Year: 1863

From the Richmond Dispatch Nov. l3


The persistent lies of the Yankee journals
about the starvation and cruel treatment OF
their prisoners in Richmond are only in
tended to blow up the declining war spirit
in the North, and to Justify themselves
upon the pretext of All abOminable false
hood, in inhicting new cruelties upon our
unhappy captives in their hands We have
made inquiries upon the subject which sat
isfy us that all is done for the support aud
comfort of the Yankee multitude which the
Confederate Government is capable OF do
ing. A fact came to our notice Yesterday
morning. which will be striking illustration
of the true state of things to all fair minds.
Several persons of respectable standing in
this community We're endeavoring to OBJ
tain a small quantity of some portions OF the
beef which have been permitted to be sold
at the commissary shops to the general pub
lie. but we're informed by the man in charge
that they could not have it, as it was now
required by the Yankee prisoners. Here
are our people denied provisions for them
selves and their children to feed these Yam
KEGS, who have come to destroy us. We
do not mention thisin the way of complaint;
on the contrary, we give the Government
credit for its merciful disposition; but this
single fact sufficiently disproves the base
and malignant falsehnod that We are seek
ing to starve the Yankees, when, in reality
it is our own people that are in danger OF
starving in order that these prisoners may
be fed


To any one willing to listen to reason
and TRUTH it must be apparent that thirteen
thousand Yankee prisoners thrust upon q
community already overcrowded, and hav-
ing great difficulty to provide the plainest
articles o. food for its own tables, cannot
expect, with the best dispositions on our
part, to fair sumptuously every day. We
know people, once in attiuence, who would
be glad to be assured of as liberal daily
provision as these Yankee prisoners. 1t
may be that their food is plain, and not
abundant, but it is as good and as plentiful
as, with our Strengthened means, we can
supply. Liars ought to have good memories,
and to keep up show at least OF consisten-
cy, and therefore we would suggest to the
mendaoious Yankee scribes who accuse us
of deliberately starving our prisoners, wheth-
er, if it be true, as they daily assert, that
the people of Richmond are threatened with
the horrors of famine, it may not be that
the alleged famine among their prisoners is
involuntary! If we are starving ourselves,
how Can we keep them from starving? But
the truth is, that, though Strengthened in
our own means of life, We are doing as well
for our prisoners as for ourselves. Seventy
bullocks day are sacrificed for their com
missarlat, and bread in proportionto to their
numbers. Our own people, as we know of
our own pc nal knowledge, are in some
cases denied meat for their own families,
because il is necessary for the Yankees
Thus much We say, not because We consider
any explanation dus to our enemies OF IKE
ly to be satisfactory, but because the facts
ought to be known in vindication OF our
own character, and in justice to our own
prisoners, whom they wish to harrass and
torture upon false and malignant prete1t


In regard to accommodation it is un-