and dying on the battle-fields and in the hospitals-to speak words of comfort to their souls, pointing them to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners, receiving and sending their dying messages to parents and kindred, and relieving those at home by letting them know of their place and condition. To accomplish such ends much labor and self-denial has often to be endured. Care and caution has to be observed, lest in a desire to do good a philanthropic individual does not come undesignedly in the way of an officer, whose instincts are his pay, his rank, and his personal convenience, or who may have some private pique with some individual or society, or who may feel that enough is done by the Government and physicians without any meddling philanthropist. No government ever did more for its wounded and prisoners than has been done by our Government. Never were officers in charge of an army, or surgeons in charge of hospital departments, more attentive to their men than men who are connected with our army; yet from Lieutenant General Grant down-we may say from the President, himself, down-there has been an appreciation of that kind of labor and attention which in a thousand ways has helped to mitigate the severity and horrors of war. In the surgeons' department, where the only jealousy arises and where little things either without design or by mistake, or through inexperience and want of knowledge of men and the world, have given offence, we take pleasure in saying that almost uniformly this kind of labor has been received gratefully, kindly, and in many cases sought for and co-operated with to such a degree that you would forget that he was an officer under pay and with authority, and feel that he was like one of yourselves, seeking only to do good to his fellow man. If there be one thing in the army more to be dreaded, and condemned than any other, it is the use of intoxicating drinks in officers, surgeons and privates. If there be a man upon earth who should be a sober man, cool, calm and collected, it is the man who goes himself and leads others into battle. He risks not only his own life, but his men and his cause So of the man who undertakes to attend upon the sick and wounded after a battle. The time was when to be almost drunk was an essential to a sea captain, an engineer, a commander, a private soldier and a preservative to a surgeon. But the sunken ships, drowned passengers, exploded engines, scalded victims, frightful conflicts of railroad cars, captured officers and men by blunders, and the bad management and neglect in the cases of wounded men, resulting from drink, have demanded sober men. Stimulants that are needed for wounded men; strong drink which according to scripture, is to be given to men who are ready to perish, is not necessary for men who are well and properly cared for. The testimony of commanders of armies, of surgeons of long experience in war and in countries where fevers and chills are common, is against the use. 1. A man sells to make money by it. 2. A man drinks because he loves it and desires to have it near him. We With some surgeons we have noticed the bottles from the dispensary with the label Spiritus Frumenti are a sort of sovereign panacea. with pleasure record the conduct of others, when their wounded men have come in and spirituous liquors have been proffered, have rejected it and sought for hot coffee. In the hurry and pressure often incidental to war, especially during and after an engagement, neglect and oversight of many things is almost a necessity, orders that pertain to the efficiency and success of the army must be carried out without delay and without regard to persons or cost. At such a time no sane man will interfere to hinder the same, but when at ease, with leisure, inattention and neglect are unjustifiable. After a battle, the first thing is to save life, make as comfortable as you can the wounded and make secure the prisoners. The same thing which called for enlarged and humane exertions toward the wounded, from the large number of prisoners in this war, called for places of security. Our government has provided Fort Delaware, Point Lookout, Johnson's Island, David's Island, &c. The whole system of imprisonment in its best forms is not attended with the humanity it should. We find in our State prisons until lately where no passions are called out, merely the keeping safe of criminals, neglect and often severity. Abroad it has been far worse. The Prison History of Europe until exposed by Howard was a horrible disgrace to human nature. Where passions are inflamed on either side and men are placed over prisoners, who have neither humanity, coolness, courage nor management-the treatment of prisoners will be without consideration and without humanity. Oftentimes these prisons and burial grounds exhibit the brutality of officers, surgeons and we might add of nurses in charge. In the month of November, 1863, while engaged in sending to our prisoners at Richmond, some person called at the commission room and said that we had better look into the condition of the rebel prisoners at Fort Delaware. On Friday, December 3rd, we went to New Castle and on Saturday 4th to Fort Delaware. We spent Saturday afternoon, Sabbath and Monday morning looking carefully into the condition, a report of which was published in the Baltimore