Litchfield enquirer., 1861-10-24
From Hze " 7. World, THE FORT LAFAYETTE PRISONERS,
THEIR TREATMENT AND CONDUCT.

THEIR TREATMENT AND CONDUCT. The novel fact of the existence of poltica prison in our vicinity standing in silence and is olation out in the waters of the bay and con taining nearly hundred persons under arrest fo about the appearance of the place, the condition of their quarters, and general treatment of th prisoners. Various statements have been pub llshed in some of the papers which, with some truth, have mingled much that is liable to creat false impression. Our reporter yesterday visit ed the place, and, as no persons are admitted within the fort learned from the officer of the day and from other sources, what may be considered as the true condition and treatment of the pris oners.
 Fort Layfayette is a quaint-looking structure ot red brick, being composed of two walls, one within the other, and the inside one rising some five or six feet higher than the other. The roof between them is slightly inclined surface, upor which few of the prisoners may sometimes be seen enjoying the sea breeze during a pleasant diy, or watching the sunset over the hills of Jersey, in the late afternoon.
 The number of persons retained there at pres ent IS nlnety-scven, representing all classes and phases of disoyaIty, from the exclusive and naughty southern gentleman to the outright pi rate.
 Then there are the traders who are imprison- ed for supplying arms to the rebels, and other mercenary offences committed, perhaps without principle for either side.
 During the first few weeks that prisoners were taken to the fort, they associated promiscuously the educated and the vulgar, the gentlemen of refined and cultivated tastes and the pirates and common sailors of rough manners and uncouth language, all mingling together in general 1 community. This, of course, became very dis tasteful to the upper class, headed by Mr. Faulk- ner, eX Governor Morehead Marshal Kane and others, while the lower class exulted in associa- ting faniiliarly with such distinguished persona ges. Finally, they became organized with lit tie assistance, and mainly by common consent into separate castes or classes of society, each meeting in separate room and almost ignoring the existence of the others. Thus the members of the Maryland Legislature belong to the sec, ond class, or sub-arstocracy, while the common sailors and privateers, of whom there are con- parativey few, constitute the lowest grade oi the society. Nearly all seem to have an idea that to decaim against the government and talk 'secesh'' is a gentlemanly sort of accomplish ment, and few endeayor to imagine themselves martyrs fer the sake of principle, like the perse cuted heroes of highly wrought novels, as Cha: Darnay in Dickens 'lale of Two Cities" or the prince whom frightful Ogre shut up tower, il the more humble annals of |" Fairy Tales for tho Nursery" They are allowed to write to tle friends, all letters passing under the supervision or the military secretary.
 The fare, so far as the government is concern ed, is distributed to all alike. Each man is giver the regular army ration, consisting of becfbread potatoes coffee with milk, and occasionally soul and beans.
 The members of the Maryland Legislature, OK | t,pynpnnp NnrabnoI Iou Smith, and the rest of the tu, seat tehmselves hunlbly at the plain pine tables, and receive tlle rations in small tin pans, which comprise the en tire t bic service allowed them. Those who cal afford 1t, however, and wish it, purchase extra ar tcles of food, by assistance of the aged ordnanc, sergeant of the fort, who supplies them at sucf prices us they can agree upon.
 Many of the upper class especially avai themselves of this privileges in preference to tn . army fare, and the sergeant thus keeps up bssl trade in pies, puddings, choice meats and vege tables. MT. Reeves the Long Island editor, wh, , was arrested while on his way to the Syracus , convention, is there said to have contracted pleasant appetite for cold tea and country sau | sages. These gentlemen think that they should be provided with a more convenient and elegan place of confinement than the quarters of regu lar soldiers, which are necessarily contracted They are during the day, allowed to roam where ever they please within the walls, and three o four at time may walk upon the roof.
 They pass their time in various ways, convers ing with each other, or Illuminating "secesh, or smoking and playing cards or chess, in whcl latter game the Abbe AicNaster is proficient and finds but few who excel him. Sometime they organize burlesque meetings and enlivel the hours by reproducing in a ludicrous way representations of occurrences reported in th daily papers, and again, they become amateu actors and re-enact old comedies and extravagan gas.
 Whatever anxiety they may feel, or whateve unpleasant thoughts may intrude are general unexpressed, and the most are philosophical enough to make the best of their situation by en deavoring to appear as jolly as possible.
 INTERCOURSE AT THE TABLE.-To meet at tn breakfast-table, father mother, children, all well ought to be happiness to any heart it shoul' be a source of humble gratitude, and shoul, wake up the warmest feelings of our nature Shame upon the contemptible and low-bred cur whether parent or child, that can ever come tt the breakfast table, where the family have me in health, only to whine, and grow, and fret l is prima fucie evidence of mean, and grovel ling, and selfish and degraded nature, whence soever the churl may have sprung. Nor is less reprehensible to make such exhibitions a the tea-table; for before the morning come some of the circle may be stricken with som II