The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-08-15


ment Of the war appears.-N. Y. Tribune
A SLAvE-PEN BROKEN UP.-We copy
from the Euening Post the following por.
ton of deeply interesting letter from
Baltimore:
"The release of the slaves of the rebel
General Stuart from a slave pen in Prat,
street, in this city, was attended by some
interesting incidents. Colonel Birney hay
ing applied for authority to visit the place
and confiscate Stuart's property an order
to that effect arrived yesterday, and in the
afternoon the Colonel proceeded to the
prison, showed his order. entered and
locking the doors behind him, entered the
court yard first, and then visited the cells.
In this place sixty persons were confined,
some of them having been there over
three years. To be imprisoned there, with
cut ever being allowed to visit the outer
world, to forget almost what trees and
flowers and green fields were, to be de-
priyed even CT the cool breezes of heaven,
WAS bad enough; but there was worse than
this. The ball, the chain, the shackle
were not wanting to make the lives of these
poor creatures more miserable. Sixteen
men were bound together with shackles al
the ancles, others were chained two by two
and one old man had his legs fastened to-
gether by shackles connected by chains
bound to his waist The poor wretches
were all terribly frightened when called
up by the Colonel. They thought he had
come to buy them and take them off South
as 1t seems they have been kept there by
their masters to await either peace and the
Union as 1t was or good chance for
shipment to the South. They were soon
reassured, however, and a blacksmith hay
ing been sent for, the chains and shackles
were speedily removed.
when the chains fell from the ancles OF
the old man, he lifted up his hands and
eyes and exclaimed, "Thank Godp The
expression was simple, but its tone reveal
ed the suffering, the despair of months.
When told that they were to go out and be
free, they could not believe it at first, but
when assured again and again that it was
so, simultaneous shout of gladness went
up, which must have made the angels re-
joice, and God bless you, Massa! God
Almighty bless you! The Lord Jesus love
you, massa We're the blessings showered
upon the Colonel, who, scarcely less happy
than they, tried to make them understand
that they owed their release to the Govern
ment. They listened and assented, but
still evidently looked upon the Colonel
he says, he shall never forget. Their
JOY. found vent, with the men, in prayers
ana CALCULATIONS of praise, with women in
tears and embraces of each other
FINALLY, the colonel told them they
must get ready to go out. Then they fairly
flew to their cells for their bags and bun
dies. And-the colonel told it with O smile
even in this supreme moment womanly
vanity shall we so call laudable self-re.
spect?) showed itself. He could see them
smoothing their hair, putting on little arti
cles OF fnery, and otherwise 'prettyine
up before their bits of looking-rlass. i
was not many minutes, however. before
they all came down, and were marched out
| men, women and children, into the free
to them doubly free-air.
They were taken to the recruitins
Office in Camden street, and here another
most ettecting scene took place Th,
news of the opening of the prison hat
| spread like wildfire, and the Office anc
pave 1t in front were crowded with col
ored people, many of whom now me
friends and relatives for the first time fo
| three years. Well, must not make m,
| letter TOO long. Suffice it that joy reignett
supreme, and when the colonel ask
| ed, Now, what is to be done with thes,
| hospitality was literally rendered. Afte
| seeing them thus all provided for, and en-
listing sixteen able bodied men in the ser
| vice, the colonel returned to camp, feelin,
that the blessing of heaven would be upoi
the work he had that day done.
| I'm the evening one of the lieutenants
| talking with the new freedmen, asked then
II they knew the person who liberated
them. No. answered one, we don'tknoy
him, but we know that God sent him.
| Yes echoed the rest; God sent him-Go,
sent him! rig
''Thus, you see, the hand-breadth clou,
the sages feared is spreading. The colo
mel hopes soon to open every slaye-pen il
Baltimore, and through Gods grace an,
the strong arm of the Government, the,
shall never be used as such again."