Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/196

 190 Southern Historical Society Papers.

The rebels gave us leave

To send down loyal men * Men good and true, who might receive

Aid for that prison pen, And tend the suffering inmates there With a whole nation's love and care.

But no, these gallant men

Were left to starve and die That Northern banners might again

Mid Southern breezes fly ; And bold recruits might rush to save Their comrades from a prison grave.

A wise, sagacious move !

A stroke of policy ! So called by those who know not love

Or human sympathy. But ah ! those noble boys in blue Their blood now rests on "me and you."

The rebels, pinched and pressed,

Offered to send them homef Without exchange you know the rest,

For home they did not come ! Our ships could not be spared to save Our soldiers from a Southern grave !

Who did such grievous wrong

In that sad, gloomy hour? Men who were anxious to prolong

Their influence and power. Who cares for fifteen thousand men If we the helm of State retain ?

ties to send their own surgeons to the South. It was proposed, also, that these surgeons should act as commissaries, and distribute whatever either the United States Government or private benevolence should furnish. Of course, the Confederates would have desired a similar opportunity for their surgeons to minister to Southern prisoners at the North. The United States authorities, however, never gave any reply to the proposition, though the war continued for more than a year after it was made.
 * In January, 1864, the Confederates proposed to allow the Federal authori-

f In August, 1864, when the mortality was increasing at Andersonville, the Confederates offered to give up from ten to fifteen thousand men uncondi- tionally, except that the United States' authorities were to send for them. After a delay of three fearful months, the most sickly of the year, they did send and took away thirteen thousand, leaving in their place three thousand Southerners, who were even more squalid and sickly than the poor fellows they took home.