The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-10-10

for the rations of it's sons at the front, it
could not be expected to give much food
or shelter to its prisoners
According to the reports OF Secretary OF
War Stanton, and Surgeon General Barnes,
U. s. A., the number of Federals confined
in Confederate prisons was 10000; num-
Der of Confederates confined in Federal
prisons, 22O, 600; number of Federals who
died in Confederate prisons, 22,57O; num-
Der of Confederates who died in Federal
prisons, 1854 According to these fig
ures, while the Federal prisoners outnum-
bered the Confederate prisoners by $4,000,
he number of deaths among the Confede-
rate prisoners was 1856 greater than
among the Federal prisoners. The death
rate among Confederate prisoners was over
IL per cent, while among Federal prisoners
it was less than per cent Soon after the
beginning of the war the Confederate Con-
gress passed an act providing that priso-
ners of war should have the same rations
in quality and quantity as Confederate
soldiers in the field. This in spite of the
fact that active soldiers in the field need
more to eat than prisoners, confined and
inactive. Another act provided that all
hospitals for sick and wounded prisoners
should be on the same footing with hospit-
ais for sick and wounded Confederates.
There was never any change in this policy.
At Libby, Andersonville, and elsewhere,
the Federal prisoners had the same rations
as the Confederate soldiers in the field. At
times the amount was insufficient to prevent
hunger and distress, but the Federal pris-
oner did not suffer more than the Confed-
crate soldier in the field.
Andersonville prison was in a rather un-
healthy location. 1t is said that from Feb
ruary, 1854, to April, 1865, period of
about fourteen months, 49,485 prisoners
were received there, and that of these IL 1926
died. This is about 26 per cent. But at
the Federal prison in Elmira, N. Y, the
percentage of deaths among Confederate
prisoners was 325; at Alton, ILL.,, it was
300, and at Rock Island, ILL.,, it was TIA.
This latter prison was established in De-
cember, 1863, and during its existence of
little more thnn a year 2, 484 prisoners were
sent there, and of these 1922 died. That
is to say 2,484 entered the prison and only
562 came out alive. The Philadelphia
Record says that "Wirz and some other
Southern officers were unquestionably
brutes.'' It would be remarka BILE if in any
considerable army in war time there were
no british officers, but there is strong evil
dence to show that Capt. Wriz, or Maj.
Wirz, was not brute, but faithful, con-
scientious and much maligned officer. We
have a book written by an Indianian who
was Federal prisoner at Andersonville,
and he goes into details and minute de-
scription of the life and conditions there,
and he defends Maj Wirz all the way
through-says he was thoughtful, consid-
crate, and did the best he could with the
means at his command. He appears to
have been a victim of falsehood, prejudice
and the passion of the hour. Norecorded
utterance of his shows such spirit of
cowardly brutality as the statement written
Nov. %, 1864, by Col. A. ]. Johnson, of
the preserve corps" Commandant of the
Post at Rock Island.
AS matter of fact, there was much
unnecessary suffering and the rate of NOR
tality was needlessly high in prisons both
North and South because of the insanitary
conditions that were permitted. Such
neglect and conditions in modern army
would be crime.