Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-08-10

to effect our liberation and promote our
comfort, and IN consequence Of pressing
letters from him to Mr. Lawrence mem
Der of the Council, we were for the three
first months preserved from -sssocia,ing
with thieves, robbers, murdeA rs, burgia.s,
and the scum Of the jaiIs Of England, but
after that we were generally mixed with
felons, psrdoned or reprieycd felons being
our Overseers. .
We were heavily ironed in most cascs.
an iron band around each leg, joined by an
iron chain, and employed in digging tren-
ches, breaking stone, saving blocks for
pavements and dragging stone and timber
like cattle, for we had neither horses nor
oxen. AT the lovely Bant Station, every
four Of us had hand cart, and our task
was to haul load of flint stone, nearly
cubic yard, mile through rain and sleet,
and return fourteen times a day. Thus
we had fourteen heavy horse loads 10 draw
daily, in all distance of fourteen miles,
and the cart to drag back the other four
teen, being % miles day; had fourteen
pounds Of chains on, while our fare was
nearly two pounds Of coarse brown bread,
with Il pint Of water cruel to breakfast and
another to supper, and about three quar-
ters Of pound Of meat and half pound
Of vegetables at dinner. At night, after
eleven hours Of severe toll we were locked
up in miserable huts, and it is rainy in
winter. we were often dripping wet, but
never allowed 70 90 lear Il fire.
One shirt at once was the royal allow
ance, and we had Saturday afternoons.
little soap allowed US, on which to wash
and mend our wrctchcd garments. When
we took off and washed our shirts on Sat
urdays we had to go without them till they
dried on Sundays. Although in the prime
Of life, accustomed 10 farm work, and
strong made, have been wearied almost TO
iainting, and never once in those two tcdi-
Gus years did | 60 to bed otherwise than
hungry. Duringa passage Of four months
on my return TO a free land, Jared very
differently in the American Whaler, the
seamcn of which SO generously rescued
me.
The punishment TO which we was sub
lected was cruel, and the more so because
inflicted by pardoned British fclons, releas-
cd on account Of their harshness and un-
feeling character.
Nearly all of the American prisoners
have been confined in solitary cells, and
fed for weeks on bread and water there
many of them nearly dozen times. The
treadmll is also used as persuadcr
Not q few have been in the chain gangs
Some are now at Port Arthur, in the coal
mines, but the trianglcs, ever before our
eyes, was the object of our greatest hor-
rOr.
With the exception Of the venerable
Chaunccy Sheldon, near rs years of age,
who commanded a troop Of horse under
Gen. Van tcnsseaer, in the last war on
the frontier, scarcely remcmbcr one A
merican or Canadian, who has not been
ffoggcd by felons, from two dozen lashes,
with the cat-o'-nine tails, up to six dozen.
The triangles accompany the party at
work, and arc made Of three long pieces of
wood set up and meeting at the top; strap
Is run through the ring and tied around
each wrist Of the sufferer, whose arms are
thus extended at their full stretch, as in ca
scs OF cruclfictlon, his legs are then firmly
fastened 70 crossbar near the ground.
The .trcenen Of the new world stripped
stark naked, except his pantaloons, is then
exposed to the lash Of the fcion of the old.
The haggelator is ordered by the police
officer, to give two, four, or a dozen
strokes Of the heavy whip, as the case
may seem to him TO require, or the suffer-
ers naked back, who is then Embossed from
his degrading posture and ordered instantly
TO work whatever it may be.
Oh, how ardently and earnestly some of
our pure hearted patriots prayed tina, the
God of their fathers in his good time and
way would deliver them from this degra-
dation, even if it were by an early death
on that far distant shore The prayers of
some were heard, and others are fast fol-
lowing them to the tomb. A number are
far gone with the consumption, and accord
ing to the best information | could procure
direct and indirect, more than half of the
political prisoners, though fine stout men
when they left these shores, are now rup-
tured and otherwise injured caused by hard
labor, lifting heavy stones, and hauling
heavy loads in wet weather, over the soft
clay. Even Elizur Stevens, Of Lebanon,
Madison county New York, well built
stout man, of fine appearance, feet high, |
and but twcnty-seven years old, is already
ruptured, and Daniel Heustis one Of the |
heaviest and stoutcst men in Watertown,
though in health is a walking skeleton.
| was twice tied to the triangles and
fogged. First, for finding fault with our
wrelched FOOD and next time for hitting a |
blow at lellow-overseer, who in mere
wantonness Of power had thrown me vio-
laDt1v oypr baap IF
John Augustus Swansburg, Of Jefferson
county was 6 or times stripped and fog
ged for being, as they said saucy.
Hiram Sharp, of Salina, was hagcllated
because he would not touch his cap to the |
superintendent, an English transported fell
on, and say "sir" to him when he SPOKE