The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-24

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scenes at Fort Lafayette-DaiIy Routine
ofLffe Among the Imprisoned Inmates--
Tricks Upon New Comers-Interestinx
Particulars, &C., SC.
We have been furnished with the following interesting
account of matters at Fort Lafayette by Mr. NJ Stan
ley recent inmate thereof who discharged upon an
nocence of the charges brought against him. and exhibit
% MIN az perfectly loyal Union man.
upon the arrival Of the prisoner Fort Hamilton he is
~ once delivered into the charge of Colonel Burke and
'"o document for his commitment exhibited This docu
eh comes from either the Secretary Of War or Seoreta
~ STATE according as the prisoner of Of
state. Colonel Burke thereupon has the accused ferred
across me little channel which flows between Fort Ham
ton and Fort Lafayette upon his arrival in the latter
stronghold he is given into the charge of the
commanding officer, Lieutenant Wood who writes
Formula ,ecep, for Tor his prisoner After this
which OK late have been the classmates or gun rooms
around the wall Of the fort This economy has been ne
cessitaed by the filling Of the more desirable olcers
quarters by the first arrivals.
As soon as the new is left to himself he is at
once surrounded by his now fellow prisoners and piled
win questions as to name, where he came from and
what are the charges against him, which usually wind
with an exresO on the part OF the nterrogators OF
DONG all they can 10 render his stay agreeable
sibe The conversation continues and when friendly re-
ations have been established he very bandy asked
what he will have for his dinner supper according 70
the hour at which he arrives the same breath they
exto the delicious character of beef steak with mush
rooms and broied chicken or other savory dishes and
urge him. some tn have the former others the latter
maze OF astonishmeu Mt this good treatment Of crm
nails by the offended government he states his choice
perhaps expresses wish for a little of several Of
the dishes mentioned, and the character Of the
wine then comes up for extolment and tho
wags get into quite dispute among themselves tho
relative Qualities OF the Burgundy, PORT Madeira Caret,
&c, which is given them at dinner. The still further
tonished prisoner drinks all this in with considerable
pleasure, and beginning get the fright which his
arrest and incarceration have produced congrautes
himself that stay ut Fort Lafayette is capital thing
But his fond deluson the one produced by his
which by this time has, Of course changed TO other sub
ecs, is suddenly interrupted by the signal for dinner
supper and he conducted TO his the dining
where, in place OF mahogany table with ustrous white
damask CLOTH silver service and richly glass all
Of which his imagination had conjurcd up he discovers
plain deal table, Imprinted and without cloth, with sin
plate containing piece of partially cooked pork tin
cup of coffee and large chunk of bread As he contem
plates this in dsmay, loud laugh from his fellow prison.
ers, who, from tho door havo been watching his
movements, throws little light his dsordered in
telfect, and he perceives that he has boon
initiation into Fort Lafayette society and he be-
comesas eager as the rest to 'se the next conner
This is one of the ways in which the inmates manage
while away the time, and in fact has been become
popular among them that the announcement in the daily
regularly before eight ociock Of any arrest at once
creates quite an excitement, and everything is prepared
to thoroughly initiate the expected individual
Those Of the prisoners who have and friends
pass time in comparative comfort mess has been cs
tabished, by permission OF the commanding officer,
which is under tho control Of the ordnance sergeant
attached to the post numbers about thirty and at
cost Of dollar head per dem the table supplied
from market daily with good food of every description,
together with such vands and liquors they may choose
to purchase extra. The table better in fact than such
as are provided in second class hotels at fashionable
tcring places.
The sleeping arrangements also very comfortable.
Tho mattresses bedding blankets and sheets of good
quality and care is taken to keep them Clean The bed
steads are small iron ones which folded up in the
daytime, making additional room in the somewhat
fined quarters.
Two hours day allowed to prisoners for exercise
out of doors in the open space in tho centre Of the fort
viz: between six and O'Clock in the morning and
between five and six O'Clock in the evening. In the in
tervas they confined in the rather commodous quar-
tiers which appropriated TO officers when the fort il
completely garrisoned where they amuse themselves
playing chess, draughts BACKGAMMON, whist and tho
like read the newspapers discuss the of tho
day they reach them through the last mentioned chan
nell At nine O'Clock every light is exngushed and uni
versal silence prevails until the next dawn awakes them
TO re enact the same UNMARRIED routine.
In cases Of sickness Mrs. Wood, the lady OF the
manding officer, is mnremittng, through her domescs,
in kindness and attention. and has the esteem OF all
the inmates for her consderatc amabilty
With the water occasionally bad account Of absence
of ran with defects in the cooking arrangements,
which not sufficient 10 supply the extra quantity Of
rationS In demand, rendering them only partially
prepared for ediby the prisoners still manage to pass
their time Of incarceration in much pleasant
than generally believed with the exception only 1t
the privateersmen pirates they deemed, who
closely confined and supplied with government
tons. They not denied however, any luxury which
is sent in from outside prohibited from purchasing
such, as thoy sometimes do by clubbing their limited
funds together.