The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-06-07

who had been Union men, some OF whom
had been forced into the army. The former
were brutal, the latter kind. The COM
mander of the Post, Col. Briggs, was
kind hearted, but inatteutive and careless
as to the actions of his subordinates. One
of these, Lieut. from Baltimore, was
demon in human form. On one occasion
when large bodies of rebel troops were
passing through the town orders were
issued for the prisoners not to leok out OF
tie windows as they passed. This lieuten-
ant armed himself with musket and took
his station at the corner of the building.
One or two of the prisoners, unmindful Of
his whereabouts and impelled by curiosity
to see the passing column of rebel sol
diers, stuck their heads partially out OF
the window. The Lieutenant Immediately
fred, the ball taking effect in the chin of
one of the prisoners, making an ugly and
painful wound, from which he suffered in
tensely for several weeks. At another
time, because the prisoners'did not lie down
promptly at 9 o'clock, according to the
rule, and quit talking, the brutal wretch
opened the prison door and deliberately
discharged the contents of his musket
among the prisoners, shooting one Of them
through the neck, another through the
heshy part of the thigh, and still another
through the arm. The treatment of this
brute becoming insupportable, the prisoners
drew up protest addressed to the COM
mandant of the Post, in which they gave
him to understand that, although they
were prisoners, they had certain rights,
and rather than remain in The room to be
shot down like hogs, they would take their
lives in their hands, attack their guards,
and die fighting like men. This protest
had the desired effect. The rebel Lieuten-
ant was court martialed, deprived of his
command and ordered to report at Rich
mond.
AS a counterpart to this brutality, some
of the sentinels went so far as to declare to
the prisoners that they were Union men,
and were sick of the business in which they
were engaged. These would, when oppor-
tunity occurred, smuggle in cakes and pies
to the prisoners, and do everything else in
their power to make them comfortable
One of the sentinels was court martialed
for being too intimate with the Yankees,
had one side of his head shaved, and was
drummed out of camp. He slipped around
to one of the windows, day or two after
wards, and informed our boys that he al
ways had been Union man, and would
die one. He bid them goodbye, telling
them he was off to join General Burnside.
So soon as it was determined to release
the prisoners, of whom there were 800
or I,400, the rigorous discipline was re-
Taxed, and the boys were permitted, for
couple of weeks, to have the benefit of
fresh air. The first day this precious privi-
iege was accorded them, they remained out
of doors all day, though it was raining
most of the time.
Eight hundred of the prisoners were put
on board a train and taken 10 Goldsboro,
through Raleigh. At Goldsboro they were
placed on a fat boat, and sent down the
river under a flag of truce. On arriving at
Newbern, they were i'm mediately put on
board a vessel for conveyance to New York.
The morning after their arrival at New
bern, and while they were anchored in the
river a small boat was seen approaching
the vessel, and the boys were informed that
it contained General Burnside. They re-
ceived him with hearty cheers. On reach
ing the vessel the General congratulated
them OF their release from confinement, and
asked if there was anything he could do for
them. They told him they had eaten moth
ing for near thirty hours. He then ordered
the captain of the vessel to provide good
breakfast, which was Immediately done, and
the poor fellows partook of the first good |
meal they had eaten in five months. Shortly
afterwards the steamer took her 1"parture |
for New York, where she arrived without |
accident.
Provisions of every kind brought fabu- |
lous prices in Salisbury. The comnonest
necessares of life were beyond the reach of |
the poor. Capt. Davis one OF the prisoners, /
paid fifty cents for a single sheet of paper,
and twenty five cents to get the letter to
the Office after it was written.
1t is not strange that the Old North State
begins to inquire into the expediency of re-
turning to her allegiance. Mr.. Cansler says
it was understood at Newborn that General
Burnside had given committee of the con-
vention twenty days to make up their
minds TO restore the State to her former
position before he moved "on their works."
From all the information we can gather, we
think the Convention will act wisely, and
that the State will, like the prodigal, return
TO the old mansion, "where there is enough
and to spare"
and Comfort to the
Rebels.
The following, which we clip from the