Year: 1878




Extracts from the Report the Treatment of


Prisoners of War by the Rebel Authorities.


The following are extracts from the Report of the
Committee of the House of Representatives of the
Third Session of the Fo1tieth Congress, appointed
10 investigate the treatment of prisoners of war by
the rebel authorities, and also extracts from the
testimony taken by the said COMMITTEES


OBJECT AND PURPOSE THIS INVESTIGATION.


Impressed with the magnitude and Importance of this
work the committee have endeavored perform it as
10 give House and the country faithful and true
official history of the wrongs and suerings endured by
the national soldiers and loyal citizens at the hands of the
Confederate authorities During and since the nves
gatons have been ordered with reference TO individual
cases cruelty and responsibility but the committee
derstood that the House. in ordering s investigation in
tended that the whole subject should be carefully
vassed complete history collected while the facts
fresh in the memory of living men And here it
may be proper TO pause to consider ana answer the IN
qury which has sometimes been raised to the necessity
and utility of this Investigation Why shouldlt have been
ordered and what there for prosecuting these
nqures2 What is to be gained by spreading before this
country and the world picture terrible and an expe
rence sickening and oahsome in Its details mingled
with much crime and atrocit on the part OF the Teson
sible authors


In the opinion of your committee neglect place in
official form and under official sanction record of the
Southern captivity of Union soldiers and citizens during
the late war could not fail TO occasion msconstIucon and
misapprehension in all time to The transient and
somewhat fugitive histories, based the personal expe
ences and observations of the authors, which have APP
peared from time to time though truthful lii character
and interesting narrative hardly be trusted to
vey future generations in living and permanent form
horrors of Southern e though to the readers
of the present day. to whom they accessible they fur


sh startling tale of hitherto unknown suffering and
endurance But ii may well be questioned whether
these detached though works destined to
live in the great future insure for themselves
tended historical reputation and existence Their very
number hereafter confuse the general reader
searching for comprehensive history OF this great
era finally Danish of them from the libraries of
the people, when the personal suffering individual he
roism which lend them their interest and popularity
shall have faded from the memory OF friends. Yet IN
historical the subject rebel
onment it's fearful consequences to its Victims the


%hic had lis origins and development and its bearing
and influence the civilization Of the age, demand
enduring record truthful and authentic and stamped with
the national authority


Your committee feel assured that pel1lsa of the evi
dence and conclusions, which submitted a re
suit of their labors, will fully Justify the ground here
stated while it will vndcae the motives which orig
mated the investigation They feel confident that sucl
pelusal will confirms the justice, aswe the Importance
OF preserving in official form the narratives of suffer
ing soldiers and fellow citizens who the victims
Southern captivity and the evidence of the barbarous in


uences which led to the inction Of these ndescribab
horrors. They feel assured that the reader will be i'm
pressed with the conviction that these facts should live
history the inevitable results of Slavery treason
rebellion, and example to which the eyes of futur
generations may revert with shame and detesaton Tha
history preserved in official form, due to the herosI
of the thousands of longsuering and maryred soldier
of the republic whose lives sacrificed in the


liberty and whose devotion should be cherished in til
heart OF the nation enduring example OF that chN
alrc couIag which elevaes above the levt
Of his race, and enables him undergo the untold ho
of torture starvation, and DEATH in yndication
principle and in the defense of his country Its pese
vation is demanded condemnation Of the appalln