, 1862-09-01
Letter fr ON a PatOIed Prisoner.
BENTON BARRACKS, ST. LOUIS,
Aupnhf 96th 1a6G

BENTON BARRACKS. ST. Lou1s,l
August 96th, 1869.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
In my miscellaneous readings this morning
I came upon the following, which is partly
true and purity false. AS It is somewhat ap-
plicab1e to my own situation, will quote it,
making it q text for further comments:
"a prisoners fate is perhaps the worst that csn
befal e9ldleT TO die on the battle field is
glory to be disabled by wounds and the loss Of
limbs is an unextipguishsble claim to the sratt-
tude Of a country; but to waste away in captivity
breaks down body and mind"
This beautiful August morning finds me in
the condition Of paro1ed prisoner Of war;
yet do not know but my " body and mind"
are as vigorous as they ever have been. Per-
hars the thinking apparatus is in more active
operation than it were wont, from the fact
that it is chatting against those invisible fet-
ters which limit my perigrinations to the city
of st. Louis in general, and Benton Blrracks
in particular. Mr. Editor, since I have seen
you have smelt powder, and / like the smell
Of it, and I want to smell some more.
"When shall We be exchanged ?" Is the cry
Of twenty-one hundred within these barracks
in similar condition to NY owu-braye men
| Us ever drew bead on rebel, and guilty Of
no crime but that The rebels acre too many for
them. I am mortified, I am chagrined, I
regret very much that the party which I led
had not the power to shoot thirty five men
| apiece before the th1rty-five apiece could
| shoot each one Of us, hut such is the lament
| able fact, mathematical problem it became
| necessary for NE to solve one morning after
| some severe exercise, before late breakfast,
when the mental faculties are supposed to be
| in vigorous state. # one Of those thirty
! five had shot me dead, I should have been
gallorions If they had kindly shattered my
leg or arm, linking me with the wooden-leg
or short-arm fraternity, then should have
ntver questioned that Ihad ian inextinguish-
able claim 10 the gratitude Of my country y
| but a6 It is, shrink away abashed, compelled
sso!tns sost7ts, to - waste away in captivlty.n
The "raroled prisoner question:" one
barracks, is one which .oithin them, among
men who haye suddenly been taken from 4
life OF great activity TO one Of comparative
idleness, condemns them individually and
is therefore OF vital interest. The paroled
prisoners, both officers and men, equally
with the other soldiers now IN
the barracks are required to guard the camp.
4 number Of them are now in irons for re-
fusipg to DO this duty. The ground Of their
refusal is, that by go doing they violate their
sist in any way against the Southern confede-
sacy unless exchanged. II is maintained By
the authotit1es that eunrding their own camp
is not be1ligeEent act, being simply for their
own ten-Irurecsion. Whether the rehels, il
they Should attack this camp Of instruction
for soldiers. and shonld discover paroled
prisoner on his beat, with musktt on his
shoulder, would thus nicely discriminate, Is a
ma1ter OF question. asked parolsd office.
tic other day, who had been officer Of tue
guard, what he would do, supposing hi:
guard were paroled prisoners. and party o
secession soldiers should make their appear
ance at the gate and demand entrance. HI;
reply was. "As man OF honor, should keel
MY parole. should lag do III my word ani
order my uien 10 lay down their muskets'
Now, the prisoners in this camp arc Of cours,
men who have seen Service, hardly one O
whom but is eager for the fray agaiu, oul,
| *shitg that they be exchanged and return II
tlti respective regiments, and, if possible, nt
1oDle1 "Esste away IL !, captivity vhiek break
| GAyAIRY