The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-25

correspondent Of Wilmer & Smiths European
Times has recently been on visit to the celebrated
prisons at DartmOOr, an account of which, to the
American reader, must possess essential interest.
1t was here, during the last with Great Britain,
that many of our cOuntrymen were confined as
prisoners, and forced to endure sufferngs and hard
ships that will forever leave stain upon the gov
ernment that inflicted them, and for failing to al
leviate which some of our own citizens have been
strongly condemned. For a few years past these
prisons have been broken up and used for other
purposes, but are again being put in repair for
the confinement Of convicts for which alone they
are appropriate. The writer says:
We halted opposite the massive archway of gra-
mite, the entrance of the prison, which is in
scribed two words from Virgil" Parcere sub
jects." In addition to the sentiment of sparing
the vanqushed," ;" there something pleasing in
finding thing cvised as classical inscription
in so wild lOcalIty-a gloomy place of captivity
on cherries waste. Having passed beneath the
granite portal, we so found man who was
ready TO act as our guide. Although no scholar,
as he himself said, he sufficiently acquainted
with the place 10 impart the information we
wanted. He looked old enough TO give US some
particulars respecting the French prisoners from
; his own recollection Of them, but on inquiry
found he only about fUrty-in short a mere
upstart Of Yesterday. Hard labor and hard eli
; mate had made him look fifty or mJre.
The prisons comprise thirty acres, enclosed by
double wall, or two walls, one of which, at GER
tain distances, stood the seuTy boxes for the men
who guarded the prisoners. AS an additional
security, there within the walls an iron pali-
! sade. The position Of the sentines on the walls
was exposed that it was necessary in the winter
/ to relieve the men every quarter of hour or
| twenty minutes. In spite OF all precautions some
Of them were frozen to death, and others narrowly
| escaped similar fate. The establishment is situa-
ted upwards OF fourteen hundred feet above the sea
! Hyt at IL mt in of
shown by the fact that considerable extent of the
| slopIng ground above it has been brought under
| cultivation. 1t is said that when Napoleon heard
| of these prisons being built Dartmoor, he de-
Clared he would erect prisons the Alps for his
| English csptives, by way OF retaliation,
The prisons for the soldiers and Captives (Which
| are seven in number) long buildings radiating
| from common centre, and resemble lofts Each
of the two floors had four rows OF hammOCks for the
| men to sleep in, and there passage through
| the middle. There is third place, sort of floor
! under the roof, narrower than the other floors,
! which must have been cOmOrtess enough This
| floor, we were told, had two rows Of hammocks ;
| but friend afterwards informed us it was merely
used as a scene of recreation, and was the place
in which the prisoners ingenOnsly cut out various
| articles from the bone OF their meat, etc. The
crooks by which the hammOcks were supported still
| remain in the walls, but nearly every thing else
| has been removed. The materials, said our guide,
| were sold when the government gave up the prisons
| to the Duchy, about four years ago. | was sur
prised to see how much the prison buildings have
suffered since from the lapse of time Parts of the
floor and stairs Were broken away, and the COM
| munication cut off, There is a cooking plac at
| tached to each prison.
The officers barracks or quarters were little
more comortable-a little more palace-like. They
are supported on afcades, and surrounded by
breathing space. This is paved rather pitched
but, as in the other yards, the stones covered
with green clothing of grass, the produce o.
years. Within the building, the places where the
hammocks were suspended are indicated by hooks
as IN the soldiers quarters. There is good slzeC
cooking place against the wall opposite the
building.
| We now went across the part lately used by the
Naptha Company, and saw the remains of thei
machinery, materials, etc, which were to be solo
by auction on the 2Sth of August last. Our atten.
tion directed to the adjacent dungeon, a re-
markably massive arch structure Of granite, dimll
lighted from small grated window placed nea
the roof The door was low, and of amaznj
strength, and it had bolt of corresponding mas
| siveness. The edIhCe, told, was built BY
the French prisoners themselves and of course i
of somewhat later date than the prisons or tha
that portion of them first erected. On it is in
. scribed "F. p, lSll'-signifying | suppose
French Prisoners, 1911. 1t should be mentioned
that certain part of the prisons was first built
and then the captlves assisted tor remuneration
: in erecting their own abodes.
The dead-house, (ominous name,) the man tol
!. me, was without the walls, and | went out to sc
what supposed TO De II. LIKE the Otner buildings
= it exhibits the marks of time. Those who die
4 among the prisoners (and they were not a few
= | were inferred without the walls on the eastern sid
. ! should not omit to say, illustrative of til
. | climate that while We're inspecting one OF tn
long prisons, a tremendous shower of hail fel
:. which sounded loudly and heavily upon the priso
:, roofs 1t August but the air told tale Of chi
yC December.
- 1t is interestng-sOmetimes painfully sO-tO Ii
s ten to the narrative of those in the neighborhoc
, who are old enough to remember when the prise
II was tenanted by the captives. Nearly 10000 me
VI were at one time confined within the walls. G
q one occasion there was a revolt among the prisoner
~ and in consequence massacre. Our soldiers we
~ | ordered to fire on them. Artillery was bToug
~ from Plymouth, and cannon pointed at the gates
~, but they were not required, the insurgents HI
- been put down before their arrival. DR.. (now
~ George) Magarth, who in office medic
- man, and lived in house beside the entrance
~ the prison. is said to have been a great measu
or the means of making the rebels return to tn
er prisons. With much GOODNESS and determlnatIt
nd he went in among the prisoners, American, Fren
ly and Spanish, and persuaded them to give up tn
Is Insurrectionary attempt The circumstance ot
,r- beng very well liked by the men served The cal
sh OF order in this emergency.
,at Inc Dartmoor prisons once more to be oc'
es ped 1t Is SAID, IN the of two months. u
I'M victs are to be lodged there and about 100 men
ad at present employed in repairing the buildings
of their reception.
ish Horrors Of AUarice.-The Cincinnati pap
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