The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-09-11
WHAT OUR PRlsOKERs ARE DOING
AT RlCAMO ..
The following is from letter to the Charles
ton Cosrier, dated Richmond, Aug. %.

Aue ioiioWiug II from letter 20 the Charles
ton Cosrier, dated Richmond. Aug. %.
The quarters Of the Yankee prisoners still
continue to be the picture gallery of the town.
You may always find there q crowd Of iders
staring at the grated windows on either side of
the street. studying human nature and specula-
ting audbly on the various incidents o: the
hour. Some of the fellows have no change OF
linen, and necessarily must go shiriless while
that useful article undsrgoes the drying process
after a wash. Those who have the means are
allowed the privilege OF remedyidg this want.
Those who have not. have, in some instances
been voluntarily provided from the wardrobe of
our own men. The officers occupy al apart
ment 10y themselves, and fare perhaps more
comfortably. Congressman Ely. they. saw
grows ia; upon his diet. The others are in good
health. Among their amusements are those of
card-playing psalm singing. cursing and de-
hating. The latter is almost nightly the Occu-
patton of the ofiicers-Ely acts as moderator Of
the meeting, or occasionally takes hand him
s,E Huson his Congressional compettor-a
jolly. gocd-natured soul by TIL way. fat funny,
interesting-is the leading speaker, and the
smaller guns predominate IN the intellectual
f, battery according 10 their various cslibers
The subjects are ny;hing and everything you
can imagine, ranging on the gamut from the
| solemn 10 the ridiculous. Their subject last
evening was derived from the following simple
incident:
A newsboy who had been In the habit Of sell
ing his newspapers at three. suddenly ran up
his price to five cents. and on making his sccus-
| toned sale in the morning 10 one of the prison
ers. the latter AT first refused to +" come down"
The young vender was equally inexorable. and
finally carried his point, aud received the
| amount of his demand This rise in stocks was
| reported to the Yankee conclave whereupon
the question was raised whether il was right for
| the man 10 jaw the boy. @: the boy to Jaw the
man. The discussion thus commenced in :he
social circle was carried into the debating soci
ETY.. and after the usual pros and cons. II as
iuslly decided by the Honorable Speaker, Ely.
that the boy being the sole aud undisputed
owner of the property, and the said property
not being cOntraband Of war; and no concate-
nation OF circumstances having arisen TO oh
struct the right thereby vested in the original
possessor of the aforesaid Y. Gle of informa-
ton. the right was undoubtedly inherent in the
adOlescent merchant TO determine for himself
the ncipient value Of bis goods and to charge
for the same accordingly, ad valorem duties to
the contrary Notwithstanding. Exception was
taken to the ruling of the Chair, aud Mr.. Huson
proceeded TO quote Shakespeare. Byron aud Tom
Moore, in support Of his position. Others fol
lowed in the Senatorial burlesque, quoting.
J French and Irish, telling stories and even sing
J ing songs until bedtime arrived. when the par
ty retired to their blankets. There's sweet
for every bitter" the poet says, and the prison
ers are doing all they cen TO extract il.
; have observed large number Of them ai
! large on the street. One of them Was New
York Zouave, sporting rs large a. life bis fire
mans badge, and drinking at one Of the public
oars with all the gusto of new fedged free
man to the success of the southern Confedera
cy Some gentleman asked him how he came
there! "Uh." was the reply, "my friendl
have some influence with Gen. Winder, and
am allowed privileges the others don't enjoy.
So il seemed.
e Another Of these worthless ut large Is namet
e Connelly-a sergeant. His father. fortunately
has made half a million or more ont Of th,
= Richmond people, and on this account he is al
lowed the freedom of the city. while the poo
q civilians who were taken after the battle ar
: still closely ensconced. You see there is yet
good deal of truth in the old adage, " none,
4 makes the mare 60"
= The officer IN charge of the prisoners il MAJ
4 Todd, brother-in-law of Lncoln-so, ct least,
. have been informed.