, 1864-12-20
Qhifooo Iribn1re.
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 81, 1864.
FROM CHARLESTON lARD0R.
Exchange Of Prisoners.
Terrible Condition Of Union Pris-
oners---Thcir Brutal Treat
ment by the Rebels.
LATE REEEL kENS--l SEVERE GALE
OFF CHARLESTON.


in full view. We are on the steamer New
York, tue Gag ship Of The Colonel, who. with
lis feet, WAS removed from Savannah River.
to finish up the exchange OF prisoners Of war
IN Chatless On Harbor. It must be a great re-
lief to people all oFcr the North to know that
10000 Of our brave soldiers will soon be
among friends at home, free from tho vile at
mosphcFe Of Southern prisons, and the still
vi}er presence Of Southern men, from whom
varied md cruel kind. Col. Mulford has done
ali that could be done 10 bring about this ex-
change, and both officers and pSivates are
loud in their prniscs of his indeiatisable ex~
ettions in their behalf
Yesterday, the rebel boats Laura and Celt
brought down Thousand Of our poor SOL
diers, aud assure you that their appearance
without being IN eye witness Of the ntscra-
BILE appearance they present, and / WAS in
formed by Dr.. Elliott, Surgeon Of the New
FORK, that this was by far the most respecta-
bic looking load that had been brought to us.
Ragged and more filthy In every respect than
sctryy or other loathsome diseases; some
leaning on their fe1low-soldiers Tor aid to
walk q step; others carried In tho arms OF
men who do not look able to help themselves,
willie some are brought On board our vessels
whose eyes aro already closed La death-pre-
u.
Dcar boys, many Of them, no doubt, reared IN
comfort aud. perhaps, ease. Theirs is a hard
lot to die among strangers, with none to
drop tear, for, strange as 1t maT seem, these
men, By constantly seeing and passing through
si1uilar sceues, become accustomed to these
things, and regard them with apparent inlif-
ference. Some Of the men look in good
health, at which We wonder exceedingly,
when We bear the terrible tales they tell OF
the treatment they have experienced. In
soma Of the prisons they Lad received no
meat for the past SIX months.
Th6principal food In all the prisons con-
sIsie6 nf meal Of a poor quality In small
qusufirea, and, occasionally little rice.
IAoee who were SO fortunate rs to hare
lasttd, hut were charged the most exorbltAnt
prices for everything they purchased. could
relate to you many circumstances which cx-
ceed in cruelty anything I ever heard be-
fore, which you could hard1y credit unless
you shou1d Lear 1t as did /, from the persons
own lips One officer told me that they rob-
bed him Of his watch, boots and every article
Int. As general thing the officers tared
better than tho priyatcs, rs they ofteucf had
shelter under which to Sleep. As general
thing, however, our prisoners we're put into
pens With 10 cover at an to protect them
flom broiiins sun or pelting storm. Their
cooking utensils were usually, two bricks with
q piece Of iron or tin plate placed across, un-
der which they could build fire, mud tin
cup or pa:l in which they boiled the half ra-
uons that were dealt out to them
They were punished for the most friv1lous
oIeases, sometimes By keeping them for days
without foud, and often by hanging the men
,p by their thumbs. was SO fortunate as to
Of the men, and learned from 1t many Things
that might not hare heard from other
sources. The writer said there was hardly q
day but That some person escaped from The
prisons. Sometimes they were retaken and
we're SO severely punished for their love OF
freedom that they seldom made the second
iii Wien confined IN the vicinity Of our ar
mics. In officer told tne he was four weeks
oui Of prison, living in the woods BY day and
travelling by night, subsistingas best be could
by proving about farm houses, where he was
Of en- projected By the inmates. He says
there a,c warm Cnionists in thu South, but
they dare not express Their continents; The
ucgroes are generally very Kind, md often
brought this man his supper Or helped to hide
him In some convenient com stacks. He was
finally hunted down tty hounds belonging to O
party Of gucrillassand captured You would
imagine these men would BY this time have
had enough Of war, but they arc more anxious
to fight than ever, and are all willing and
ItAut ~ dEdM DaLt1E lQ1 kut 2l1ut, uAfIHs
double incentive for action-their country
md their own personal wrongs.
