Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-07-09
Post Life.
FoRr DELAWARE. July 2, 1864.

FoRT DELAWARE. July 2, 1864.
Mr.. EDITOR Thinking your readers might
be interested in the condition Of affairs at this
post, venture to drop you few lines.
The 18th regiment of Ohio National
Guards with which l am connected is stationed
here for the purpose Of guarding rebel prison
ers of which there are some ten thousand. The
Island on which the Fort is situated, is, as you
are aware in the Delaware river, about equi-
distant from the New Jersey and Delaware
shores, about one and half miles from each.
1t contains seventy acres. most of which is oc-
cupied by the Fort and the barracks for SOL
diers and prisoners, and hospitals, aud other
government buildings, necessary to carry on
the business Of the post. The fort is built of
solid granite with FIVE sides and angles, and is
intended for some two hundred guns most of
which are in position. Some forty or fifty Of
these range towards the rebel quarters--and
singularly enough. l find that the cartridges be-
side three guns, consist of grape and canister
instead of solid shot. These rebel quarters,
are, of course, very interesting to all the visit.
ors to the Island. They cover space of some
twenty acres, aud are now pretty well filled up
with the Southern Chiualry. With the ex-
ception of the officers and very small proper
tion of the privates, they are terribly dirty
stupid, and vicious looking set of human be-
ings as ever one could imagine. They have
plenty Of good wholesome food. and everything
that prisoners could have for their well-being
but few of them seem to try to do anything
for themselves
can scarcely give you definite idea OF
rebel life in this prisop.-but will endeavor to
describe the appearance Of the crowd as it ap
peared to me, early one morning, outside oi
their sleeping quarters. Imagine crowd o
men five times as large as the whole pop ula
ton of Ashtabula village assembled in ter
acre lot and all of them dressed 10 rags ont
half bare foot; three fourtbs bare-headed
some of them walking, or standing listlessly eat
ing piece of bread and meat; some disputipG
and swearing about piece of bread or hat
or something else that they may have lost
bare and there one peddling hot coffee scores
sod handreds washing their faces or clothes in
the dirty ponds Of water which came from the
Delaware at high-tide some sitting in corners
or as absence places as they could ipd, holding
their most important garments 10 their hands
intentIy engaged in picking out lice, or sewing
on big patch here is a solitary reb read inl
his bible. or letter; there is one trying T.
write letter on q stone while the busy crow'
run over him and jostle him every moment
Many Of them are engaged in making rings out
Of gutts percha, or miniature knives and forki
est OF the last beef bone, or making fans oul
OF piae sticks and ribbons. Some OF them, by
TIE wsy, show quite genius in small way
10 these manufactures
At tesery step you find group playing with
the dirtisst kind OF cards. or at some Other
game--and there is 40 end to the variety o.
games played ty them.
Often an angry crowd assemble. and high
words and fights snsne. and then some Yankee
bsyonet interposes To scatter them, and some
of the belligerents go to the guard house, and
bueis the ball and chain. or being tied up by
the thumbs, or q close confinement on bread
and wstsr Only two days ago one rebel killed
another vita knife 10 dispute over piece
Of bread.
Some little attempt has been made to retail
ass ior lhs inhaman treatment our men receive
y Riphmond. add the rstions Of coffee and
sa1es k>vs been stopped from the rebels here
Qpa - MAJOR is sonaned 10 dungeon. Al
= eane,a 90 q s~ Majors kept 10 the SAINT