Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-08-30
THE FEDERAL PRISONERS AT RICH.
MOND. H - f-t''

hh'NN io' sc Sop'NSO luSlOi Uu bIdtu
street. near Twenty fifth. are now occupied
by the prisoners brought from Manassas.
The first thing which will arrest the atten-
tion of a passer by is the presence of
number of soldiers moving lazily about in
squalls, or sitting upon the sidewalk with
their backs against the fences, while SEN
tinels are pacing up and down in front and
alongside of the factories. The inner line
of the narrow brick pavement is the limit
within which no one is allowed to pass
without permit" '' 8.is
If you do but stop ulinute and project
your toe over the line. the sentinel will
require retrograde movement of your
foot. Such is the discipline The force
at present employed in guard duty is COM
posed of the B. Y. .G's, buckingham
Yanccy Guard) and soldiers of the PRO
visional army" The windows of the first
and second stories of Harwood's factory
are furnished with few iron bars. The
windows in the upper stories, as we'll as
those in the other factories, have no such
attachments. The prisoners, except when
they are sleeping or eating are constantly
gazing out of the windows They are not
allowed TO hold conversation with outsid-
ers, but chat freely with each other
On Saturday we observed four of the
prisoners engaged ic game of cards near
one of the windows At another one of
them was smoking pipe, and seemed
quite contented with his lot. We men
ton these little facts to Indicate that the
"Yankees" (as they are termcd) are not
treated with that rigor which some have
supposed. On the cross street squad Of
ten or fifteen Of them, mostly Zouavcs,
we're engaged with spades in digging a
trench to carry off the rain. Others were
"toting' water. in tubs from spring oear
by. Three or four have been detailed to
wait upon the wounded. and these were
allowed to cross the street from one factory
to another unattended by guard Most
of the prisoners seemed cheerful, but some
looked haggard and detected.
During our stay two fine hearses drew
3 up at the front door of !Iarwood's factory.
Each contained a coffin, which was re-
moved into the building On inquiry we
learned that two of the prisoners had died
from wounds received in the battle of the
2lst ult.. and their bodies were about to
be sent to the burial ground. The pris-
oners crowded to the front windows to wit
ness the removal of their departed CON-
rades, but curiosity, rather than sympa.
thy, was depicted upon their countenances
Every body is asking. What, to be
done with the prisoners? Some suggest
that they be sent down South" to Fort
Sumter and elsewhere. to be taken care Of
until Lincoln is ready to exchange. 9th
ers think the best behaved among then
!, should be sent home, in order that they
may impart their experience to the delud
ed people of their section upon the same
principle that singed rat is sometimes
, turned loose to frighten the others away
: 1t is stated that the shoemakers among
them will be required to 'carn their grub
by making shoes for the Confederate or
my.
We hope that while the prisoners arc
kept here their spiritual welfare will moi
be neglected. John Randolph aptly re
marked on certain occasion, The hea
6 then are at your DOORS" The same re
! mark is applicable to these prisoners, and
conveys hint to our missionary societic'
which should not be disregarded. Why
compass sea and land to make one pros
elyte," when we have among us q larg'
, number Of men who have been so accus
toned to the doctrines of devils, " preach
o ed to them by the Bcechers and Cbeever'
q Of the North. that the Gospel Of Jesus
is absolutely unknown to many of them
e We would not require them to listen to
: discourse, or read u tract, in which th'
truth was proclaimed, but they should b
q invited to attend divine service every Sun
day at the Bethel church, or some othe
convenient place, which might be fitted VI