American of December 10. From it we extract as follows: "Fort Delaware is situated on an island in the Delaware river, directly opposite to Delaware city, the point where the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal opens into the Delaware river. The island is about three-quarters of a mile from Delaware City, about one-half mile from the Jersey shore, and contains about seventyfive acres of land. It was formerly called the Pea Patch, and now, at times, gets the old name. The ground is flat, and at high tides would overflow, but an embankment is made all around it, higher than the tide at any time rises. On the east side of the island is a lock by which the river is admitted into the moat which surrounds the fort. From this also there are several smaller canals, which drain the island, and passing through with the rise and fall of the tide, carry away any filth or putrid water which might and must gather around a large fortification with so many persons in and about it. The fort is built of solid granite stone on the outside, with brick casemates and garrison houses within its enclosure. These casemates are three stories high. All the buildings and fort seem to have been put up in a very substantial manner. The rebel prisoners occupy barracks outside of the fort and on the northwest corner of the island. Each of these has three rows of bunks on each side, with an isle about 8 to 9 feet wide. The bunks on each side being 5 to 7 feet deep, would make the barrack about 18 to 20 feet wide, and about 200 to 250 feet long. In each of these are four to five large coal stoves, with cylinders, which would hold at least a bushel of coal at a time. The Hospital Department is as good as any of our soldiers could wish for, and their rooms comfortable unless their men neglect to keep up the fires. They have hand-barrows and carts, &c., with which the prisoners amuse themselves in hauling coal, which is furnished in abundance, so that if they do not keep them warm it is their own fault. Sabbath morning, the 5th, was exceedingly cold-the very kind of a day to see if they were suffering. From our observation of them, as well as our own feelings, we could give no other statement than that they were as comfortable as it is customary for our soldiers to be in their barracks. At 10 o'clock we preached in the quarters of the artillery inside of the fort; at 11 in one of the hospitals. As we came out we noticed the prisoners making to the cook-house. We went down and through it to see what fare they had. Here was good bread-sweet, well-baked, and better than we have eaten a hundred times in other places-and plenty of it. The meat for dinner was good shoulders, and we think hams. men around expressed their opinion that it was good meat. The Here While standing among them we asked them if they would like to have preaching. They readily assented, and circulated the notice among their companions. We went out and selected a spot in the barrack yard, which was protected from the wind, and where the sun shone. were gathered in a few minutes almost one thousand men, who stood listening attentively for over half an hour that we talked to them, and then seemed unwilling to part, begging us to come and preach to them again or send some one. In the hospital cook-house the fare was very good, all looked cheerful. We went to the fort to look into the condition of the rebel prisoners, so that, if they were in any suffering condition, we might seek a remedy, and if we found them cared for as we believed that we might hold it up as a reason why our soldiers in Libby, Castle Thunder, and Belle Island should have what they were entitled to, even from rebels. Brutus said to his fellow conspirators against Ceasar's life- "Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Men who fought as those did under Lee at Gettysburg are degraded before the world, when the officers of their Government will treat the prisoners that they took with inhumanity. So our Government would be justly the contempt of the world, if we by neglect or ill-treatment wasted away in prison the lives of those we have taken. While in war and battle we use every appliance with all skill and energy—to the wounded and prisoner let us show the magnanimity-the humanity of We ask nothing more for any of our men at Richmond than we men. give their men at Fort Delaware. If they can't do it for them, allow us to aid them in doing it. All the spare time between the services we used in inquiring into the condition of all the men there, especially that of the rebel sick and prisoners. Concerning all, we would say that they are well cared for, and that this is the answer of every one to whom we spoke, excepting that the prisoners have not as much preaching as they would like, nor as much reading matter, the Chaplains confining themselves mainly to the garrison and those in the hospital. Under General Schoepf the barracks and everything around partake of order, cleanliness and comfort. He requires the prisoners to be taken out in the fresh air and walked about during which time their part of the barracks are cleaned and white-washed; blankets, clothing, &c., all brought out and aired. This is health to the prisoners, and, of course, economy to the Government; it is cheaper to the Government to give the vegetables and fruits, which are wholesome, than to