The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-08-07
PRISON LIFE AT FORT DELAWARE


Capt. Beckwi.h west. of the 4sth Virginia resl
men', was captured by the enemy a. Front Royal,
on the 3oth of May. and taken TO Fort Delaware,
where he WAS held as prisoner until ex chains ged
few days ago. Ia a narration of hs prison expe.
ri"nces be says tia. the Confederate commissioned
officers, forty seven IN pamber were ee mined In a
reon forty feet long by astcen La width the ascent
20 which was made BY ladder twenty fee. long
which wax taken away every night. On some days
rs ths caprice Of the commanding officer happened
TO be, the officers wers permitted TO walk for half
an hogr On the parapet Of the fort. Officers and
prieates were subjected 90 the same fare, which
consisted Of small allowance of sour bread ani
salt inca, twice day, with occasional lntroduc
'ioa of very weak soup. The Government ailow
Tor rations purports TO be sixteen cents day
for each prisoner: but j; was stated In Pniiade
phis newspaper that Capt. Gibson by "his excel
lent management" saved about two..hirds of this
sum, aud expended 1t in clothing, which tie prison
ers never received the benefit Of Letters were
occasionally sent them, by stealth, from sympn
thizing friends In Phiiadelphla aud New York, con
veyng the intelligence that presents had been for
warded to them, bat they never reached their ies
tinssion being Intercepted the route. Until the
exchange Of prisoners was agreed upous.sAey were
not allowed TO receive newspapers but whenever
the eommsndant of the fort found anything espe
eia.y adverse 10 the cause of .he Sonth, he would
cut it on; and send IL to the Confederate officers for
the purpose Of irritating fliem- In consequence
of an impression tha. toe prisoners were forming
plan 10 take possession Of the fort, a:
tempt WAS made 10 conciliate them with inforna-
ton thst they were aoout 10 be paroied OF the
1900 prisoners there. 3 coo kept in little
rens. which our informant describes sheep
pens" and subjected 10 much suffering. Major ST.
gebsrih, the officer In command, treated them with
great brutality. No communication was allowed
between TIE officers and prvates, except by specsI
permission. Every indncement offered pri
Yates TO take the oath of allegiance and enlis. in
the Federal army; and II was not uncommon for the
officers propose bribe Of from $500 TO $500 in
gold TO eff.c, this purpose Thus 27l were induced
30 take the oath, bu! Of this number not one was
native of the Southern States These rHsn We're
afterwards placed in tents outside OF the walls and
al they returned for their blankets and c!oi hing
soine OF the Confederate soldiers cursed them for
their treason whereupon the sergean, Of the guard
fred pistol at them. Bricks sud other missile
were then thrown indiserinliuatety, and the whole
garrison il an uproar. Cannon were placed in
position 10 bear upon the prisoners quarters and
various measures resorted to for the purpose of il.
tnidation, bu, the worst frightened man in the
fort was the vaioros,s Dutch Major, sesebarth.
The privateersmen were kept in camp in low.
nlarshy place, and one night some Of the Yankee
soldiers, increase their sufferings, turned the
water in upon them and completely overfiowed
their quarters. They wre compelled 10 sleep i'll
mud and water considerable portion of the time,
aad tde consequence WAS that several died
Mr. Hall OF the 3l Florida regiment, who
arrested on St. Johns river on The 21th of April,
arrived in Richmond yesterday from Fort Della
ware. Though private soldier, be WAS charged
with being the captain Of 4 euerria company, and
treated woyse than If he had been pirate. For
Two months he was kept Gil board guu5oat In
irons, while a man stood him with sabre
bayonet and pistol with orders 10 kill him if he al
tempted TO move from Lis place. He was subso-
queatly sent to Philadelphia, and marched in irons
through the streets OF that city and New York,
then sent TO Fort Lafayette, but soon transferred
to Fort Delayarc, where his irons were removed
He veas treated with some Kindness b. :he Pro-
yost Marshal who was formerly employed By hin
il. the coasting trade. His general experience OF
prison life is similar to that OF others. On reaching
Aikcn's Landing on his return, Mr.. Hall was desig
mated SIS a captain By the Feier.s.s who insisted
that he should be exchanged as such. This he
would ret consen; 10, and Erm was he in his .e-
termination to be exchanged private, that the
Yankees III then wrath endesyored 10 detain tim,
but were finally compelled to yield
All the PRISONERS from Fort Delaware are indig.
nant at The treatment they received, and their pr-
Lose is 10 square accounts with the Yankees il
the opportunity Is EVER afforded them.
Among the exchanged prisoners from fort Della
ware who have arrived here Is JOS. Mc caiurrao Of
the ath Virginia esu.ent, captured at Kernsown.
He agrees with his companions that the treatment
OF Confederate soldiers brutal in tie extreme.
The officers and 90 ldiers in immediate with
the prisoners were Dutch, and their brutality to
our 1neg was without mitigation. IL return, cur
men say that there won't be any more Pennsylva-
uia Dutchmeu taken prisoners by them during this
war. Striking prisoner over the head or running
a bayouet AZ him was common occurrence A
Datch Provost Marshal named Seseba,th, exeei.sd
his brother brutes in maltreating the prisoners 4
dungeon made TO accommodate three men often con
aned fourteen and their sufferines were very great
The fare was bread and a very small piece OF salt
pork twice day, ard bean soup Of about the con.
ssteney Of water. Nearly two thirds OF the inen
had scrTvy. The genera! determination Of the ex
changed prisoners is to be shot before they will
agan be taken and undergo the miserie, o. North
ern prison. just before the prsouers left Fort Del
aware the following order from the War Depart.
n,ent was read
EXTRaCT
When general exchange shall be established
those prisoners who willing TO take the oath OF
allegiance, and as 10 whose loyalty there ID
question will not be forced into the rebel lines.
(Sigued) c. +. WALCoTT,
Asst Secy Of War.
Jn,.e 18Th, 1862.
Out of nearly 1900 prisoners only little over
800 avaiied rheIIaelves of this offer.
COL. ZARV0NA.
This gallant officer, so well known sor his daring