Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1863-02-05
Written for tie Fayetteville Observer.
EXPERIENCE OF APRISONER.

! H. Louisvj1le- Horrors Of Mt
L0uiSrh,Jail-- Jrdiafa Pemfn'
! tjary- Camp Horton -Johnson' 5
Island Luke Erie and ,Sandusky
Bay : HIS Escape. ION 2
EbiToR OBSERVER -" 'Vbereis ia a
/ tilo in The fairs Of men, eic. So
says Shakespeare; and thinking, In
accordance with tie quotation, that a
{ line from the pen OF a soldier would
be Of interes; 10 yourself and read
ers, propose to recount, (while 10
hours of idleness, the tiials Of one
in the hastiles OF the North. II was
tide" that the au'hpr foord very.
Embarrassing.
The 1S.h Gsy Of June, 1862,
found The writer in the hands Of he
Yankees, 10 the vicinity Of Clmb r.
lard Gap, East Tennessee. The
Confederate army, under command OF
Mi. Gen. Stevenson. evacuaied this
stronghold cu the I7ih Of June. un-
dr. orders from Gen. e. KIlby Smith.
The AbolitionistS, commanded by one
-oflheir best generals, Geo. W. Nor
gan, o! Ohio, had d nked Us on the
left, takirg Big Creek and Wilson $
Gars and owing to the Confederates
being in such smel force, We're,
.hr.ugh policy, obliged to fall back
some thirty miles to Clinch river
&oing SC in excellent order, The
author Was l,f. to overlook the
mlf euvers of the enc my = ascertain
their numbers, the quantity aud
quality Of artillery, and. if possible,
their future movements. All oil
which he had done but alas, through
The lreachery OF a bastard cowardiy
East Tennesaeean, who heretofore
pretended to be fieni to the
South and deeply Identified with her
interests exposed bis place OF con-
cealment, his purposes, etc. Conse-
quently the author was arrested,
iroDed ana put in close confinment;
AID probably, had j. not been Tor the
timeI, threat olretaiia'ioD, ,emanatIng
from Gen Stevenson, would have
suffered the death of Haman. An
exchange was offered, but Morgan
would not agree, repl, ing, tha: The
"charges againet the prisoner were
palpsbe enough TO haqg him, but io
consideration Of his youth and The
boldnpss in which be bad proceeded, /,
would send bin North aud imprison
: him for the war" Here the CORES
pondeuce ended.
On the 3rd Of july at Cumber-
land Cap some twenty prisoners,
including myself, we're called out pre-
paratory to being sent oft. The olh'
Ger in charge advanced to where the
author was standing, TO read in order,
r,laiive to himself, the purforts ol
which were, that il attempting 10 es-
cape and recaplured, should BE- shot
In two hours. attended by a strong
guard, the prisoners were moving :
their destination being Lexington
Ky. The march was one oi grta'
severity ard hardsh'ps, and the mer
suffered exceedingly from heat aat
dust. The road for ninety miles wal
over the most mountainous part O
Eastern Kentucky. Broken-down
bare-faoted and alEIost naked We ar
rived at Lexington, having made th'
march in eight days-distahce oL'
hundred and .hiriy-two miles. W.
were here put in jail, and were visit
ed frequently during the day by tn
Iadips4God bl SIS them !-the'
/ kindness will ever be rememoereo U.
that palsee aud half.lamished sqaa'
Of prisoners. Refreshments wer
I brought in by their own hands I
CRAFTY the thirst and hunger OF tn
party, accompanied by II boun'lto
supply of clothing. IJIls
& At this place we we're t'anstefre
to another guard and taken to Louis
; vile. We arrived there at Q clocf
p. NJ. The prisoners et war wer
) placed 10 the Military Prison, and IN
? wliter 10 d more secure place-lh
} Louisville jail. Here let me paus'
I cannot fi0d language adequate t
picture its horrors. | have often reh
= of the bas.iles Of France, the ioaN
t some, unhealthy Spanish prisons, Ia
{. /" black hole of Calcutta" but the
!. cannot, in my estimation excel I'D
,.tprisou ie sheN horrors Its lnmas'