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as it was also with the prisoners generally。 Not less than twenty…five
thousand gallant； noble…hearted boys died around me between the dates of
my capture and release。 Nobler men than they never died for any cause。
For the most part they were simple…minded； honest…hearted boys； the
sterling products of our Northern home…life； and Northern Common Schools；
and that grand stalwart Northern blood； the yeoman blood of sturdy middle
class freementhe blood of the race which has conquered on every field
since the Roman Empire went down under its sinewy blows。 They prated
little of honor； and knew nothing of 〃chivalry〃 except in its repulsive
travesty in the South。 As citizens at home； no honest labor had been
regarded by them as too humble to be followed with manly pride in its
success； as soldiers in the field； they did their duty with a calm
defiance of danger and death； that the world has not seen equaled in the
six thousand years that men have followed the trade of war。 In the
prison their conduct was marked by the same unostentatious but
unflinching heroism。 Death stared them in the face constantly。 They
could read their own fate in that of the loathsome； unburied dead all
around them。 Insolent enemies mocked their sufferings； and sneered at
their devotion to a Government which they asserted had abandoned them；
but the simple faith； the ingrained honesty of these plain…mannered；
plain…spoken boys rose superior to every trial。 Brutus； the noblest
Roman of them all； says in his grandest flight：
Set honor in one eye and death in the other；
And I will look on both indifferently。
They did not say this： they did it。 They never questioned their duty； no
repinings； no murmurings against their Government escaped their lips；
they took the dread fortunes brought to them as calmly； as unshrinkingly
as they had those in the field； they quailed not； nor wavered in their
faith before the worst the Rebels could do。 The finest epitaph ever
inscribed above a soldier's grave was that graven on the stone which
marked the resting…place of the deathless three hundred who fell at
Thermopylae：
Go； stranger； to Lacedaemon；
And tell Sparta that we lie here in obedience to her laws。
They who lie in the shallow graves of Andersonville； Belle Isle； Florence
and Salisbury； lie there in obedience to the precepts and maxims
inculcated into their minds in the churches and Common Schools of the
North； precepts which impressed upon them the duty of manliness and honor
in all the relations and exigencies of life； not the 〃chivalric〃 prate of
their enemies； but the calm steadfastness which endureth to the end。 The
highest tribute that can be paid them is to say they did full credit to
their teachings； and they died as every American should when duty bids
him。 No richer heritage was ever bequeathed to posterity。
It was in the year 1864； and the first three months of 1865 that these
twenty…five thousand youths mere cruelly and needlessly done to death。
In these fatal fifteen months more young men than to…day form the pride；
the hope； and the vigor of any one of our leading Cities； more than at
the beginning of the war were found in either of several States in the
Nation； were sent to their graves； 〃unknelled； uncoffined； and unknown；〃
victims of the most barbarous and unnecessary cruelty recorded since the
Dark Ages。 Barbarous； because the wit of man has not yet devised a more
savage method of destroying fellow…beings than by exposure and
starvation； unnecessary； because the destruction of these had not； and
could not have the slightest effect upon the result of the struggle。
The Rebel leaders have acknowledged that they knew the fate of the
Confederacy was sealed when the campaign of 1864 opened with the North
displaying an unflinching determination to prosecute the war to a
successful conclusion。 All that they could hope for after that was some
fortuitous accident； or unexpected foreign recognition that would give
them peace with victory。 The prisoners were non…important factors in the
military problem。 Had they all been turned loose as soon as captured；
their efforts would not have hastened the Confederacy's fate a single
day。
As to the responsibility for this monstrous cataclysm of human misery and
death： That the great mass of the Southern people approved of these
outrages； or even knew of them； I do not； for an instant； believe。 They
are as little capable of countenancing such a thing as any people in the
world。 But the crowning blemish of Southern society has ever been the
dumb acquiescence of the many respectable； well…disposed； right…thinking
people in the acts of the turbulent and unscrupulous few。 From this
direful spring has flowed an Iliad of unnumbered woes； not only to that
section but to our common country。 It was this that kept the South
vibrating between patriotism and treason during the revolution； so that
it cost more lives and treasure to maintain the struggle there than in
all the rest of the country。 It was this that threatened the
dismemberment of the Union in 1832。 It was this that aggravated and
envenomed every wrong growing out of Slavery； that outraged liberty；
debauched citizenship； plundered the mails； gagged the press； stiffled
speech； made opinion a crime； polluted the free soil of God with the
unwilling step of the bondman； and at last crowned three…quarters of a
century of this unparalleled iniquity by dragging eleven millions of
people into a war from which their souls revolted； and against which they
had declared by overwhelming majorities in every State except South
Carolina； where the people had no voice。 It may puzzle some to
understand how a relatively small band of political desperados in each
State could accomplish such a momentous wrong； that they did do it； no
one conversant with our history will deny； and that theyinsignificant
as they were in numbers； in abilities； in character； in everything save
capacity and indomitable energy in mischiefcould achieve such gigantic
wrongs in direct opposition to the better sense of their communities is a
fearful demonstration of the defects of the constitution of Southern
society。
Men capable of doing all that the Secession leaders were guilty ofboth
before and during the warwere quite capable of revengefully destroying
twenty…five thousand of their enemies by the most hideous means at their
command。 That they did so set about destroying their enemies； wilfully；
maliciously； and with malice prepense and aforethought； is susceptible of
proof as conclusive as that which in a criminal court sends murderers to
the gallows。
Let us examine some of these proofs：
1。 The terrible mortality at Andersonville and elsewhere was a matter of
as much notoriety throughout the Southern Confederacy as the military
operations of Lee and Johnson。 No intelligent manmuch less the Rebel
leaderswas ignorant of it nor of its calamitous proportions。
2。 Had the Rebel leaders within a reasonable time after this matter
became notorious made some show of inquiring into and alleviating the
deadly misery； there might be some excuse for them on the ground of lack
of information； and the plea that they did as well as they could would
have some validity。 But this state of affairs was allowed to continue
over a yearin fact until the downfall of the Confederacywithout a
hand being raised to mitigate the horrors of those placeswithout even
an inquiry being made as to whether they were mitigable or not。 Still
worse： every month saw the horrors thicken； and the condition of the
prisoners become more wretched。
The suffering in May； 1864； was more terrible than in April； June showed
a frightful increase over May； while words fail to paint the horrors of
July and August； and so the wretchedness waxed until the end； in April；
1865。
3。 The main causes of suffering and death were so obviously preventible
that the Rebel leaders could not have been ignorant of the ease with
which a remedy could be applied。 These main causes were three in number：
a。 Improper and insufficient food。
b。 Unheard…of crowding together。
c。 Utter lack of shelter。
It is difficult to say which of these three was the most deadly。 Let us
admit； for the sake of argument； that it was impossible for the Rebels to
supply sufficient and proper food。 This admission； I know； will not
stand for an instant in the face of the revelations made by Sherman's
March to the Sea； and through the Carolinas； but let that pass； that we
may consider more easily demonstrable facts connected with the next two
propositions； the first of which is as to the crowding together。 Was
land so scarce in the Southern Confederacy that no more than sixteen
acres could be spared for the use of thirty…five thousand prisoners？
The State of Georgia has a population of less than one…sixth that of New
York； scattered over a territory one…quarter greater than that State's；
and yet a pitiful little tractless than the corn…patch 〃clearing〃 of
the laziest 〃cracker〃 in the Statewas all that could be allotted to the
use of three…and…a…half times ten thousand young men！ The average