Some Of the Southern prisons are much bet
ter than others, atfording In comparison
something Of comfort Occasionally meat or
some hind OF vegetable Is given
out, TN. such occurrences are rare,
and in no place that I have heard mentioned
are our prisoners treated as we treat the rebel
prisoners. Perhaps, as Judge 0uld, the rebel
Commissioner Of Exchange, told me las. win
ter, they have not the food to give them: but
under any circumstances they are not cxeusa-
bic ior The brutal lnhumanatJ' with which they
hare treated our prisoners. a Yankee y as
them the most dcgradcd Of human b.inGs.
No wonder that the mortality is almost III
credible in Southern prisons.
Col. Hatch has already turned orer to Col.
31ulfold G,00o prisoners; There resnain i ,0o1
more yet 10 come. Tie shouts Of the men,
as they catch tho first sight Of the old flag q:
it waves ovcs OUT steamers, is deaicuin@. The
Jane throw down their SILKS; tbos: who ar
too i'll to shout throw up their old csownles5
hats, md for time the excitement is intense,
Visions of home fit before them, aud their
troubles are seemingly forgotten. Then comes
the washing up," and the clean suits ol
clothing which Uncle Sam" has generously
provided, the old ones having been thrown
into the sca- 1t Is q comical sight to see
looking curiously first at himself and then At
his ncfs,lbor.
tsThe stLaura,'' The rebel transport, Is q
Blockade runner, a nice-looking and very FAST
specimen Of the class. Her Captain, thor
opgh Epslshman, told me, by the way, thai
he had been very successful, having been 81
different times into nearly au the blockaded
pcrts. In one night he went into Wilmington
with seven tyessels. He has had many hair
breadth cscaptG-has been shot into hun
dred times at least, and gives our blockadiug
feet the credit Of being very yigilant and &C
tive. Wilmington he 6upposes to be easier q
access than any ha1bor. though much trade Il
carried on in this way by Charleston: Ihs
amount Of money paid men to enter this ser
vice is marvellous, though, Notwithstanding
tue danger, be assures me there are plenty O.
men willing and ready to enter 1t. It seem!
to have certain SOFT Of fascination for sei
Of lawless, fearless men, who are paEticnsarl.
adapted for It.
Just within sight Of us, on the Fort Moul
t1ic side of The harb9r, lie six steamers
blockade-runners, that have been sank
en- by our gunboats. All firing ha
ceased here on both sides by mutual agree
ment, both parties having agreed On 0 ccs
| sation OF hostillties while this truce lasts
It is the first quiet Charleston has known fo1
| months. Squads Of men come out daily t.
sun themselves on Fort Sumter, where fo
their lives were worth to show their heads
I The fort is very much battered. in fact, witt
+, the exception of one angle, that We Gun see
is a mass of ruins, but it is not deserted, ant
by eome is regarded as stronger thnn before
Charlcstonians arc said to be very proud tina
| Ibis island mass Of stone and mortar has en-
! durrd go mnch md " still lives"
perienced severe gale, which did not disturb
the flag trIce feet, but WEE rather unplcas
ant fof our naval feet lying outside the bar
doing no damage to the feet, however, bu1
tearing from its anchorage vessel near by
acting as "Nght ship to the harhor, ant
driving it ito The breakers, tearing It 70 pie
seven persons. All were lost, save one man
| who managed to secure piece of the deck
I and loate1 about for tventy-scyen hours
| when he was fortunately picked up by tn
| Eliza Hancox, which was coming at the tfta'
from Hilton Head With dispatches for tn
| Truce fleet. The '* United States' leaves to
morrow with thousand exchanged meu
bound for Annapolfs. ! send you by 1t SoutE
| ern papers up to the 9Th. You will see b
tnetn. rs well Us by the dispatches whic
went North by the Arago, that Sherman
nearing Savannah rapidly, and there is goo
prospect Of Fosters cutting the railroa
report circulated In some Northern p:
pers, that he had burned the bridge on tE
road, xas without confirmation up to the 8tl
There see1ns little doubt but that Sherma
viii reach the coast, notwithstanding all tt
anuoyances he meets On his way, from til
rebels. AN OBSERVER.
4 Scoundfel Ruins Flve TounE Girl,
From the Boston Esrsld.}
The citizens Of Oxford, Mass., are conside
ably excited over the conduct and crimes
one Henry Mann, stone mason. Who Ii
been employed In the erection Of the ne
Episcoral Church in that place. He has tee
In the vicinity about four or flve months, az
| IN fhnt time has snrrpe1ad in e{frcffnE II