Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-11
Correspondence Of the Charleston Courier.
what our Prisoners are Doing al
Richmond.

RIcHNoSD, August 10.
The quarters of the Yankee prisoners still
continue TO be the picture gallery of the town.
/ You may always find there crowd ofidlers star.
! ing at the grated windows on either side OF the
street, studying human nature and Specializing
audibly as 20 the various incidents of the hour.
Some of the fellows have no change of liner. and
necessarily must 90 shirtless while that useful ar
ticle undergoes the drying process after wash.
Those who have the means are allowed the
privilege of remedying this want. Those who
have not, have, in some instances, been volun-
tarily provided from the wardrobe of our own
men. The officers occupy an apartment by
themselves, and fare perhaps, more comfortably.
Congressman Ely, they say, grows fat upon the
diet. The Others are in good health. Among
their amusements are those of card playing,
psalm singing, cursing and debating. The latter
is almost nightly the occupation of the officers.
Ely acts as the moderator of the meeting, or oc-
casionally takes hand himself. Huson, his
Congressional competition jolly, good natured
| soul by the way, fat, funny, interesting-is the
leading speaker, and the smaller guns predomi-
nate in the intellectual battery according to their
various calibres. The subjects are anything and
everything you can imagine, ranging on the ga
nut from the solemn to the ridiculous Their
subject last evening was derived from the follow
| ing simple incident:
A newsboy who had been in the habit of sell
ing his papers at three suddenly ran his price up
to five cents, and on making his accustomed sale
in the morning to one of the prisoners, the latter
| first refused to "come down." The Young vend.
err was equally memorable and finally carried his
point and received the amount of his demand
This rise in stocks was reported to the Yam
kee conclave, whereupon the question was
raised whether it was right for the man
| to jew the boy or the boy to Jew the
l ms 'ha ooI =, 81
social circle was carried into the debating society
and, after the usual pros and cons, it was finally
decided by the honorable speaker, Ely, that the
boy, being the sole and undisputed owner of the
property, and the said property not being contra
band of war, and no confederation of events hay-
ing arisen to obstruct the right thereby vested in
the original posseSsor of the aforesaid vehicle OF
information, the right was undoubtedly inherent
/ in the adolescent merchant to determine for him
self the ncipent value his goods, and to charge
for the same accordingly, ad ralorem duties, TO
the contrary notwithstanding. Exception was ia
ken TO the ruling of the Chair, and Mr. Huson
proceeded to quote Shakespeare Byron and Tom
Moore, in support of his position Others followed
in the Senatorial burlesque, quoting, amid shouts
of laughter, scraps of Latin, French and Irish
telling stories and even singing songs, until bed
time arrived, when the party retired to their blan-
kets.
AhCiC Al =" CCt ioi every DltltIs the pOel
says, and the prisoners doing all they can to
extract it.
! have observed number of them at large on
the street. One of these New York Zou-
ave, sporting as large as life his fireman's badge
and drinking one of the public bars with all the
gusto of new iedged freeman to the success ui
the Southern COnfederacy. Some gentlemen
asked him how he came there "Oh," was the
reply, 'my friends have some influence with Gen
| rr,Iar all
enjoy" So il seemed.
Another of these worthless at large is named
Connolly Sergeant His father, fortunately
has made half million or more out of the Rich
mond people, and on this account he is allowed
the freedom of the city, while the poor civilian:
who were taken after the battle are still closely
ensconced. You see there is good deal of truth
in the hOmely adase that money makes the
mare 60"
The officer in charge of the prisoners is Major
Todd, a brother-in-law of Lincon-so, at least, !
have been informed.