pay for the medicines and attention to them when sick. The conduct of the rebel government to our soldiers in their prisons at Richmond, awakens up in the hearts of many, the spirit of retaliation and revenge. God forbid that it should be attempted against any of their privates who are prisoners in our hands! That inhumanity of man to his fellow man, which "Has made countless millions mourn,' does not belong to the spirit of our Government. If the rebel government will so basely treat our men, as we know they have done at Richmond, don't let our souls come into their assembly, or practice their cruel deeds. War Surgeons and Chaplains from Libby, who have spent nights with us. on their return, urge that we be kind to the prisoners among us. in any way is terrible. Don't let it be aggravated by the meanness and malice which would prey like vultures upon the wounded and prisoners. Christianity requires of us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and the prisoner, not to gloat on his unfortunate condition, but to try and do him good, ministering compassionately." Coming from Fort Delaware we met in the cars a young man of 17th Connecticut, who was in Barlow's division of the 11th corps, wounded the first day at battle of Gettysburg. He was wounded north of the town and brought to the German Reformed church hospital by the rebels who then held the town. This church was General Ewell's headquarters, or observatory, it being the best point about Gettysburg to see the movements of his men on the north and east. From it almost every man of his corps attacking on cemetery hill could be seen He heard Ewell when the Louisiana men fell back, abuse them as cowards. The aids and men who were on guard, while looking at the attack remarked that General Lee had said to his officers that our right centre must be taken if it cost two-thirds of the men." The desperation of the attack. gives weight to this remark. After this visit we continued to do what we could in the sending of provisions of food and clothing to our men in Richmond. The reports from there daily harrowed up the feelings of every humane man. Freezing and starvation seemed to be the two chief sources of torture. We feel a loathing to record the statements we had from so many persons of those dismal months. Would that it were blotted from the history of man. But it is an index of the spirit of rebellion which is itself cruel. Libby prison, where our officers were mostly confined, is a row of brick buildings on the canal, facing the James river, three stories high, formerly used as a tobacco warehouse. The rooms are about one hundred feet long and forty wide. In six of these rooms, 1,200 officers, from General Neal Dow to a second lieutenant, remained, with no other space for eating sleeping taking exercise, cooking or washing. Not two feet by ten to a man, out of which was to be taken room to pass, cook, wash and dry. Two men, Major and Richard Turner, had charge, one as officer, the other as inspector of the building. No one was allowed to go within three feet of the windows, which reduced their space about one-sixth, or two by eight and a half feet. The appearance of one near the window, was sure to induce a shot from the sentry, which occurred almost hourly. Lieutenant Huggins was shot at, when standing eight feet from the window. One of the officers who escaped in the tunnel assured us that the accounts we had of the suffering by cold, withholding of food, &c., were by no means exaggerated. The only correction which he would make was in regard to the corn meal, of which he did not think the cob was generally ground, but that the corn, bran and all without sifting was given out to them, but that it was often with crusts so hard and thick that they could not eat one-half of it, and the allowance for the day was one of these pieces about three inches by four and about two inches thick. One of these rations he left with us, but frequently we have seen the same when our men have come up in the truce boat. Sometimes they were tantalized with the sight of the boxes sent to them which were piled up-but occasionally the contents were thrown to them in such a way that they were mixed together and ruined. Gen. Dow and others speak of the reception of articles and attention which indicate a different treatment at other times to some of the officers. The Rev John Hussey, of Ohio, who was taken prisoner while attending upon our wounded at Chicamauga, spent seven weeks in Libby. On his way to Richmond, passing through Atlanta, he saw Judge John C Gaut, of East Tennessee, hand-cuffed, and at Richmond, in Libby, Dr. R. Humphreys, of Jonesboro', East Tennessee, Mr. Hardin, of Virginia, living opposite Fredericksburg, about sixtyfive years of age without a shirt, only a woman's shawl over his shoulders. He also saw children in the prison held as hostages to compel their fathers who had avoided the conscription, to present themselves. Belle Island is in view of Libby, in the James river. Trees and rocks are upon part of it The portion on which our prisoners. privates, were kept is almost entirely of sand, low and barren even of shrubs. About five or six acres are ditched and earth thrown up about three feet, which about forty feet apart, are the guards. Within this are rows of tents, which poor in themselves, shelter but few of those in on |