The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-31

I
sddueed to implicate them in the affair.
They are known TO entertain Union SEN
timents, and that is considered criminal
Ity enough to subject them to any sort Of
punishment. One Of the parties sus-
pected, Mr.. n. B. Dickinson, is well known
IN New York, having at one time been as
ISOLATED with Thompson 6 Co, bankers,
corner Of Broadway and Wall street.
Mr.. Dickinson, after about a months
confinement was released. The follow
/ ing paragraph in regard to his case, which
clip from the Dispatch, viii afflrd some
idea how utterly regardless she Rebel au-
thoritles are Of the rights and liberties Of
the people in their power:
NOTHING AGAINST HIM Yesterday
the Mayor received 3 note from = high
Confederate official, stating that the Gov
eminent had no charges against N. B.
Dickinson, who had been held in Castle
Thunder for several weeks, and that he
would be released unless the civil au-
thorities had some complaint on which to
try him"
Hundreds like Dickinson are every
week thrown in prison on mere suspi-
cion, ard after being subjected to the
most iRhuman treatme1t and priVations
for weeks and months, some of ttem are
released without any redress for the out
rage perpetrated against them, while the
majority must either die Of their misery
or remain inearcerated during the war.
Not long ago one Of the Richmond
papers, in publishing the number and
class Of the prisoners in that city, set
down the citizen prisoners at three.
Whether falsehoOd was intended by
this statement, OF whether the word hun
dred was inadvertently omitted after the
word "three, | don't know. But I GER
tainly do know that there are over three
hundred prisoners Of that class in Rich
mond. There are some in Castle Thun-
der, some still at the Libby, some in the
Jail and Winder's Cage, q new bastiIe
opened in Twentieth street, last Septsu-
Der, is literally crsmmed with Others.
These prisons have many inmates that
the newspaper reporters probably know
nothing about, If they were willing or
at liberty to give the public all their
knowledge on the subject. The most
important prisoners are not allowed to
mingle with others in the main rooms,
but are confined in rooms or closets By
twos and thrses. The papers are not
permitted TO publish even the circum-
stances of their arrest.
But Richmond is not the place where
the bulk of citizen prisoners are to be
found. The South is full OF bastiies
While in Atlanta in November last I
visited Che citizens prison there for The
purpose of seeing an esteemed friend
who has been iucarcerated for nearly
two years on suspicion Of disloyalty to
the slave oligarchy. [ found him i'm
mu,ed with about four hundred and if
" Others IN building or insutiicient
capacity for the humane confinement Of
one third Of that number. The whole
place was as filthy as the Augesn stable.
Their sunken eyes aud emAciated forms
and faces confirmed too clearly my
friends declaration that they were dying
Of starvation and despair.
The subject I next advert to is as i'm
pOrtsnt to the Government a. I trust it
will be interesting to your readers gene
rally. The number of spies, mail car
rriers and agents constantly Lying be-
tween the North and South il enormous.
And what is more remarkable, many of
them ply their vocation in the very face,
and even with the assistance Of our Gov.
eminent officials. For example, when
one Of these characters desires to come
North, he enters cur lines, and reports
himself TO the Provost Marshal as q refu.
gee from the South, takes the oath of al
legiance, and goes about his business.
When he desires to return, be goes 10
Harper's Ferry, or some other point, So
licits Of the Provost Msrshal a pass for
Berryville, or Winchester, or some point
in that direction, takes tie oath of ALE
glance in an assumed name, receives an
order to the guards and pickets to pass
him, and at the first favorable Opportuni-
ty slips within the Rebel lines.
The following extract from report Of
Col Msrgrave, . confidential agent for
the Rebel War Department, Of which I
had reason 70 make a copy, will show how
easily such an arrangement can be car
red out:
RIcHMoND, April 13, 1858 The Hon.
Jas. A. SeddOn, Secretary Of War:-Hav-
ing, in obedience 70 your orders, visited
the United States and British Provinces.
as agent for the Confederate States,
have the honor to report some Of the de-
tails and the resBltof my proceedings.
reached New York on the Sd Of Js1u-
ary, my trip thither being destitute Of any
occurrence worthy Of note. Having been |
longer in accomplishing the business in |
trusted 70 me than was anticipated, de- |
termined TO return By shorter aud more
expeditions route. Accordingly, on the /
23d or 24th Of March I boldly entered
the Office Of Colonel Fish, Provost Mar
shall at Baltimore, aud obtained a pass
port for Hsrper's Ferry, under The name
Of Isssc Z. Haines. On the 18th Of /
March I applied. under the same name
to the Provost Marshal a. Harper's Fer
~ for psss beyond the lines. 81 once
received itlin consideration ofmy taking |
the oath Of allegiance 10 the United States. /
Without hesitation took the oath, and [
each succeeding day violated Il without /
the slightest scFuple Of conjunction. for 4
am well aware that the Yankee ofieers |
do not respect the oaths, or paroles Of !
honor, or other obligations they made /
to as. On the 18th purchased q horse I
and proceeded IS far 50 Bsnyvills, when, /
hearing that 5 movement vas aboug t. be /
made By the forces under General Rob !
erts at HsFper's Ferry, / determined TO /
return and gather such information as /
could in regard 10 it. Retracing nv /
way to CharlestoWn, placed my papers 4
in the hands Of q daughter Of the Hon. /
Robert Hunter, ofthe House Of delegates,
and fastened to the Ferry.
I remained in that Wretched place. eat
ing and drinking with Yankee officers. 4
until the Both Of March, when General
Roberts wss relieved Of his command By
General Kelley. o. that day Gen. Rob
erts left for Baltimore, and, with 4 view
Of getting railroad conversation with
him, / took the same train. The Gsnor-
al being accompanied By lady, my con-
VersatiOn with him was brief, but, new
ertheless, profitable. I continued my
peregrinations to Washington, and, OF
the 9Th instant, found myself again At
HarpeE's Ferry. 1 applied 81 once for
another pass 10 BerfyVille. and as the
Provost Marshal recognized me he OBJ
served. q I believe y0u took the cath the
other day" snd receiving an Affirmative
rsulv, be At once gave me The desired
nsss. Passing on 70 CharieBfown I halt