Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-02-05
YANKEE PRISON LIFE.

The " hOl3 truth With relcrence ~ inc reia-
tive suffering Of ,he prisoners on beth sides will
never be known. Every instance ef severity to
which the prisoners % ono side may be sub
eoted, finds public hearing with u rapidity and
10 IN extent with which the limited facilities
Of tho cthor party can ncTer compete The
uayriads Cf daily newspapers and maSa-
zines Of tho enemy are the messepgers
that keen ringing in the worlds ear the
sufer;nss, real or imaginry. Of the Yam
KEGS in cur hands. The few periodicals
in the South, Limited in circulation, and
being able to reach foreign audience
only at wide intervals and on mere chance &C.
casions, do the best they can to acquaint the
world with the true state Of the case; but the
character of tho Southern soldier is snch that
he nouris,,es his wrongs in the reeesses OF his
heart til the opportunity for vengeance ar'
rives ard seldom cun be induced to come be-
fore the public with a narration of his person-
al gsiefs. Ard hence it is so few statements
Of ou.rages perpetrated upon our prisoners by
tho enemy appear in the Southern press.--
Hence it is 20 little is known Of the suiferinea
of our soldiers in Northern rrison-houses. n
simple instance Of privation in the Libby is
hera,ded over the North with q yenQmnus elo-
qucnce, in thousands Of ways; furnishes the
text Of the evening lecture and Sabbath dis
course: inspires the poetic Tyres and liars ct
New England to the rlcurnfullest perform
aaces. and s.sres at you in exaggerated ghnst'
illness from the pasea of the host Of pictorials
I'll they turn Il plain, respectable tobacco
ware house into q grim ogre lensting on blood
and bones. But thousands of Confcdera'es
NAV freeze in shant:es On bleak prairies, or
by the shores Of frozen lakes; starve i'll the
mids. Of plenty: rot in their vile dungeons.
and rothinc il known nf ii 10 tho outside
World
The write. of this has recently been Il pri4-
oner in For. MclIenry, F5rt:ess Monroe ard
Fort Norfolk, respectively; and to the extent
ce lis own personal observation, can spenk
concerning tho treatment Of Confederate rrs-
pac7s These forts arc regarded by prisoners
who have kni opportunities Of comparing them
with o;her prison.houses in the North, "a tho
most eHdurable places Of confinement the en-.
emy have Let us tako g lcok at the first
named, and gee If It dces not s'nnd in unfG-
vorable contrast with the celebrated hure-
head and bloody-bones Libby" There arc
tw" long. narrow s'ah!HS, situated ncar tn"
water of the Lazaret,o. Ascending flight Of
stcrs on the ontsiic. we enter long, low,
na,row sarrct or stable loft, known ss the
s., Gicsrs' room;" but the name signifies moth
ing. Oe the sixty odd occupants, orc.thi7d
may lie in the Confederate service: the re.
ma;nder are desertcrs, Confederate and Yam
kee, burglars, horse thieves, pickpockots, &c,
&c the scrapinss of cas,ps end cities 1t Is
not 50 much the performance Of the lowest
menial offices which tho Confsdcrates have
forced en- them, Of which they Complain,
as the necessity to which they are sub
iected oc!iyirs with these seouadrc!s; Of join
! ins in tho general scramble ior scsnty rations
! at 'feed" time; Of hearing their blasphemy
! aad ol,scenity continuously. and having, by
unavoidable contact, every sense OF decency
shocked hour after hour, duy after dag, week
after week, mouth after month. In Con!e1c-
rate prisons, tho Yankees ere kept to them-
; solves. In Yankee prisons, Confederate "fh-
GERS, Of al rank. ars thrust among The rilest
of their vile 4 starle loft and the society OF
dcsevters, burglars ard pickpockets, and horse
tbio7es, Yankee oAicer3 scarcely fare Eo
| buddy as this.
Separated from the "efFieers' room" ty'a
! nlapk partition, il the remainder Of the stable
loft, devoted professcdly to Confederate prI-
Yates, but with a majority of representatives
! from RascaGon, ~ in the first room. The
small minority Of Confederates, robbed o.
their clothing end rat:ors, perish by inches
| frcm hunger and cold. Net only is the rob
berry carried on with inpunity, but the writer
| has known the Proves. Marshal to order newly
arrived Yankees TO ssiz, and appropriate the
property Of Confederate prisoners IN tins
room. If any resistance is ofsred;'it is only
! necessary to report the unfortunate to have
him sent below TO the
| MIDDLE ROOM.
, Otherwise known as "HelI;" and the term is
not badly chosen Imagine all the dead rab-
bits" "plug.uglies," i" "b!oody-tubs," market
thieves, pickpockets. wharf rass, murderers, Of
the great cities Of .he North, gotten together
and the mrs. choice selections Of this con-
slomc7ation of human iniquity selected and
/ -, al, no SyI q,
and their native qualities stimulated into
full and FREQ activity by copious supplies Of
mean whiskcy tho suhiec:s upon which to
exercise thei, varied taleuts utterly helpless
for defence, with all restraint removed, and
the approving smile Of tho authority ready to
reward their worss achievements, and you
have picture of the Middle Room," known
among the unfortunate Confederate prisoners:
who have experienced its horrors, as "he'l.'
The Southern soldier who enters this room
NAV congratulate himself if he comcS out Of
i.with his life. 1t will be 'aoc ut.all he has
left
I'm Yankee prisoner should be tossed in q
blanket at L'bbv, tho whole North would
ring with indignation. Its Common thing,
indeed, the first step in initiating Conledc-
rate into the mysteries of Fort Mclleary.-
They sometimes vary the performance. by
withdra .ing the blanket aud letting the vi
tim FIJI on the ground. 1fa rib or t|o if
broken, it only serves to render their prey
mora helpless, and facilitates the robbery. AT
night if a subject is 80 incautiouS as to sleef
with both eyes shut, long strips Of paper are
fas,eoe to his head and feet, fired, and the
hcuds dance and yell around the blazing vic
tim until he is in danger Of burning to death
when he is thrust iato barrel of accumulate