The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-10

A correspondent of Wilmer d Smiths European
Times, has recently been on visit 10 the celebra-
ted prisons at DartmOor-an account Of which, TO
the American reader, must possess essential inter
est. 1t here, during the last war with Great
Britain, that many of our countrYmen were con-
fined prisoners, and forced TO endure sufferings
and hardships that will forever leave a stain upon
the Government that inflicted them and for failing
to alleviate which, Some of our citizens have been
strongly condemned. For few years past, these
prisons have been broken up and used for other
purposes, but are now again being put in repair
for the confinement of convcts, for which alone
they are appropriate. The writer says
We halted opposite the massive arch of granite
the entrance of the prison, on which Is inscribed
two words from Virgil" Parcere subjects" In
addition to the sentiment of "sparing the van
qushed, there was something pleasing in finding
a thing civilized as a classical inscription, in so
wild localty-a gloomy place OF captivity on
cheerless waste. Having passed beneath the gran
ite portal soon found man who was ready to
act guide. Although no scholar, as he him
self said, he sufficiently acquainted with the
place to impart the information wanted. He
looked old enough to give us some particulars re-
specting the French prisoners from his own reco-
lection OF them, but inquiry found he was only
about forty-in short mere upstart of yesterday.
Hard labor and hard climate, had made him look
fifty years old or more.
| The prisons comprise thirty acres enclosed by a
double wall or two walls, on one OF which, at GER
tam distances, stood the sentry DoXeS Ior the men
who guarded the prisoners As an additional secu-
rity, there was within the walls an iron pasade.
The position of the sentinels the walls so
exposed, that it was necessary in the winter to
relieve the men every quarter OF an hour or twenty
minutes. lnspite of all precautions some OF them
were frozen to death, and others narrowly escaped
a similar fate. The establishment is situated
upwards of fourteen hundred feet above the sea- but
| that it is not in region of hopeless sterty is
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
declared he would erect prisons the Alps for his
| English captives, by way OF retaliation.
The prisons for the soldiers and captives are long
| buildings, radiating from common centre, and
resemble lofts Each of the two floors had fou
hammocks for the men to sleep in, and there was
passage through the middle. There Is third
place, sort Of floor under the roof, narrower thar
the other floors, which must have been comfortes
enough. This floor, we told had two rows o
hammocks but friend afterwards informed us
was merely used as scene Of recreation, and wa
| the place in which the prisoners ingenidhsly Gu
out various articles from the bone of their meat etc
| The crooks by which the hammocks were support
ed, still remain in the walls; but nearly every thn
else has been removed. The materials said ou
guide, were sold when the Government gave u
the prisons to the Duchy, about four years ago.
; was surprised to see how much the prison built
, lnSS nave suffered since from tne lapse oi tliI
Parts of the floor and stairs were broken away, an
the communication cut of. There is a cookin
I + place attached to each prison.
The officers barracks quarters were littl
, | more comfOrtable-a little more palace-like. The
. | are supported on arcades and surrounded by
breathing-space This is paved, or rather pitched
: but, in the other yards, the stones are covere
with a green clothing of grass, the produce
years. Within the building, the places where Il
: hammocks were suspended are indicated by hook
y as in the soldiers quarters. There is good size
d cooking place against the wall opposite the bull
= ing.
l. We now went across the part lately used by Il
It Naptha Company, and saw the remains of their m
s. chinery, materials, etc., which were to be sold
d auction on the 28th of August last. Our attentl
e was directed to the adjacent dungeon, remarkab
t, massive arch structure of granite, dimly light
from small grated window placed near the roc
l. the door was low, and of amazing strength, and
S, had bolt OF corresponding massiveness. L
n edihce, We were told, was built by the Fren
is prisoners themselves, and Of course in somewf
d. later date than the prisons, than that portion
ne them first erected. On it is inscribed "F.
$. lsll," slgnitying, l suppose, French prisone
Is 1911. 1t should be mentioned that certain p
to of the prison first built, and then the capt
of assisted. "a remuneIation1
Id The dead house, tominous name,) the man t
by me, was without the walls, and went out to
IN what supposed to be it. Like the other bul
H. ings, it exhibits the marks of time. Those W
he died among the prisoners, land they were not
n few,) were inferred without the walls, on the ca
es ern side.
se | should not omit to say, as illustrative of
of climate that while we were inspecting one of
"a long PRISONS tremendous shower OF hail fell, VIII
In sounded loudly and heavily upon the prison ro
in 1t was August, but the air told tale OF chill
Ire cember.