Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21
FIFTY YEARS Ago
In THE STAR

AS the civil war progressed reports were
indicative of discoFd in the ranks Of the
Confederacy. In The
Protest Against Star of December II.
1863. is the text OF a
scn Oes'o' dispatch from Fort
Monroe giving news brought by steamer
from City Point under flag OF truce, as
follows:
THE Confederate authorities have given
notice that no more provisions will be al
lowed to be sent to our prisoners in rebel
prisons. Mr.. (Senator) Foofe, In the
course Of his remarks December In the
Confederate congress, expressed great in
dignation at the course JET Davis had
pursued: He said: When Pemberton dis
honorabIy surrendered Vicksburg to the
enemy the President made him his COM
panion and carried him to Bragg's army,
when. as he rode along the line, the SOL
diers were heard to say, There goes the
traitor who delivered us over at Vicks-
burg" The President has never visited
the army without doing it injury; never
yet that it was mott followed by disaster.
He was Instrumental In the Gettysburg
affair. he instructed Bragg at Murfrees-
boro he has opened Georgia to 100000 OF
| the enemy's troops and laid South Caro-
lima open to destruction. I charge him
with having almost ruined the country
and will meet his champion anywhere to
discuss 1t. Would to God he would never
visit the army again. A certain commits
| sary general who was curse to our
country is invested to control this matter
of subsistence. This monster Northrup
has attempted to starve the prisoners In
our hands. This commissary general was
pepper doctor down In Charleston ana
Ia fIya rfo and
made an elaborate report to the secretary
Of war, showing that for the subsistence
of a human Yankee carcase vegetable diet
was the most proper For the honor OF
our country this Northrup should be
elected at once"
=
On the subject of the feeding of Federal
| prisoners at Richmond the following news
article in The Star OF De-
Feeding the cember 49, 1868. is of in
| p~;.. terest:
@AASoaaOAs' Last evening the chief
of the bureau of exchange and prisoners,
Mai Gen. Hitchcock received from Brig
Gen. Meredith a copy Of a letter ad-
dressed to him on the 18th instant by
Robert Ould, rebel commissioner of ex-
| change, etc, announcing the determine
| ton of the rebel war department here
L
| the north for our prisoners In their
| hands. We hear, from Fortress Monroe.
that he alleges 'vilificauon and abuse
with reference to the manner in which
4 the rebel authorities have carried out their
pledges upon this subject, as the reason
why they break up the arrangement, and
promises. however: to deliver faithfully all
| the supplies in question that have Deen
\ received up to the time the letter was
written. and adds that hereafter our
prisoners in their hands will be rationed
precisely as they ration their soldiers in
! the field.
Without doubt. the allegation of will
| fication and Misrepresentation put for
ward as their reason for declining here
after to receive such supplies Is mere
| subterfuge. the real reason being the
pressure of the jealousy of the people Of
Richmond of the fact that through the
| Hberality of our government and their
| individual friends at home the Union
prisoners in their hands were said to be
living better than any family could live
| in the rebel capital. 1t will be remember
| been bowling at a great rate over story
that the supplies in question enable the
prisoners to set better tables for them
selves than grace any Of the Richmond
| hotels
I'VE have to add that the rebel authori-
ties have certainly shown disposition Of
late to alter their starvation system of
treating our brave fellows unfortunately
| at their mercy. Thus they have sum-
| marily displaced sundry of their prison
| officers charged with responsibility for
| the heinous crime Of maltreating them.
which has caused the arraignme1rt OF
their military authorities in their con-
gress.
/ ::
Washington was suffering at this time
fifty years ago from an epidemic Of petty
thievery and burglary. In
Epidemic The Star of December IS.
| - r.; 1865. is long account of
| VI N1AHs' numerous robberies which
had been reported to police headquarters
within forty-eight hours. After citing
| the different crimes of which the police
had thus received notice, The Star said:
| 1--WE have heard of other petty thefts
within few days. and all are SO many
| warnings to housekeepers and others to
keep their doors properly secured and
leave no articles of value in exposed
positions. The city is full of thieves and
scoundrels from the north whose object
| is plumber. Last night two gentlemen
went to Mrs. Bannerman's boarding house
on Pennsylvania avenue, and placed four
! carpet sacks and valises in the passage,
and while they were at supper a thief
entered, and selecting the one which
afterward proved to be of the most value.
made off with it"