Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-14

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the ios. sQssiic portion Of the tosn knosn as
Rockets. ose sees among the many large ware
houses. used without exception for the storage OF
tobscco . certain one more irregular than the
rest AZ archvsy leads into IL, sud upon the
outside Of The second story windows runs loug
ledge or footway. whereupon sentries used 10
stride. guarding the miserable people within
This il the jail Of Castle Thuoder. and it was
the civil or state prison Of the capital. Ill as
were The ccommodstions OF prisoners Of var,
the reatment of their own unodending citizens
by the rebel government vas ten times more IN
famous We could not repress indignation. nor
By any philosophic or charitable effort excuse the
atrocious tyranpy which here lashed, chained.
hsndcuffed. tortured. shot and hung hundreds of
people uhom it could rot stultify or impress
We mar grant that the confederacy had become
a govesn ment; that in it, perilous incipiency il
had apology for severity and rigor with all NAL
contents; that in its own struggle for life OF
death IL might, in self defense. absorb all private
liberty. but even thus the terrible testimony OF
this Castle Thunder IL an everlasting stigma
upon the southern cause. We enter its strong
portals, and there In the new commandsnts room
lays the record left behind By the confederate.
It's pages made one shudder.
These are some ofthe entries
George Barton-giving food to federal ptis
oners OF war: forty lashes upon the bare back
Approved. Sentence Carried into effect uly 81.
"Pe<er b. Innis--passing forged government
notes; chain and ball for twelve months; forty
lashes q day. Approved.
Arthur Misunderstanding TO desert 20 the
enemy; sentenced to be shot Approved Car
ried into effect March 26,h.
'Jehn Morton -com municating With the enc
ny: TO be hung. Approved Carried into effect
Ia an inner room there arc some fifty pairs Of
balls and chains, with suklets and handouts upon
them, which have bent the spirit and body Of
many q resisting heart. Within two con
demned cells perfectly dark-s faded cap over
the window peep hole--the smell from which
would knock strong man down.
For In their centre lies the sink. ever open, and
The floors are ssppy with uncieaniiness. To the
right of these. door leads 10 n walled yard not
forty feet long. nor fifteen vide, overlooked by
/. the barred windows of the main prison rooms.
and b. sentry boxes upon the wall top. Here
the wreiches uere shot and hung in sight of their
trembling comrades. The brick wall at the loot
of the yard is SCARED aud crushed by balls ard
bullets which first passed through some human
heart and wrote here their damniBg testimony
The gallows bad been suspended from wing in
the ledge, and IN mid air the impotent captive
swung. none daring or willing 20 say good word
for hin, and not for any oHe0Se against God
Law. uot for wrosging his n.ighbor. or -hedd ~
blood. or making his kind miserable. but Tor
standing in the way OF an uDsiart organization
which his impulse aud bis judg ment alike impell
ed him 10 oppose
This little yard, bullet marked close. and shut
from all sympatny. Is 10 the ghastiiest spot in
the world. Can Nj. Davis visit il and pray a.
be does so deyoutly siterwardY When men plead
the justice of the south. AMI arguments are
prompt favor the IN, let this prison ward rise up
and say that DO such crimes 10 liberty's name
have ever been committed on this continent. at
least. Up stairs in Castle Thunder there are Two
or three large roOms, barred and dimls liz, and
two or three series o: condemned cells, pent CT
end pitchy, where. by n refinement of cruelty
the ceiling has been built low 20 that DO mar
can stand upright Here fifteen or twenty were
crowded together. and in lhe burning atmospher,
they stripped themselves stark naked, so thai
when in the mornings the cell doors opene(
they came forth as from the grave begging fo
death. There are women's cells, too; for thi
great and valiant government recognized EomeI
as belligerents, aud locked them up close TO
sentry's cartridge, that in the bitterness of sol
itude they were unsexed, and rallied, and bias
phemed like wanton things. The payements be
tore The Jail were hidden 10y remOrseless guard.
who shot at every rag huttering from the cages
and all this little circle of death in life was en-
acted close TO the light, river, aud under the GOV
er OF that high csplol where bold men held th,
sinews OF sar TO wiring from reluctant union
little path Of arrogant Independence 20 rein civil
liz.ton az they pleased. and warp toe desiinles o
our race. Nov Only few renegade soldiers III
in Castle Thunder. The capiives who survived
the fame Of the city made perilous descen
frem the windoss ard scaled the dead walls
LIBBY PRISON
The horrors OF the Libby are not yet whOli-
past Ii is o horrible place even now; not fev
of our officers and men, confined there AZ differ
ent periods during the war. have visited il since
TO recall series of shuddeTing experiences in TIL
presence OF kindred facts: ore has. in the comp
ny OF . former occupant. but little diff
Guilty in appreciatiDg the recent situation. Ii,
angements are all simple A child could fnc
It's way through the building without losing itself
A square three stored brick warehouse. With 4
low conical roof. the interior divided into yer,
large bsrn-lke apartments for the accomnoda
ton Of large companies. That is not quite all
for these apartments are so peculiar in some re
spects that the word barn Is not quite significant
barn, II IL IL 8 respectable barn. Is ususll,
clean air Is generally let into IT, iis ceilings ar.
high; -it is pleasant 10 stroll into TO watch %,
cattle at their feed, TO throw one self upon th,
fragrant hay, to slip into a revere with wisp o
grass between ones lips. TO sleep, ''perchance Il
dream"-in all these regards a barn has ad
vantage the LIBBY; for the Libby IL neither
clean nor we'll ventilated, nor are lis ceiling,
high nor is IL pleasant ia any degree " hatever
It's erior alone is so stOlid aud cherries e
cause IN involuntary sinking of the heart i
looks ike a great cruel c-ge. as it il. The win
dows are small. narrow aud closely barred. The
walls are battered. aud foul ruins and broken
down shanties surround Il. st distance th
canal runs behind H. The guards intercollegiate
fully sportsmanlike creatures who kept wstcl
for = pop the miserable wretches who ~er
so unfortunate as to appear a. the sindows-hs'
goodly space to patrol about all the four eide
"A dull walk, certainly. They needed. poo
devils, the stimulus OF an occasional shot Il
keep up spirits which otherwise would certsinl
have Jagged.
The interior OF Libby now according to-
charming poetcsl justice. well stocked will
rebel prisoners--is. while not half as bad as i
was still very bad. The scrutbing- brush. which
hzs been diligently used by the pleased John
MES since their confinement. has not yet SUI
fced to remove all the filth rom the floors sn,
walls; the air although plentifnly sdmitie.
through all the vindows has not yet gotten III
upper hand of a certain lsztar house odor whicl
must be smeit 20 be appreciated, but never 10 b.
described The Offices aud cells. dAmnabl,
places all, are on the first foor, the drawing
rooms or large apartments before alluded 10 az
above Let Us ascend The stairs are no. o
the most complete description. aud are thick ],
csked over with 6irt-a oenehcent cOntriSauce O
the humane warden 10 prevent the prisoners ice
from, sloninr The lsr4ar house stencil, as you