It is known, and proved beyond "cavil of a doubt," that the prisoners were
robbed of all articles of value, even hats, coats, blankets, and shoes,
and that no attempt was made to restore them, or to supply any deficiency
that arose from this rapacious dishonesty.
In striking contrast with this "barbarism of slavery," notice the
treatment in our own prisons, where all needful clothing and blankets were
issued to the rebel prisoners, whenever their circumstances required it;
and during the period of rebellion, a vast quantity of coats, blankets,
stockings, shirts, and drawers were supplied by the quartermaster's
department. Thirty-five thousand articles of clothing were issued in eight
months to the rebel prisoners at Fort Delaware alone. Of the many thousand
rebel wounded and sick prisoners in our hands, who have been under the
observation of the writer during the war, all, without exception, were
treated with kindness, and the wants of all supplied in the same manner as
with our men.
In the Dartmoor prison, the British allowed to each of our men a hammock,
a blanket, a horse rug, and a bed containing four pounds of flocks; and
every eighteen months one woollen cap, one yellow jacket, one pair of
pantaloons, and one waistcoat of the same material as allowed to the
British army; and also, every nine months, one pair of shoes, and one
shirt. The prison was inspected by the chief surgeon of England, and
whenever complaint was made by the prisoners, the admiralty sent officers
of high rank to investigate the causes of complaint. The officers of the
prison hulks in England behaved generally with kindness and humanity to
our men, as is shown by the records of the captivity.
But even this treatment, humane as it appears when compared with the rebel
system, was less generous than that bestowed by the Algerine pirates upon
our sailors captured by them. The captives in Algiers received good and
abundant vegetable food, and were lodged in airy places.