Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-27
9aiIp gppeal,
FEs0m rHE AMERICAN
RaSTELEs

- ~ -
LsTTERs FEam THE AMERICAN
BASTlLEs
LrscoLN's v1cT1Ms-THEIR INHUMAh TREAT
MENT.
From the Baltimore EzehsHsr J
We are furnished with the following LETTERS
received yesterday;
Eo,rI4FAyETrE, Aug. 6, 1851.
N DrAK WIFE: I wrote to you on the
31st Julv. and tie day following, but ootn letr
tiers have bseR suppressed by tue authoTlIles' /
snnDose. and cannot have reached you.
We arc closely confined in a strong prison,
dsnied all intercourse with any human oelng
outside. and are not permitted to write OF 70
receive ne wspspers aud are under strict prison
discisIi0e. gnardsd night and day by soldiers,
ana treated exactly as felons in the peniteQtia-
~. excsut that we are lot yet required to
WORK. Our prison is a massive, gloomy build
ing. forming a hollow square, and covers tbe
whole island on which it is built. Seven OF
Us are confined in enc casemate, and sleep upon
straw beds without pillows, and Wild put one
blsptst. We drink wretched coffee, which is
composed Of psrched beans, or some other
vile Ingredient, from tin cups. Four ounces or
bread. at each meal, and the latest pork,
which we cannot touch, and some putrid beef,
are served ND. Our money was all taken
from Us immediately on our arrival, and we
were very cody told that We could only have
IL as our iatlors choose to allow il 10 US. We
are not permitted TO keep pen, ink, or paper,
for fear our wretchee situation should be mad
known TO our friends.
Ibsd 70 resort to stratagem to write TINS
and will endsavoT 70 send it secretly. We are
in total darkness as regards what we are held
for, OF how long we will be imprisoned bu'
we al conclude that we will not be released
until peace is declared, and perhaps not then.
Ian as wretched as any human being can be-
but oulv on vour account. Surely some one
will come to your aid. You have friends, or
these who have pTofessed to be foT many years
Think Of me as one that is dead and utterly
useless to you, aud act accordingly. have
net the slightest hope az present Of ever seeing
you again. Ny confinement, and the suffer-
ing occasioned by a continued recurrence to
the hopeiessBess Of my condition, together
with the wretched diet set before me, must
speedily terminate a life which, in the course
Of nature, would soon have ceased under bet
ter circumstances. / trust, my dear, kind,
afeclionate wife, you will not become dis
couraged, but trust in your boys, who are af-
fectionate, and who viii, I am assured, prove
a blessing to you and your dear little ones.
May God bless their endeavoTs, and make them
ornaments to society.
Ont how l long to see you ali. I dream Of
you sometimes, and always feel relieved when
/ can Ommun with you even in my restless
slumbsrs. IsbaII never forget the sweet laugh
of my dear little boy when last saw him at
Fort McHenry. What a relief it would be if
I could have your likenessss. / could live
longer and more contentedly il l had them by
me You cannot imagine, unless you had eX-
. perienced he sane restraint, what a solace 1t
wouls be in my wretehed, hopeless condition
TO have them BY me. Although / have six
others with me who are all young men, / feel
like one alone. | cannot enter into any OF
their amusements. and we have no books that
I can read except Cbilde Harold.
Il will be useless TO answer this, as the let
ter would be examined and net sent to me, and
you cannot possibly send one privately. We
meet Messrs. Howard and Gatcheli and the
other prisoners il the yard twice a day, and
are permitted to walk together an hour morn
ing and evening. Farewell, my ever dear,
dear wife. Kiss my dear little ones for me,
and DO not fO,get to speak Of their father as
often as you can.
TIE EAsr1LE. FoKT LAFAYETTE,
n. 7. Harbor, august :, 1851.
NY DEAR J.: If you have received no word
from me before this, you must have OWNED
the reason. / wrote You twice since my arri-
val here, but l have reasons 10 know the letters
did not reach you; but this will, despite the
vigilance Of our keepers.
On arriving here we were required to sur
render all the meneY and blank paper on our
persons, at the same time being informed that
BY applying to the commanding officer, we
would be Furnished with writing materials, but
that al our letters would be examines bv him,
and il found to contain nothing Objectionable
world be forwarded to their destination, and
that cur money would be subject to our checks,
but We must account satisfactorily for it's dis
position, before we should receive any. So
strict is the rule respecting paper, that We are
required to account for every inch, and TO de-
liver It up at night, be it blank or BALI written,
and it is returned us in'the morning to finish
oUr letters which we write, in The vain hope Of
the.rheiPg dispatched. / wrote you long
euoogh sinceto have your answer, therefore l
nresnme fhis Tf1Abe the first if not the only
one yon will receive.
This fertilization rises within twenty feet OF
the water on all sides and is S5out sixty feet
in hight, forming a hollow square, IN which
is a grass plat thirty feet across. Xhts we are
allowed TO trample Cor two hours eSeh day
al first we found it agreeable, but we tirM Of its
monotony, and the weakness Of cur limbs, III
duced BY confinement AID inferior diet, make
rs turn from the exercise and seek rePo9e.
Our room is eighteen By tVentY-four, with 2
vaulted roof, the highest point Of which isl
only eight from the floor. Our beadsteads are I
-four high posts, on which are two beds. one
over the other, which, with two small OF single
bedsteaGs, accommodate the party OF six we
have straw ticks, aud are, comparatively
speaking, comfortable enough 10 this particular.
The room has three small windows in walls
four feet thick, the ven ilatiOn through these
being from the sea is quite fresh, making
amends for the ioWness OF the ceiling, but it is
unpleasant to be reminded Of our capacity BY
every passing vessel or pleasure boat, glimpses
OF which we catch, through the peep holes.
49, TT,-.-1 CoE~bal narfo hTw- Tv !
or and Smith, occupy 4 room similar to ours,
and enjoy precisely the same privileges and
miseTies that we DO. They take their meals
from e sergeant in The garrison, who supplies
them with two each day for seven dollars a
week, which is eyorbitant for what they re-
ceive. Ham and eggs for breakfast and eggs
and ham for dinner. They invited ne to Join
them, but declined because Of the inability Of
nv messmates to do SO. Their ~Tations, how
ever, are dainty when compared to ours, which
are-Breakfast, fat pork, no lean, four ounces
Of bread, and a tea cup Of dark liquid called
coffee; dinner, four ounces OF bread, one cup Of
psrk soup, three ounces overlooked, lean indi-
Eestible beef, and as much tend water as we
choose. The above bill Of fare is inVariable,
and have no doubt you will call it luxurious.
Any little things which might contribute TO
our comfort, are denied US. Newspapers
Of al kinds rot allowed, and the rules abso-
Iutely prescribe all kinds Of liquors. A case
Of wines brought by the commissioners, 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 were not delivered Us, contrary 70 the
statement when We arrived, that We could pro.
cure fool from abroad. This dispels tie hope
Of getting things from New York, though, in
deed, 10 do SO at any rate, would be attended
wi B such difficulties, that it may as well be
denied.
I know that IL our friends in New YORK and
Brooklyn had been allowed the privilege of
sending, We should have had an abundant sup
ply of everything, before this. Only imagine
how much mere intoleTsbie our life must be
here, than in Fort McHeHry. On a small
island, ten miles distant from the city, within !
our glocmy prison walls, in the center OF a }
bsrbor-fiien6s, relatives, acquaintance, and
even our counsel are hot allowed to visit US
allowed even the privilege Of getting or