.. he was
astounded at being told that said office |
had no knowledge Of any such report hav- !
ing been made by Surg. Gen. Barnes.
furthermore, that he (Surg. Gen.
Barnes was not in the position 10 ac- /
Quire the information that would enable /
him to make such report. The library /
of the War Department the Army Medi- /
cal Museum, the Library Of Congress. the /
document rooms Of the United States /
Senate and House Of Representatives. |
and the Government Printing Office were /
searched for the report with /
out success.
In the endeavOr To trace the statement |
regarding the report there was found /
mention of it by Vice President A. n. /
Stephens, Hon. Benjamin H. Hill. Presi-
dent Jefferson Davis. Senator William B.
Bate, and many other distinguished per
sons. But the statement, so far as has
been learned. seems 10 have had its foun-
iati0n in the National Intelligencer, Of
d. c.. one of the most trust
worthy newspapers Of that war time
period; and TO have been deemed Of suf1-
,ient Importance and reliability by Vice
President A. II. Stephens 10 warrant in
corporation in the pages OF his great
work, The War Between the States Il
seems to be apparent that subsequent
writer's and speakers have accepted and
used the statement quoted by Mr. Ste
}hens as being beyond question.
THE editorial mention in the National
referred to by Mr.. Stephens
vas found in the issue of June 2. 1859.
age 2, first column. and is in exact con
OTmity with the reference i'm the 'V-ar