Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-08-23
Che National Crisis.
From the Baltimore Exchange. |
LINCOLN'S VICTIMS.
Their Inhuman Treatment.


FoRr LAFAYETTE, Aug 6, 1861.
My DEAR WIFE: | wrote to you on
the 31st of July and the day following,
but both letters have been suppressed by
the authorities, l suppose, and cannot
have reached you
We are closely confined in a strong
prison, denied all intercourse with any
human being outside, are not permitted
to write or to receive newspapers, aud
are under strict prison discipline, guard
ed night and day by soldiers, and treat
ed exactly as felons in the penitentiary,
except that we are not yet required to
work. Our prison is a massive, gloomy
building, forming hollow square, and
covers the whole island on which it is
built. Seven Of us are confined in one
casemate, and sleep upon straw beds,
without pillows, and with but one blan-
ket. We drink wretched coffee, which
is composed of lrched beans, or some
other vile ing Aient, from tin cups
-Four ounces of bread at each meal, and
the fattest pork, which we cannot touch,
and some putrid beef, are served up
Our money was all taken from us imme-
diately on our arrival, and we we're very
coolly told that we could only have it as
our jailors chose to allow it to us. We
are not permitted to keep pen, ink or
paper, for fear our wretched situation
should be made known to our friends.
had to resort to stratagem to write
this, and will endeavor to send it secretly
We are in total darkness as regards what
we are held for, or how long we will be
imprisoned; but we all conclude that we
will not be released until peace is de-
clared, and perhaps not then. am as
wretched as any human being can be,
but only on your account. Surely some
one will come to your aid You have
friends, or those who have protested to
be for many years, Think of me as one
that is dead and utterly useless to you,
and act accordingly. | have not the
slightest hope at present Of ever seeing
you again. My confinement, and the
suffering occasionod by continual recur-
renee to the hopelessness of my condi-
ton, together with the wretched diet set
before me must speedily terminate life
which, in the -ennrse Of Nature. would
soon have ceased under better circum-
stances. | trust, my dear, kind, affec-
tomato wife, you will not become dis
couraged, but trust to your boys, who
are affectionate, and who will, feel as
sured, prove blessing to you and your
dear little ones May God bless their
endeavors, and make them ornaments to
society.
Oh how long to see you all, ]
dream of you sometimes, and always feel
relieved when can commune with you
even in my restless slumbers shall
never forget the sweet laugh of my dear
little boy when saw him at Fort Nc
Henry What relief it would be if /
could have your likenesses. could live
longer and more contentedly if / had
them by me. You cannot imagine, un-
less you had experienced the same re-
straint, what soace it would be, in my
wretched hopeless condition, to have
them by me. Although have six 9th
ers with me who are all young men /
feel like one alone / cannot enter into
any of their amusements, and we have
no books that can read except Childe
! Harold.
1t will be,useless to answer this, as the
letter would be examined and not sent to
me, and you cannot possibly send one
privately. We meet Mcssrs. Howard
and Gatchell and the other prisoners in
the yard twice day and are permitted
to walk together an hour morning and
evening, Farewell my ever dear, dear
wife Kiss my dear little ones for me
and do not forget to speak of their father
as often as you can.
TIE BAsTLE, FoRT LAFAYETTE,
N. Y. HAREoR, Aug Z, 1861.
NJ DEAR j.: If you have received 20
word from me before this, you must have
OWNED the reason. / wrote you twice
since my arrival here, but have reason
to know the letters did not reach you;
but this will, despite the vigilance of our
keepers.
On arriving here, we were required to
surrender all the money and blank paper
on our persons at the same time being
informed that by applying to the com
handing officer, VIC would be furnished
with writing materials, but that all our
letters would be examined by him. and
if found to contain nothing Objectionable,
would be forwarded to their destination,
and that our money would be subject to
our checks, Int we must account satisfac.
torily for its disposition. before VIC should
, receive any. SO strict is the rule re-
speeding paper that we are required to
account for every inch, and to deliver it
up at night, be it blank or half written,
and it is returned us in the morning to
finish our letters which we write. in the
vain hope Of their being despatched. !
wrote you long enough since to have your
answer, therefore presume this will be
the first, if not the only one, you will
! receive. This fertilization rises within
twenty feet Of the water on all sides, and
is about sixty feet in height, forming
hollow square, in which is grass plat
thirty feet across. This we are allowed
to trample for two hours each day at
first we found it agreeable, but we tired
Of its monotony, and the weakness Of our
limbs, induced by confinement and in