Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-01-03
THE UNITED STATES TRISONERS
AT CHARLESTON.

Lieutenant Hard Of the % Maine Cavalry
reached New York on Monday, having come
! direct from Charleston, where he was 1 pris-
oner Of war. lie lost leg at Bull Run, and
with several ether wounded prisoners, was
released after the great fire, and sent North
by flag Of truce. 1t appears from his ac-
count that the prisoners have themselves and
not their rebel .iailors to thank, that ii were
not burned alive. According to his state
ment there were tour hundred prisoners con-
fined in the common Jail of Charleston at the
time Of the fire
Tho jail vas a large brick buildins On Broad
street. and nearly all tho prisoners were IN large
unper rooui the windows Of which werr barred
AID closed with iron shutters, except one small
one overlooking very narrow treet in the rear
Of the building The Gre sprcad with great "a
pidi;y Great Efforts were matc TO cxtinguish 1t,
but without the slightest effect. The engines
wvrkei by negroes and whites, seemed utterly
powerlc =. and the flames spread finally to the
iaIl, the roof Of which was On brc. No move
meHt made to let tho prisoners GU. The
guard usually stationed around the building went
awav ami no soldiers were visible. Col. LOrc0tan
Wa tlt AaA Ntab 40 tost sA-ANA NA4N NAAAN"u "a
claiming a. he went out, "Here goes tor Beaufort
or tl- North" Ilu was tho next, and as he
struck upon the pavement, he says half dozen
came upan hin, ard the whole room was speedily
emptieI Of ats inmates They spent the night in
the VIC ni.y of the flames, keeping together as
we'll As they could many q them being severely
wounded rhry bal nothing TO eat ard nothing
u d-iuk. ex -pt slm liquor which portion Of
their Bumutr 70. iro-u th- cellars Of houses from
which rhe &C up.r;s been driven by II" fir
At ab .ut 10 o'cIock guards we're sent out 10
take them III charge They treated them with
great brutality, -,rkiug with their guns those Of
tacr1 VINO did not move quickly enough One OF
the s, liicrs 20 the ser gctut Of the guard that
Col. Corcoran was missing HIS reply was, per-
hAps he was nurncl-it not, he must be hunted
up. Mcu we're sent 10 look after him. At two
o'clock The Whole squad oi prisoners were driven
to Castle Pinckaey again, Were they were IN tie
omen court yard through the whole OF that day
and the following night, without shelter Of ~
kind and with no other clothing than that In
which they made their ezca pc. G,l. Lurcoran was
not at Castle Pinckuey Win the rest Of the prisu-
ners nor ha Huri been able q OBTAIN any intel
Igeuce concerning him. he thinks it probaole
that be made 81 II 70 escape 20 Beaufort.
On Thursday, Hurl and half dozen others Of
the wounded prisoners were told that they would
be sent North. six others, named Frank Tunes
Of New York, Nicholson of Vermont, aud Nc
Brien, o Brien, Wilson and Nilioit were also re-
leased on tahlhE uu uatl uui 70 serve again tlilsl
the south nor reveal anything they might have
learned there. They were ell put into a railroad
train and taken 20 Richmond and theuce TO Nor
folk-naviug nothing 10 eat or drink on the way.
From Norfolk they were sent under flag Of
truce 70 Fort Nou-oe, and thence 70 Washing
ton.
Mr. Huri saws that the treatment Of the prise
ners mas been brutal and infamous. Their allow
aucy ,f ioou was qusgt Of oatmeal, with three
pints GA waite. day,-.ul they were constantly
ex osea to the SCOTS, jeeis and insults Of the
mob."
According to the account OF Lieut.. Hurd's
statements in the y. T. Herald, others be-
sides Corclrau 1ed towards Beaufort.
IA Charleston, the seneral opinion seemed to
be that the FIRE WAS set by the negrcs The Ne
grles were not guarded, bat Mr.. Hurd saw ue
reason 70 suppose that their feeling towards the
North were different from those Of the waitls.
Al Richmond, where they were allowed 20 g
about the city Mr, HuId says there were abun-
dsn. evidences Of Union sentiment. Very many
met and shook hands with him, declaring them
seIvts Union men, and one person, whose name be
gave U.s. told him that bali the troops were In
ion n en-, but had boen pressed into the rebel ser
vice.