New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-12


mental comrades, while others, again,
NAV prove of unexpected help in eluci-
dating disputed points or throwing
new light on matters Of fact apparent
Nv settled beyond the need of revision
OF the three books here briefly re-
viewed the first two deal with prison
camp conditions and management
North and South. They are written
by Northerners, and one of them, Mi.
Holiness "Elmira Prison Camp Is d
direct answer to an attack made on
that camp long ago Tin 1876 in the
House Of Representatives by BENJAMIN
n. Hill. of Georgia, who asserted
among other things. that the treatment
of Confederate prisoners at Elmlra
had been ten times worse" than that
of the Union soldiers at AndersonVilIe
or in Libby Prison.
If there be one point remaining OF
that whole period of internecine STRIFE
over which bitterness can still be Kin
died North and South, it is this very
question of the treatment of Federal
and Confederate prisoners. 1t has been
thrashed out often enough; one would
think. it might well be allowed to rest
for still another decade, for, after all,
as the Balkans have proved again only
the other day. war is war. "C'est la
guerre" remains the explanation of the
professional soldier; and one eminent
American professional soldier has CIV
en- the explanation turn that none
who has ever heard it-and ii has gone
around the world-will ever forget.
Prisoners Of War was originally
paper read before the New York Com
mandery by Lieutenant Thomas
Sturgis. for which Mr.. Putnam S
memories Of his imprisonment, pub
lished recently, was also originally
written. But Sturgis breathes a diff
ferent spirit. No doubt he is sincere
in his protestations that that spirit is
not one of surviving luminosity. but OF
insistence upon the registry OF facts as
they really were. Still. his indlgna-
ton certainly gets the upper hand from
time 70 time. Mr.. Sturgis's experience
was a curious and. comparatively
speaking, an exceptional one, since,
after having served as adjutant OF the
regiment placed on guard over the FED
eral military prison. Camp Morton
near indianapolis. he was, in his turn
made a prisoner Of war in the following
wear IN front Of Petersburg, and CON
fined In Libby Prison by the Confed-
crates. I'VE are the living witnesses.
he saws. I'VE are rapidly passing
AWAY from this scene, and IT is fitting.
in the interest Of history, in justice TO
the way our people conducted the war
and to the contrast presented by the
actions of our antagonists, that we
should leave our testimony before we
60" Mr.. Sturgis deposes his in no I'M
certain terms.
MIR. Holmes, who apparently was not
an active participant in the conflict,
has documented his vindicatlon Of the
Oh INC EHiilId IA iSOi
camp and the treatment Of the Con-
federates confined there with all the
official correspondence extant, many
letters from surviving ex-prisoners,
"reminiscences OF others and
other material
An interesting feature of this book
are the narratives of the survivors OF
the ten Confederates who succeeded In
escaping from the Elmira camp by
t.-aciIirg. None was recaptured. but
one of their number was never heard
NJ again. John Fox Marcel, Of the JEFF
ferson Davis Artillery, enters into
fascinating details Of the digging OF the
tunnel. One Of the ten-their number
grew gradually-was the happy pos
SCISSOR of an extra shirt, which enabled
the conspirators 10 make bags in which
10 carry off the excavated earth, which
Was deposited at the sinks or a pool
within the stockade. They worked by
rough calculation, of course, and at
critical moment discovered that the