Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-01-28
Life in the Northern Prisons.

I
Ex-Governor Morehead, Of Kentucky, who
was i long time State prisoner Of the Lin
coin administration in a recent speech in
Europe, where he is now OH a visit, detailed
some particulars of his treatment while prl'
suner of the Yankee Government. His mar
rstive detail cruelties and barbarities even
worse than those of the Bastiles of France,
and pictures fate that has been endured by
hundreds of our citizens. Let itbe read, that
we may know and appreciate the brave spirit
of our men that has never covered under it.
Referring 10 his arrest, Governor Morehead
said:
have iu my own persoufelt the deSpotlsln
OF this Northern Government. Iii matter
of Very little moment to the world, or to you,
or even to the community in which | live,
how single individual mny suffer from des.
prtism, but the infringement Of the rights
Of one individual is but the sanction for u like
a,rccity TO be perpelrate(i upon every human
being that comes unGer the influence Of sHch
i Government as that was seized at >
. clock in the night i'll my own bed. dragged
irou ii and my family, without moments
warning, and carried across the GIio river,in
defiance OF the writ of huJeas corpus. The
soldiers took me and ran me by night. by
special train. to indianapolis. Que OF tic
Judges of the Supreme Court sent maj sha
with witt of haIeas corpus to bring me lack,
but was curried by special train to Colum.
bus, Ohio. There was kept >a~ lille, and
afterwards WAS Carried on to New York. and
hurried to the prison of Laiayatte. And here
desire to say that cannot we'll conceive
of any horror more dreadful than that which
WAS experienced in that prison. 1t has Il
small court not much lurgey thun this roou
for exercise.
ri,;r,y.ei.ht Of us Were placed in ore room,
five 80 poundrr cannonS occupying one por-
,ior ii Ike room, which was Gd feet i'll length
and ~ in,lrtth. The floor WAS brick floor,
su damp that your boolS would ''e covered
With green mould every morning. They gave
me II pounds Of straw 10 sleep "n, ;.lelully
weighed. about hall rotten. 1t Was p!nccd
in very coarae tick. | am: without my
sll;rs,G feet in height, nnd the bed measured
!. lret inchcs--acuallymeasure.l hy Il mem.
btr from Maryland, Mr. Snngslon. We had
one very dirty tin cup to drink out Of, ard
the water we drank was filled, not with ami
lnnlcular, but with millions of tudpoie,. We
had to hold cur nose when we drank. und
strain ,ycry drop OF it. We were locked uT
ut o'clock at night, and kept till e next
morning, without any naturnl convenience
whatever, suffering the agolies Of death.
lelnclnbrr, if you will allow me 10 tell it,
dislike 10 fellow Mr.. Lincoln, hut there was
an Old man brought from kentucky upwards
OF 10 years Of age. His head was as white
as SNOW. | never saw him beIoie, but was
amazed to see him. and seeing that lie Mas
from Kentucky, went up and addressed kim
A friend had sent me some liquors, and
asked him if he would not like to have IL lit
tie whiskey, or brandy, and he said yes, j
was the only time in his life that he felt
good dram would be Of .e!yice to him. So
as is very commonly the Gaze there, he tool
the bottle and poured out a very heavy drink
Laughter. He drank it oil without mxin!
it With water, and lie took up glass Of wa
tcr-we had purchased elasScs at that tine
10 drink after it, and saw the tadpocs. lii
Sc, it down again, shaking lis head, and snie
he could not stand it, and walked away; bn
Tie brandy burned him 80 much, that he came
back and took it up, and held it between th'
! light of the sun and himself, and solilcquiz
Ing, said: "Wcll, tadpolcs, if you can stant
| it, can" and drank it oil. .aus liter
lie made compromise with the tadpoles
We wrote letter to Mr.. Lincoln, signed BY
every individual who was in the fort, telling
him of the horrors Of this prison, stating thai
we did not pretend to discuss the rghttulnes'
OF our imprisonment, but that we supposed
we were entitled lo the common rights Of Lu
man beings. The result cf tint was, that Ii
about month we were taken to Fort War
rem. THY Put us on u vessel TO be- takcl
tLcre by sea. The captain told mc hilnscl
that the vessel was calculated to take ubou
90 persons, and they took l,lO0. We were
fifty hours in making the voyage, and all thu
was given us to eat during that time was i
piece Of raw fut barrel pork, perfectly raw
about tho sizc Of my hand, and three SCI
crackers, and saw the poor soldiers eatin!
that raw meat We had furnished ourselves
with something better, but We conld not fec,
tlen sill with the little we lad. We wer
placed afterwards i'll Fort Warren upon th
naked noor, without bed or blanket, us any
thing.