Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-28

men, who are under the care OF an agent appoint.
ell by, and under the control of The TRANSPORT
board. Here are stationed guards upwards OF
two thousand well disciplined militia. and two
companies OF royal artillery. The prisons are
all strongly built of stone, and are surrounded by
TWO circular walls: the outer wall measuring
one mi!c IN circumference and on the inner wall
are military walks FOR the sentnelss Within
THIS wall are lron palisades, distant about TWEEN
y feet, which are ten feet in height. Adjoining
.he outer wall are guard houses placed north,
east, and south. There are sepera,e wards
winch communicate with each other through a
Passage about one hundred and fifty feet lopp-
and twenty broad, guarded on each side by iron
bars, over which, and fronting No. 4 is military
walk Tor sentinels. Opposite this passage Is the
market square passing INTO e.ther.yard you 20
through two iron gates, so that all commune
ton may be stopped al pleasure, which is cftcn
done to annoy and vex the prisoners. The FIRST
yard contains Prisons,vlz, Nos. 1, =, 8, of (which
nos. md only are occupied, No. standing
VOID The next yard which contains No q is
solely occupied by blacks, and is seperated
from the other yards by two stone walls, about
htteh feet IN height. The next yard CONTAINS Nos
}, ., and z, of which Nos 5 and only are occu-
pied, No. standing VOID.
Inc inside of the prisons present melancho.
| Y ana oisagreeaole aspect--one would imagine
they We're rather calculatedto receive cattle than
human beings North of No. (between the in
ner wall end iron ralhngs) stands the condemn
cd PRISON, place of punishment for various of
fences committed by individuals; four persons
having been sentenced by the British government
TO suffer Imprisonment during the war, fns at
tempting to blow up prize. This prison IS
calculated to contain sixty men, who are allowed
blanket, and stray, instead of their ordinary
bedding: Their daily allowance of provisions is
considerably reduced A small aperture near
the roofadmits the hight.
fronting No. 1 yard, IS wall separating it
from the hospital, and fronting No. 3 IS another
wall separating from the inner barracks The
narketsuqare (Which fronts The pass &c leading
rom one yard 70 the other) Is nearly square, and
wil contain five thousand persons. The mar
ket IS opened every day, SUNDAYS excepted.
at IL O'Clock and is closed at Two. It is produc-
i've OF no small profit to the country people-
| AT the upper part of the market are two stone
houses, Que Tor prisoners and the other Tor kings
stores, &c.
The other buildings attached to the depot are
houses Tor the tu,nkeys clerks, one for the agent
and another for The doctor
10 enter either OF the prison yards from with
OUT you must pass through five gates. Fronting
the outer gate IS reservoy of water which Is
brought the distance DISK miles by means of
Canal, which supplies the different yards. The
hospital is under The superitcndance of physic,
an, VINO has Two assistants. d. MGrath, the
present superintendent, Is gentls man of emf
nchce and skill in has profession, and will ever
be remembered by the Amer can prisoners with
esteem and respect The sick have uniformly
received from him every attention that delicacy
and humanity could dictate.
At this time there are five thousand six hun
dred prisoners in this depot, neGrby one baLf of
1eh0'n are men oho impressed into has Brifan-
IAN n1qjeStys service prior to The 4car
Many nsrdsll ps have been suffered by the pri-
Soners, more especially in the year 1915, which
was exceedingly severe.
Although excessively cold, and many of the
prisoners almost naked, no fire was allowed or
clothing served out to protect their shivering
limbs and half famished bodies, from the incie-
mency of the weather
1t must be observed, that the prisoners at that
time received no assistance from their govern
ment, and many ofthem having been robbed or
piundered of Their clothes, were BY the time of
winter little short of nakedness. In Aprli follow
ing, they received from the American agent,
Mr. Beasley, suit of clothes and two-pence
haif-penny per day, which sum though small, was
great relief The prisoners on many oc-
IONS have received very injurious and harsh
treatment from the governor of this depot, hav-
ing uniformly endeIe9red to curtsil them of the
smallest Liberties or indulgence.