The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1858-06-23

1
and with much difficulty forced a passag
into the centre of the prison, where tn
throng WIS less BY the many dead, amount
ing to one-third, and the numbers who flock
ed to The windows; for by this time they ha,
water at the other window. iait
myself down on some Of the dead, and recon-
mending myself to Heaven, had the comfor
} Of thinking my suffering could have no Ions
duration. My thirst now grew insupporta
Bile, and the difficulty Of breathing much in
creased; and had not remained in this situa
pain in my breast, and palpitatlon Of heart
both to the most intense degree. These
obliged me to get up again, but still the pain
palpitatiCn, and difficulty Of breathing in
creased. | retained my senses notwithstand
ing, and had the grief to see death not SO
near me as | had hoped, but could no longer
bear the pains l had suffered without at
tempting relief, which knew fresh air
would and could only give mo. instantly
determined to push for the window opposite
to me, and by an effort Of double the strength
ever before possessed, gained the third rank
at it-wth one hand seized the bar, and by
that means gained a second, though think
there were a: least six or seven ranks be-
tween me and the window. In tcu mo-
ments the pain, roLpita'ion, had ceased,
but the thirst continued intolerable. called
aloud. 'Hdter, for Gods soke!' l had been
concluded dead but as soon as the men
found me amongst them, they still had the
respect and tenderness for me, to cry out,
Give him water" nor would one Of them at
the window attempt to toucl. it till | had
drunk But from the avater had no relief;
ma thirst apas rather increased By II; so
determined to drink no more but patiently
wait tho event. l kept my mouth moist
from time to time by sucking the perspira
ton out Of my Shirt-seeves, and catching
the drops as they fell like heavy rain from
my head and face; you can hardly imagine
how unhappy | was If any Of them escaped
my mouth. n | Twas observed by one
of my companions on ,he right in the ex-
pedient Of allaying my thirst by sucking my
shirt-sleeves. He took the hint, and robbed
me from time to time of considerable part
OF my store; though, after detected him,
had the address to begin on that sleeve first
when thought my reservoirs were sufficient |
ly repenished. and our mouths and noses
often met in contact. This man was one Of
the few who escaped death, and he has since
paid me the compliment of assuring me he
believed he owed his life to the many com
Portable draughts he had from my sleeves.
No Bristol water could be more soft or pleas
ant than what arose from perspiration.
"By ha:-past eleven the much greater
number of those living were in an outrageous
delirum, and others quite ungovernable;
few retaining any calmness but the ranks
near the windows. They now all found that
water, instead of relieving their uneasiness,
rather heightened it, and 'Air! airr was the
general cry. Every insult that could be
devised against the guard was repeated, to
provoke them to fire on us; every man that
could, rushed tumultuously towards the
windows, with eager hopes Of meeting the
first shot. But these failing, they whose
strength and spirits were quite exhausted,
aid themselves down, and quietly expired
lpon their fellows; others who had vet some
strength and vigor left, made last effort
or the windows, and several succeeded by
Gaping and scrambing over the backs and
leads of those in the first ranks; and got
lold Of the bars, from which there was no
'emoving them. Many to the right sunk
With the violent pressure, and were soon suf-
ocated; for now Il steam arose from the liv-
ng and the dead, which affected US in all its
as if We were forciblv held
~ our heads over bowl of stron. volatile
pirit of hartshorn until suflocated; nor could
ne effuvia of the one DO distinguished from
he other. | need not ask your commisera- I
ion when l tell you that in this plight, from
aIf an hou, after eleven till two in the morn
nc, sustained the weight Of a heavy man a
With his knees on my back, and the pressure c
# MS whole body Oh my head; Dutch ser
cant who had taken his sea. on my left
houlder, and black soldier bearing on my r
ight; all which nothing would have enabled c
lo to support but the props and pressure
Quaiy sustaining me all round. The two
after frequently dislodged by shifting my
Old on tho bars, and dfiyin. my knuckles
ito their ,i5s; bat my friend above stuck ,'
,st, and as he held by two bars, WAS immo- l'
able. The repeated trials | made to dis 7
,dgo this insutfcrabc incnmbrance upon me, q
I'd towards two O'clock. finding must quit L
le window or sinl. where | was. resolved o
n the former, having borne, truly, for TIE y
axe OF others, Infinitely more for life than G,
10 best Of lis worth. 81
II was at this time sensible Of no pain
al little uneasiness. Ifonnd a stupor com
g on apace, and laid myself down by that az
slant Old man, the Reverend Jeryas Bella tc
y, who Law dead with his son, the lieuten- h
1t, hand in hand, near the southernmos. p
all Of The prison. OF what passed in the c.
tervaI, to the time Of ny resurrection from m
rs hole Of horrors, can give You no ac- n
punt" OF
1t six in the morning the door was open o
/, when only Internationally out of the
undrel and forty-si= still bresthsJ. These