Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-11-20
A VISIT TO FORT WARREN

! Traveller:
The eight hundred political prisoners
and prisoners Of war recently sent from
the forts in the New York harbor ire
now getting settled DOM into tkeir new
quarters at Fort Warren. They are still
needing many things, which, in conse-
quonce OF the advent of such an uncX-
pectedly large number have net been
provided Colonel Dimm!ck, the veteran
commander Of the fort, is doing all in his
power to render their situation as COM
Portable as circumstances will permit, and
thoHgh many may grumble at the condi-
/ ton IN which they are placed, none will
find fault with their custodian.
! The political prisoners aud the officers
among the prisoners of war are quartered
on the west sido of the fort, the former
south and the others north of the main
entrance. The headquarters Of the com.
mander of the fort are in apartments im>
mediately south of the political prisoners,
and the hospital close bv, IN the south
west corn er OF the tort. The great body
of the prisoners of war are quartered IN
the casemates on tho north side of the
fort.
Each Of these three classes Of prisoners
are allowed to converse freely among
themselves, but,lhey can have no convcr-
sation with another class. They are al,
4 lowed to have newspapers, ard to write 20
cnd receive letters from their friends. -
Letters, 10 them, however, have to pass
{ through the hands ofCol Dmmick, and
tie opened 10y him. Their correspond
ence is not very extensive, although quite
a number OF letters are received and sent
out daily.
The prisoners are allowed every free
dom consistent with safe keeping. When
the weather permits, they come ont in
! front of their quarters, and walk about o..
stand in groups, smoking and conversing
( like party Of do.nothings in front of a
! fashionable hotel. Their walks, however,
are limited, except in company with
some person ofthe garrison
OF course the garrison and The few perI
sons admitted into the Fort, on business,
are most interested in the movements of
the political prisoners. They occupy the
most prominent position in the fort, and
in tho mind OF the nation, and undoubt.
edly are most anxjously watched by the
commander. One of the most noticeable
of these is Marshal Kane, of Baltimore, q
fine looking, well,dressed gentleman,
above the middle height. lie bustles
about in Scotch cap, with his pant legl
within his boots, and by stranger might
be mistaken for the principal person in
/ the garrison.
lie conyerses freely with the officers
stationed at the fort, and evidently is not
much discontented with bis position -
Mayor Brown, of Baltimore, quiet, tidy
gentleman, evidently does not like his
Iposition. Col Tyler, (who fought at Bull
Rum and was afterwards arrested when
on visit at Cincinnatti,) is another no
ticeable person, very tall, gaunt, and
wearing n beard of magnificent proper
tions He is evidently in not very good
health. EX-Gov. Nor iehead, of Kentuck
~. is u fine looking man, past the middle
age, tall and portly, and does not hest
tate 10 express his contempt for the "Cob.
bling Yankees" His imprisonment is ta-
ken anything but satisfactory. VIM.
Pierce, of New Orleans. larrested in Bos-
tcu,) does not seem to be disheartenel
by his imp ,Tsonment, and is apparently
in good health.
Commodore Barron, Of Fort Hatteras
spangled with gold, and glttering with
all the insignia allowed 10 his rank in the
Confederate navy" Col Pegram who
surrendered TO Gen. Mcclellan in West>
ern Virginia, is of rather small stature,
without ostentation, but LOOKS like a man
Of ability and courage. The other Off
GERS among the prisoners Of war do not
strike the visitor as being worthy of no
tice. Most of them are without any in
sigma to indicate that they have been sol
diers. They are all quiet, and submit
with apparent satisfaction to all the re
quiremepts of the commander OF the fort
The same may be said of the political
prisoners, except that some of them occa-
sionally indulge in remarks indicating
| their feelings of sympathy with secession.
The larger body OF the prisoners, and
those e=titled TO the most sympathy, are
the non commissioned officers and pri>
Yates captured at Fort Hatteras They
are scantily supplied with clothing, many
of them sick and discouraged, pnI large
numbers of them are ignorant. The gov-
ernment furnishes them with the same
quantity and quality of rations that are
furnished to soldiers in service, but they
are dispirited, and little inclined to pre-
pare it for use They are wiling to do
anything they are told to do, but seem to
have insufficient energy to do anything
of their own accord. Many of them can.
not read or write They are remarkably
quiet and respectful to the officers of the
garrison. There is said to be consdera.
Die religion. feeling among them at the
present time Some twenty the prison,
ers of this class were left at New YORK,
being too sick to remove. There are a.
bout fifty now in the hospital. A few
have the typhoid fever. Several have
consumption, having been affected before
leaving home, with that disease, which is
now aggravated by change of climate
Many have the bronchitis and pneumonia,
and upon entering the hospital the visit
or will hear so much coughing that be
will think it is derision, till informed
that it is all the time the same Many of
the men are also having the measles and
the mumps. Only one mah in the hospit-
al Is nov very sick, but several Of them