Of the sick prisoners at the Military prison and hospitals of
this City, the greater proportion are Mississippians. Though some of the Tennesseans and
Kentuckians are quite ill, their maladies are not so deep seated as those of
the 1st, 4th and 26th Mississippi prisoners.
These regiments were at Fort Henry, and at the time of the attack made
upon it by Commodore Foote, they retreated so rapidly that they left behind
most of their baggage, including many articles of clothing much needed for
their comfort. On arriving at Fort
Donelson they were (thinly clad as they were,) put to work immediately upon the
fortifications, and were compelled to labor upon the trenches constantly. During the siege of the Fort they lay in the
ditches and rifle pits, day and night.
Such exposure would produce disease in the ranks of the most able-bodies
soldiers, but when incurred by men of feeble constitutions, the seeds of
disease are so firmly planted that no medical skill can remove them. Of the latter class are those now in the
hospitals. Many are under eighteen years
of age, and the large majority are persons of feeble constitution. They receive the best medical treatment, and
the nursing care of female attendants; but in many cases the best of attention
cannot save them from the grasp of death.
A death occurred on Sunday night which still further proves
the wickedness of the causeless rebellion.
A man named Lloyd, whose mother, now a very old woman, lives in
Washington, went South upon business.
While in Mississippi he was, though a strong Union man, impressed into
the rebel service. No opportunity offered
to escape or he would have gladly availed himself of it. He was taken prisoner at Donelson, and
brought here with the others. While at
the hospital he freely conversed with many ladies and gentlemen, and related
the facts as we have stated, and upon his dying lips he protested that he was a
Union man forced to take up arms against the country that he would gladly have
defended against its enemies. – {Indianapolis Journal.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 8, 1862, p. 2
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