Excerpt from The War and the Christian Commission
The wounded from the battle of Gettysburg had scarcely been housed in comfortable quarters for the winter, when reports came, by various modes of communication, that our men who had been captured at Gettysburg, and other places, were suffering in the prisons of Belle Island, Libby, Castle Thunder, &c., at Richmond, for want of food, clothing and shelter.
It was hard to entertain the idea that it could be true of men who had enjoyed the blessings of civilization and christianity, and who profess to have attained to a standard of humanity, civilization and chivalry beyond any of their Northern brethren. To charge such a crime upon them, for milder language is not becoming, we were very unwilling. Yet after examining into the matter with all the care, attention and impartiality possible - comparing the statements and editorials in their papers with written communications from prisoners in prison, and the personal verbal testimony of men who were privates and officers, men whom we personally knew - we were left without a shadow of doubt upon the subject. Being eye-witness to the condition of those that were admitted at Annapolis from the steamer New York, from Richmond, on May 2d, 1864, also of those admitted to West's Building Hospital, on the 18th of April, we can testify that their condition was all that is stated in the report of Mr. Wade, on May 9th, and that the photographs of the persons were correct.
When the miserable commissary was denounced in their Congress by Mr. Foote as a cruel wretch, disgracing the Confederacy, robbing and murdering by inches the prisoners - when they permitted provisions and clothing to be forwarded, it was an admission on the part of the Rebel Government of the truth of the statements to a very large degree.
Convinced of the fact, and finding a door open, we gave what diligence we could in endeavoring to secure and send forward to our men in prison such articles of food, clothing, &c., as would help to make them comfortable. At first they were freely received, and in part, if not wholly, distributed. Then it was objected that they could not distribute what the Government had sent, but would that of the Commissions - then none except individual packages.
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