The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-01-28
Horrible Brutality i'm a Federal
Prison i'm New York,
THE NEW YORK PARK BARRACKS.

THE NEW YORK PARK iRRACks.
The denominations of the United States
Barracks, in New York. are made the sub
jcct ola Special Committee to the Common
Council. from which we take passage.
showing how our soldiers are treated:
Immediately behind this room a part is
par;itioned of, which the Doctor very
properly denominated the "pen." This
pen" is l5 feet wide, 90 feet long, 8 feet
high 70 the peak, and S feet to the caves.
boarded up on three sides tightly; the
fourth, which faces in the barracks, direct
ly opposite an immense stove, which is
heated TO a red heat, is incosed by Stats.
t inrhes wide, and placed 3 inches apart
In this l5x20 there is not bench or a
stick of wood, or any thing to sit on, not
even post to lean against, except the four
perpendicular sides Of the room. There
is not even straw to cover the floor. as
hog or horse would have, but the sccumu-
lated filth Of many months is the only thing
that separates The inmates from the naked
floor.
In this "pen" are confined at the pres
ent time slXty-one men, and the officer in
charge informed me that he had at one
time rs many as seventy-seven. Some of
the men have been there from three to
four months. They are thus imprisoned
for military of:enses, breach of discipline,
and desertion, all huddled in this common
''pen" sick and well together A guard IS
placed over them to prevent escape, and
another guard is i'll waiting to accompany
them u the water closet in the Park, one
At time. the other seventy-six must wait
their proper turn, no matter how pressing
the necessity from dyscntery. diarrhea, or
other cause, and, Of course, the result of
such barbarity can be better immagined
than described.
These men are fed through the bars, ia
king the meat and bread in their fingers.
no knive, or forks Icing allowed Spoons
are allowed once day, when they have
soup. No blankets are allowed them unless
they have one themselves when placed
there but few of them are thus fortunate;
they have therefore to lie upon the naked
floor with the exception of the accumula-
tions Of filth and mud before referred to.
The Doctor informed ME that by laying
them upon their sides in spoon fashion,
and by close packing, putting the heads
of one row upon the bodies of the row i'll
front, he ccull pack forty-ive in tae pen;
the rest are now taken out and chained to
trees until these forty-fve have had some
sleep, and then they were transferred.
The only mode of cleaning the apartment
was by running in Crot0n water, from a
hose through the stats, which forced the
bones, pork-skins, potatoe-skins, &c, to
the DtCh anu CoIuci VI INC ioohi' "ho a." IL
is nearly level they remain there and in
some places are near an inch or two In
depth.
The men are covered with lice and YER
min, and the stencil was almost unbeara-
bic
DR.. Blauvelt, who was in attendance,
aud who is kind hearted, honest, faithful
man, informed NE that he had repeatedly
reported the nuisance as graphically as pos
sible to his superior Off :erS, General Hays
and General Dix, and demanded redress,
out up to the present time without avail.
General Dix himself personally visited
this place few days since, aud can, there
fore, certify TO the accuracy Of my descrip-
ton
This pest hole is an outrage on humanl-
ty, a burning disgrace to any nation, and
ought not for a moment 10 he tolerated.
Ii the General Government chooses thus
to outrage humanity, and treat their sold
iers worse than wild beasts, in God S name
let them take them away from the city and
rut them IN Government property. aud
thus assume the responsibility for the out
rage but do not permit the city any longer
to be disgraced by allowing them to occupy
it's grounds, aud on them practice such hor-
rid barbarties Very respectfully,
LEW Is A. SAYFR, VI. d.,
President Physician.
Mrs. Partington says that Ike, who has
Just returned from France, speaks French