Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-03-27

could ornament them in almost any style,
usually. however. ia the national colors--
red white and blue.
vEnMrS
| fancy | can sec the readers flesh crawl
as he reads the healing of this paragraph.
but so far as my own experience Is concern
ell. | should much prefer to real Of it than
to undergo the realities. l have seen them
creeping upon the floor, cutting antics mp
and down the walls Of the prison. or stand
ing on their heads on the coat collar of a
brother officer They were pest from
which there was no escape. and we were
compelled, generally, to let them have their
own. way.
UNION PRISONERS.
There are, confined in the upper stories
of the different Tobacco Factories. about
two hundred and fifty or three hundred
Union citizens of Virginia. who had been
arrested for their Union sentiments only.
saw one old man eighty five years of age.
and who had entirely lost his eyesight.--
He had been arrested in Western Virginia,
not for any harm he could do the rebel
cause. but because he refused to take the
oath OF allegiance to the jeff. Davis Gov
eminent. also saw one boy. aged four
teen, who had been arrested on q charge OF
carrying information to our troops. He
had been confined on this charge in July
last and he is still in prison. where he
will likely remain until this vile rebellion
is entirely crushed. The condition of these
men are most deplorable. They are treat
ed infinitely worse than the Federal sell
diers. as they are considered as traitors to
the State of Virginia. They are almost
naked, having been torn from their homes
without a moment notice, the rebels giving
them no time to take anything with them.
they would arrive in Richmond in the most
pitiable plight. 1t was quite a common
thing among them to offer to pick the YER
min of our soldiers clothes for the sum OF
| FIVE cents.
OUR OFFICERS.
The treatment ofthe prisoners depended
in great measure upon the acting officer
of the day. This duty devolyel upon three
or four Lieutenants belonging to the Con-
fcderate Regular" service-it must be
borne in mind that the c. S. A. have a
regular" army already organized, that is.
they have all the officers appointed for a
large standing army: and up to this time
they have enlisted thirteen privaies One
of these officers was rather disposed to
treat us like human beings. but the other
three tyrannzed over us in every possible
manner. This manifested itselfin various
ways: such as cutting off our supply OF milk.
refusing to let us purchase the morning pa.
pcrs; and in every other way that they corld
think Of. On one occasion. remember,
that one of these iends who desired to leave
that day. and in order to gain time. ordered
us ont to roll call Just as the day was
breaking. This being about two hours
earlier than usual we were of course some-
what slow in getting up. He became en-
ragged and ordered in file of soldiers AMI
gave them orders to make rs get up at the
point ofthe bayonet. which they did. thrust
ing the bayonet into the beds. After thai.
il my memory serves me right. he was
VICTIM" as be never made his appearance
in the room. without being greeted with all
manner of insults. by the prisoners. One
of the methods employed t. make him ex .
cessively wrathy. was to march past him
after the roll was caled-every one keeping
time. and whistling Yankee Doodle. lie
would sometimes ''boil over" but the
boys only whistled the louder.
OUR GUARDS.
The men whose dnty it was to stand
guard over US. were. generally speaking
IS ignorant q set OF men were ever gath
cred together. They were. however. get
ting very tired Of the war. and cursed their
officers. and the Confederacy most bitterly.
Many of them are Union mea at heart.
ami are anxiously waiting for their term
Of enlistment to expire. swearing that II
they ever enlist again. it will be under the
'old flag" Accidental discharges Of
their muskets were very frequent Only
a few days previous to our release. one Of
the guards let his musket GO Oft accident
ally, the ball went through three floors and
out of the roof of the building. All the
floors were fall Of ''Ya nkees." but luckily
no one was hurt.
LIEUT.. TODD.
This individual who had charge Of the
. prison previous to our advent in Richmond.
is brother to Mrs Lincoln. the President
wife. He rs in all probability, the most
6endish brute that ever went unhung. II
was by his orders that three prisoners be-
longing to some of the New York Regi-
ments were shot down with their hands in
their pockets, for approaching the windows
in the third story of the building The
same man at roll-call one morning. for
some slight cause. drew his sword and
thrust it into crowd. 1t passed through
one mans leg AMI wounded another. Ii
either Todd or Lieut. Emack. meets any
one who has been prisoner in Richmond,
their fate is scaled.
UNION SENTIMENTS.
There Is strong Union sentiment IN
Richmond. and has been during the whole
time. Nothing but the pressure OF the
: rebel army in the State of Virginia. has
prevented it from she wing itself openly
long since. The Union men there are or
[ ganized in secret league. having signs,
! grips. aud passwords. and as soon as the
Federal Army approaches near enough to
: protect them. it will prove valuable