Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-08-23

clse ana seek repose. Our room is Just
eighteen by twenty four, with vaulted
roof, the highest point of which is only
eight feet from the floor Our bedsteads
are four high posts, on which are two
beds, one over the other, which with two
small or single bedsteads accommodate
the party of six; we have straw ticks,
and arc, comparatively speaking, COM
Portable enough in this particular. The
room has three small windows in walls
four feet thick, the ventilation through
these being from the sea is quite fresh,
making amends for the lowness of the
ceiling but it is unpleasant 70 be re-
minded of our captivity by everY passing
vessel or pleasure boat, glimpses of which
we catch through the peep holes. Messrs.
Howard, Gatchell, Davis, Alvy, Lyon,
and Smith, occupy room similar to ours,
and enjoy precisely the same privileges
and miseres that we do. They take
their meals frem a Sergeant in the garri-
son, who supplies them with two each
day, for seven dollars a week, which is
exorbtant for what they receive. Ham
and eggs for breakfast and eggs and ham
for dinner They invited me to join
them, but declined because of the in
ability of my messmates to do So Their
rations, however, are dainty when COM
pared to ours, which Breakfast !:
fat pork, no lean, four ounces of bread,
and tea cup of dark liquid called coffee.
Dinner: four ounces of bread, one cup
of pork soup, three ounces vor-boiled
lean, indigestible beef, and as much tepid
water as we choose. The above bill Of
fare is invariable, aud | have no doubt
you will call it luxurious. Any little
things which might contribute to our
comfort, are denied us Newspapers of
all kinds not allowed and the rules alb
solutely prescribe all kinds of liquors. -
A case of wines brought by the Com
missioners, was taken away from them
We have kind friends near. Some of
them, it appears, sent us a sealed bag of
vegetables the other day, and they we're
not delivered to US, contrary to the state
ment when we arrived, that we could
procure food from abroad. This dispels
the hope of getting things from New
York, though, indeed, to do so, at any
rate, would be attended with such diff
culties, that it may as well be denied.
know that if our friends in New York
and Brooklyn had been allowed the pri-
vilege of sending, we should lave had
an abundant supply of everything, before
this. Only imagine how much more in
tolerable our lie must be here, than III
Fort McHenry. On small island, ten
miles distant from tho city, within our
gloomy prison walls, in the centre of a
harbor friends, relatives. acquaintance
and even our counsel not allowed to visit
us-not allowed even the privilege Of
getting or seeing the daily papers in this
metropolis of this our boosted land Of
free men, free speech, and free press,
and under the folds of the flag of the
brave and the free. Yes, that banner
which we are told in song "makes tyran-
ny trcmble," floats over US, while we feel
the fond embrace of tyranny and the heel
Of oppression while we are denied the
comforts and almost the necessaries Of
life-for which we are willing to pay
and are subjected to barbarous privations,
while our oppressors are unable to con
front us with any charge, more than sus-
picion Of being disloyal Thus we are
denied every process Of law and shut out
| from the world in this Bastile, Verify.
Gin the midst of life we are in death !"
BY the scraps on which | write this,
you will see what stratagems | have been
/ put to, but / trust by the aid of the
numbers affixed. you viii! be able to de-
cipher them. 4