Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-18
oar Prisoaers from Wnsbizgton.

We had the pleasure Of eonvsrsing with two
very intelligent gentlemen who arrived as OK
changed prisoners, by the last hag Of truce from
the North, after g long confinement in tue Old
Capital prison.
Tho accounts We get from them Of the treat
ment Of our prisoners are tho same as We have
already had. TIL Fati0ns dealt out 20 them
were not only seaEtyr but the meat and articles
Of feod given them were cfen so bad aud ofo1-
sive that they had to be thrown away. They
were not only badly fed, but they were subject
ed to the severest discipline. An instance
Of this is relsted to Us which viii show The
harsbuess end even cruelty visited upon
our men. One Of our prisoners, jessie Wharton,
Of Magyland5 was standing st the window, with
in tho bars, quietly looking ont. The sentinel
on guard ordered Wharton to stand away fom
the window, bat Wharton feeling thst he was
not violating the rules Of the prison-foT bis
whole person was within the bars Of the win
dow-did not instantly comply with tho order,
whea tho wretch, perceiving thas he did NOT
step aside quickly, ss ordered, raised his mus
kst and fred, killing him instantly.
But this Is nothing compared TO ono Of tie
most horrible and eold-bleoded murders CON
mitted by the guard on another Of our prisoners
II murder that w0uld even put a savage TO
blush, i appears taat Harry Stewart, Of Mary
land, who was held in the Old Capitol as q prs
oneT, conceived q plan Of Dribiug his guard. His
proposition was apparently well received, and a
price for MS liberty was agreed upon. The plan
was that at an appointed hour, when tie prison
ers we're allowed the yard, be would scale the
Tense, and the sentinel allow his escape. The
preliminaries were arranged and the prics
agreed upon paid over. At the appointed hour,
aud according to arrangement, Stewart, having
1t the last moment communicated Be q few Of
bis friends his plan, attempted his escape, and
appeared on the fence, when the sentinel, (wh5,
ib must be borne IN mind, had sold himself and
received bis briba) deliberately mixed his mus
ket aad shot him des5, his body railing 9 corps
fem the fence If the human heart wss ever
guilty Of greater usacbery ard depra7iy, then
the annals Of crime fail to record L..
Some two weeks before cur prisoners left
Washington, the Federal prisoners that wars
seat North foa Richmond, soHe two weeks
ago, arrived ct Washington, and rave most
terrible accounts Of their treatment BY the
authorities here. SUeh stories we're nayer
before heard. Their list Of grievances emu
merated every hardshiP aud cruslty tbat the
mind could conceive Of. They were not only
starved AID whipped, bat they alleged that
their clothes were even stripped of them and
taken. One fellow, 70 distance Che others. de-
olared they had been denied waler here. and
that the only way they could get IS was TO "buy
Il Of the rebels ct one dollar s.glsssp' These
accounts we're not only apresd fsr and vide In
Washington, but wore picked 10 sad published
in THE scaysnger shees Of the Yanksa Genital.
tho Washington Star. TIE p~risonora demanded
sad pressed on the Administrator to VS. sit retail
alton on our men then in the Old capitol, but
Lincoln, knowing that retaliation was a gsms
at which two could pley, wisely RETAINED, and
dismissed them with his expressions of sympa-
thy.