Litchfield enquirer., 1862-05-22
THE OLD CAPITOL.

1 asa THE OLD CAPITOL. Lr~-
 1 Some of the readers of the ENQUIRER may moi be aware of what is meant by the expression the Old Capitol, and some have supposed it referred to the older and centre portion of the present Capitol, and that State Prisoners were now con fined therein. The Capitol of the United Statei at the commencement of the last war with Great Britain, stood on ground now occupied by the present Capitol, and was burned by the British during that war. While it was being rebuilt, ar ediice for the temporary accommodation of Con gress was erected, and is still standing near the northeast corner of the Capitol ground, and is called the Old Capitol. It was built of rec brick, about the size of an ordinary church, ane is now used as Prison, in relation to which, is the following clipped from the Washington Foe ming Star, of the 9th inst:' ,.a. .,.. 1 THE OLD CAPITOL PRISON.
 Yesterday, we took occasion to visit and in spect every portion of the establishment known as the Old Capitol Prison, which cannot fail to become famous in history, on account of the con. spicuous part it has played in the drama of these eventful times. The number of prisoners of wal and political prisoners confined in it at present is about one hundred all of whom, with the ex. ception of two in the hospital, appear as healthy and cleanly as any other collection of the same number of persons to be found anywhere Each has his bunk-cot good mattress, blankets of any other hotel. There are two large bathing rooms, supplied with hot and cold water, for free use, which have of course much to do with the remarkable health, cleanliness, and good spir its of the prisoners The kitchen is supplied with large hotel range, and the provision room is full of as good food as is to be found in that of any hotel, though perhaps not quite so varied fresh meats, escuients of different kinds, rice peas, beans, coffee. sugar, tea, fresh bread, &c The dining room is supplied with tables, seats plates, knives and forks and drinking cups. The dispensary reflects infinite credit on Brigade Surgeon Stuart and his hospital steward. Sur geon s. organized and has had charge of that braheh of the establishment from the beginning, and has kept the sanitary condition of the priso- ners in a most enviable state, notwithstanding the fact that numbers of cases of contagious dls- eases have from time been brought there.
 No other surgeon in the regular army has had Q wider field of constant labor than Dr. Stuart, and we are glad indeed to know that all the va rious hospitals and dispensaries of which he has the supervision-those of the troops, &c.,, of Gen. Wadsworth's command las of Gen. An drew Porter's not long since) are also in like condition. His employment here has really been a blessing not only to those whose health he had to look after, but to our city; the general health of which must have suffered from infec- tion and contagion had he failed to do his duty so admirably.
 Mir. Wood, the superintendent of the prison, to whose capital management the prisoners are indebted for tEeir many extraordinary comforts, has also charge of some four hundred contra bands in separate building near by, who are we'll provided for and as comfortable as that class of persons can be made to keep themselves. He employs many of them in useful labor, to the great advantage of the Government. As an instance. we may mention that for some time past he has kept one hundred at work burying the multitude of Government horse carcasses laying on the outskirts of the city.
 The yards for exercise are kept as cleanly as gentleman's lawn should be, and seem to be enjoyed by the prisoners with keen relish. On the whole, this old Capitol prison con trasts wonderfully indeed with the prison in Rich. mond, in which since the beginning of the rebel lion Unionists have been confined.
 MR. LEvERIrT BISHOP, late of Plymouth, in Litchfeld County, many of the readers of the ENQUIRER will recognize as the gentleman refer red to in the following from the same paper: THE CASE OF LEvER1rr BISHOP.
 Editor Star There was notice in your col umns few days since of Mir. Bishop, who was taken prisoner in Fairfax county last September. Perhaps it will be uninteresting to add that Lev eritt Bishop was native of Connecticut, for .l., l,,A h-x, with reverses, came three years ago and settled in Fairfax county, Va. He was nearly seventy five years of age. A short time before the bat tie of Bull Run, his son, who was with him, was obliged to take refuge in flight or join the Con- federates. MT. Bishop thinking they would not molest man of his years, stayed to take charge of the property. In September, number of soldiers came at midnight representing them selves as Union officers with news from his chil dren in this city. Not suspecting his guests were rebels in disguise, he acknowledged himself Union man. The night following they came in their true colors, and took him from his bed at midnight, and without money or 8 change of clothing, without giving him a trial, dragged him on to Richmond.
 Sometime in December he was tried and ac- quilted, and had reached Warrenton on his way home, when he was re-arrested and thrown into jail, where, worn out with privation and want hope at an end, he died, 8 stranger in 8 strange land -..-.t
 Thus miserably has perished the best of faith CTS, he whom his children idolized and they have not even the consolation of knowing where his body rests.
 And such as Mir. Day now confined in the old Capitol, has done this. My fathers blood is on his hands, and the blood of others; and Union mothers, whose Union sons have been forced in- to the rebel army, are heaping curses on his head l; and every Union man in that vicinity lay at his door the chief cause of all their persecu- ! tions. God grant that the ghostly faces of the dead that he has stripped, and the groans of the dying who he has tormented and insulted on the battle field, may haunt him to his grave.
 1 May 5, 1862. JUSTICE. A MERE TR1FLE.-Capt. Rodman, having sue cessfully cast 20-inch gun, and the test show ing it to be safe and strong as smaller cannon is now at work on pocket piece for the Presi- dent, the ball of which is to weigh 5000 pounds, to have range of six or seven miles, of two feet and half diameter, while the gun itself will weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 tuns. It is supposed, if the Warrior or any oth- .L> l>, tha x,iIla from