The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-05-18
The Boy Prisoner.

Edmund Kirk is contributing a series
Of Interesting sketches to s'Our Young
Folks entitled Three Days at Camp
Douglas" In the May number he tells
| what he saw on the second day." in
this camp for rebel prisoners, from which
we extract the following affecting and
no doubt faithful pen picture:
This next day is Sunday. It is gener-
al inspection day at the prison, and, by
invitation of the Captain, we GO early
to witness the interesting turn out, for
every prisoner in the camp on this day
turns out from his quarters, and, with
all his house hold goods about him,
waits in the st 'eet opposite his barrack
until every bed, and blanket, and jack
knife, and jewsharp, and fiddle, and
trinket, and wonderful inventio on" in
the prison, is examined and passed upon
by the Inspector. OF the latter articles
there is an infinite variety, but of neces-
sary clothing there is nothing to spare
A mattress, blanket or two, hat, a
coat, pair of trOwsers and brogans, and
an extra shirt, are the sum total of each
ones furniture and wearing apparel.
Every mans person must be cleanly,
and his clothing as tidy as circumstances
will permit; and woe to the foolish .'na-
tive" who has neglected to bathe, or for
gotten to exterminate his little brood Of
domestic animals. A high pressure
scrubbing, or a march about camp in a
packing box, branded "Vermin," is his
inevitable doom. This three hours re-
view is an irksome ordeal to the prison
ers, but blessed be the man who invent
ed it; for it keeps the doctors idle, and
gives an easy life to the grave diggers.
| 1t may be that you have somewhere
read that "the proper study of mankind
is man" If you believe this, you will
be glad to go down with me to the lines.
and study these people; and if you do
this, and keep your eyes open, yOu will
learn something of the real Southern
man; and you might waste years among
the "Chivalry'' and not do that. The
"Chivalry are not Southern men, they
are only Southern gentlemen, and coun-
terfeit gentlemen at that. But now we
/ will go down the column.
! The first man we meet is not man
He is only a boy,-a slender pale faced
boy, with thin, white hands, and wan,
sad, emaciated features, on which "EX-
change" is written as legibly as anything
that ever was printed. But he will not
wait the slow movements of the Ex-
change Commissioners. The grim old
official who has him in charge is alto
gether zoo wise to wrangle about the
terms of cartels where lives Of men are
in question.
He receives our advance in shy, re-
served way, and it takes many kind
words to draw from him more than a
monosyllable. But kind words are a
power. They cost less, and buy more,
than anything else in the world Inever
knew one of them to be wasted; and
not one of them is wasted now, for very
soon they each the boy heart, and with
moistened eye and quiverng lip he tells
us his story. 1t is simple story-only
little drama of humble life, with no
fine ladies in rouge and satins and fur
bellows, and no fine gentlemen with wa
wing plumes, and gilded swords, and
shining patent feathers, dawdling about
the stage, or making silly faces at the
foot lights. Its characters are only com
mon people who do something, ng,-produee
something,- and so leave the world a
little better for their living in it. But it
is only short story, just little drama,
and will let it pass before you.
Now the curtain rises, and the play be-
gins. We see little log cottage among
the mountains, with few cattle brows-
ing in the woods and few acres
of waving corn and cotton. Grapevines
and honeysuckles are clambering over
its door way, and roses and wild flowers
are growing before its windows, and
that is all. But it is pleasantlittle cot
ta9e, all attractive without, and all
cheerful within. The candles are not
lighted, but great wood fire is blazing
on the hearth, sending rich warm glow
thro' all the little room; and the family
have gathered round it for the evening.
The older brother is mending harness be-
fore the fire. the little sister is knitting
beside him; the younger brother and an
other one-nearer and dearer to him
than brother or sister-are seated on the
low settle in the chimney corner; and
the aged mother is reading aloud from q
large book which lies open on the center
table. We can't see the title of this
book, but its well worn leaves show that
it must be the family Bible. She closes
it after while, and, the older brother
laying aside his work, they all kneel
down on the fioor together Then the
mother prays.-not fashionable prayer
with big, swelling words, and stilted,
high hown sentences, such as you some
times hear on a Sunday.-buta low, sim
pie, earnest petition to Him who is her
Father and her Friend. who knows her
every want, and loves her as one of His
dear children.
1t is scarcely over when the door
opens, and five ruffianly looking men en-
ter the room. Four of them wear the
gray livery of the rebels, the other is
clad in a motley uniform, part gray. part
reddish brown, and the other part the
tawnv flesh color which peeps through
the holes in his trowsers. He looks for
all the world like the tall fellow yonder,
farther down the lines.-the one in rag
Sed ..butternuts" tattered shirt. with that
mop of bushy black hair, and that hang
| dog, out at the elbow look. They both
are conscript officers, and the one in the
play has come to arrest the two young
men. who have refused to obey the con
/ scription-
| The older brother rises to his feet.
aud, with look of honest scorn and de-
fance. says: Il viii not go with you
| No power on earth shall make me fight