Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-12-18
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 1861.

Washington, Dec. 2, 1861.
In company with Senator Grimes, Of
Iowa, Chairman of the Committee on the
District Of Columbia, visited Washington
Jail a day or two since, and spent the most
disagreeable half hour | have known in
many years. Imagine dingy three story
building, ofthe prison architecture of1790,
of about the dimensions of the North Mar
ket building in Chicago, with 2l8 persons,
black, white and mixed, packed into it like
behring's, close, foul, without ventilation or
any apparent drainage, and you can form
some faint idea of the atmosphere which
saluted our nostrils as we passed frCln the
jailors ward-reon into the prisoners apart
ments. A heap of lime lay Stacking and
Tuning on the lower floor for the purpose
evidently OF dsinfecting the air in the main
passages. The fumes did not reach the
prisoners quarters, or if they diG, they were
driven back by the su, ,erior strength of the
exhalations there ergendered.
The first candidate we met was an IN
sane soldier. The jalor told us that
though quite harmless, he was as crazy as
loon. His looks fully confirmed the tes-
timony. His clothes were stringy and
baggy and matched, with more straw Ed
gar was bedecked with when he met King
Lear in the forest. His hair also was
plenhfully adorned with the same trim
ming. ats no use doing anything for
him. said the jailor. "No," replied the
unfortunate, 'no use doing nothing for me, !"
and he trotted away to his pile of short,
dirty straw, where he dropped down on all
tours, and rooted in it ike a pig. The
jailer explained to us than he had belong
ed to the regular army; when bis abera-
rtions were first noticed he was sent here;
that he (the jailor) had sent for the brig
ade surgeon to examine him and remove
him to the asylum; that the surgeon had
examined him and pronounced him insane,
and promised to have him taken care Of
This was long enough ago to have remoy-
ed the asylum to the luuatic, but here he
was still, roofing in his straw heap, and
presenting his vacant piteous, unwashed
face to stray visitors like ourselves.
We next turned into a corridor from
which half a dozen cells opened. The
prisoners, about twenty in number, were
stendng on the brick floor, with very little
elbow room, and with no aperture for the
admission Of fresh air, except the grating
of the iron door. We essayed to enter,
but the odor which met us was intolerabe.
1t was useless to hold our handkerchief to
our noses-the palpable stencil came into
our ewes, mouths and ears. We retreated
10 good order, however, and held brief
conversation at the enhance with the IN
mates. One Of them was private in
Company E, Col. Brodhead's Michigan
cavalry; said he had been sent to Jail for
getting ga little drunk" and falling out Of
line. Probably he fell out of line a long
distance, but according to the commitment
book, he had done nothing worthy of CON
fnement in such hole as this. Senator
Grimes sent word to Lieutenant Of Com
pany E, stating these facts, who has prom
ised to look into the matter and get the
man back into daylight and into line.)
Another one was private in Company +,
23d Pennsylvania regiment, sent to Jail for
drunkenness. There were others in the
corridor who wore United States uniforms
and who were there for the anne offence.
These things would not be worth noticing
but for the obvious fact that when man
gets into Washington jail for any less crime
than murler or grand larceny, the world
outside forgets him as though he were in
his grave. A soldier might grow to old
age there, if it were not for the villainous
atmosphere Of the place, and finally die
with an account of drunkenness unsettled
against him.
We then went to the negro quarters, fe-
male department. 1.-THE sight Of an insane
soldier had been a surprise to us, the first
object that we now encountered was some
thing more. "Who are you-what are
YOU hear for2" asked the Senator from
Iowa, addressing a mulatto girl who sat on
The floor sewing her apron.
! "You know who Mary Hall is? /
Ab'longs to Mary Hail." she replied.
!. "What are you here for?' was the next
squeery.
! "For safe keep'n, spose.'
We turned to the iailor for an explana-
lion. He told us it was true. The woman
was the slave Of Mary Hall, who had sent
her to the Jail for safe keeping. Mary her
self keeps the largest house Of i'll fame in
Washington, and the Government keeps a
boarding house for her negroes.
S An intelligent and comparatively neat
looking colored woman next attracted our
attention, when the following conversation
ensued;
Q.-What are you here for?
A.-Don't know.
Q-Who sent you here?
An officer.
Q,-Are You fugitive? Did you run
away!
A.-Not 'zactly. Ny master lived near
Alexandria. When the soldiers came he
wanted 10 move to the Junction and 50 |
came away--mo and my little boy-hes
up stairs.
What was your masters aames
A--Triplett.
Q.-What did they bring you here for