The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-03-03

NaaSSt. piiie" w aiis piiioi oliINlc
save sack of shavings or straw. and two
OF three blankets.
MY hrst work was hacking hemp IN q
room four feet below the surface of the
yard, and 50 crowded with men. badly
Ventilated, and filled with dust. a. TO prove
iaiai In short time 10 most of lis victims.
L nave seen SIX men taken from thirty in
tins house IN one week, and carried 20 the
grave. Three times was placed In tla,
house by Craig, with order. 10 XIII me ,
l and each lime l remained about -four
t weeks.
q From this l was transferred 10 spinning
; filling, and then in February, 1853. 10
: weaving hemp-sacking for sacking cotton.
r This usually weighs one and a half pounds
e TO the yard. The task at this work WAS
: 1000 yards a week for the best weavers,
Mine soon stood at 900 yards; and WAS
able frequently 10 make 50 yards over. for
which received % cents There never
Were furnished combs. towels. pillows,
sheets. brushes or anything of the kind;
and by the little overwork | could make
: l was able TO provide some OF these things
until the close of Craig's reian.
/ I'm 1851 | made the acquaintance. of
Miss TileStcn, in Auburn, n Y She Is
now my dear wife. After my irnpriSon-
} ment, made repeated attempts 10 CORES
pond with her by letter; but. up 10 the
autumn of 1855. there was never letter
received 10y the one from the other.thoueh
| was often told of their arrival. Miss
Iileston, having been pledged with me in
marriage contract. ignoring ease and TO-
mestic. quiet. kfi her home in Williams
burr, Mass, and engaging :ls a teacher at
Oxford, Ohio, watched over nv imprison-
ment 10 the lilst. visiting me and petition
inc in nv behalf in 1853. ID. IS, 80 and
'63. with DO other result than TO compel
respect and admiration.
/ ZER wARp.-IIIs gARBARIn-
In 1855. this man came TO keeper>hip.
and in the following winter otained the
prison 10y lease At $4,000 per year and
made, over all expenses. during four Years,
Sl0o.0oo. by sheer physical force
In the weaving. which was executed bv
hand. the task soon Went up Ia Pos wards
per day. mime standing for the first sum
mer At 100 yards; then for the three fol-
lowing summers POS yards; and whenever
| failed. which frequently did in 1870.
and ALWAYS during the summers of The
three succeeding wears. | suffered cruel
torture, which | will de>cribe-iuring the
first wear not more than three times Il day;
but the three succeeding wears often four
times dav. sometimes for three months
In succession: and locked in my little
filthy, damp cell every Sabbath. while
other men enjoyed the liberty of the
yard
The instrument of torture WAS one cuin-
monlv used hy overseers of SLAVES. and
consisted OF n strap of harness. or sole
leather. seventeen inches In length. Two
and Il quarter inches in width, and hait
an inch In thickness. of the hardest, halt
tanned leather. The bitterness felt toward
me WAS such. bv employees from ihe low
e>t strata in the community, thai. though
NV health had been much reduced during
I CraigS three wears. from The inferior lTi--
on-tood and Neglect IN bedtlin. ami cloth
H.. and beng IN every WAY much iie in
!. terlor in physical power 10 Il majority OF
the workmen. >till there w.ls no mitigation
of INV burden.
During the wear 1850. | w:,s flogged
with the strap. after june. Frequently
three times day. ranging from iwo 10
fifty or sixty stripes During the three
succeeding wears. after my t;~h had gone
up 50 lar beyond nv reach that | could
entertain no hope of success, and while
for three months of each Wear mv weight
stood at about ll9 pounds. and | wa> 80
weak that could hardly dr:i@ mvSelf up
a flight ot stairs without supporting my
self with my hands upon my KNEES, have
been ilog-ed four times a day with that
strap. with all their might. upon mly max
ed body. .blackeninc the whole surface from
Iust above the knees 10 the lumbar reeions,
glNNRAN SaiNll lhss 40 one
hundred stripes; AT one time lu.1. throw
lng the PARTICLES of flesh and blood 10 the
distance of Id feet upon the wall. All
summer lon@ my body has exhibited ihis
appearance from this cause: and for no
other excuse than that did moi complei,
my task because w;ls TOO weak. TOO sick
= 10 do -.
Often have endured these fortunes un-
ill they have inflicted sixty stripes. with
ont a motion or a groan. while every ten
stripes excited the pains of death
All this time w:lS toiling with all INV
might, every thread of my garments Wet
with perspiraiion, and while suffering
from di>punca and asthma - that the
whole iirm;ument seemed sn umbounded
vacuum. in which not one breath of air
stirred
Often have resolved. and | have As Of
ten revoked the resolve. while writing
unier the Lash, 10 make resistance, AMI
die if | must Often have wished that
no one loved me; then sroud re>i-i.-
Often, early in the morning, sitting sup
ported 10y my own pillows, bought with
the money of my dear friends, when the
busy city, the barking dogs, and the great
bell indicated the return ot dav. | have
wished for one hours sleep-i have pray
ei and eourted Death, thai lac might deal
one kind blow upon INV heart, and cnl
the torture--Rcr. Cdit1n EairLaal, az In
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