Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-27
Jeff. Davis and his Fellow Pris-
ouers.

Jeff. Davis ana MS reno" Ffis-
oners.
The Fortress Monroe correspondent of
the New York Herald says that the
health of Davis is much impaired, and
that if he keeps up his present prison
habits and dependency he cannot live
six weeks longer One of his eyes is
almost totally blind and the other is
greatly impaired. He lately requested
to see a chaplain, and after chaplain
Kerfoot had read in the Bible and prayed
with him, Davis appeared to be in much
better spirits than he had been for some
time before. He spends much time per
using the Bible, this being all the read
ing allowed him. The correspondent
gives the following account of the daily
habits and routine of the prisoners:
Life in prison is necessarily monoto-
nous. With few it has ever been more
so than with Davis. He rises pretty
early usually at o'clock in the morn
ing. He lakes bath the first thing,
using salt water at first and winding
up with fresh water. His bathing facil-
tiles are limited, consisting of com
mon wash tub half filled with salt
water wash basin of fresh water,
coarse towels and soap, An army
blanket he converts into a temporary
screen, and battles behind this. He is
not very particular about his toilet, the
fashion Of Combing his hair and all
that, but is exact upon the subject Of
cleanliness Of his under-ClOthing sheets,
towels, &c, Bath and toilet completed,
he reads his Bible, and at half-past eight
has his breakfast This is served him
from Dr.. Craven's table. The statement
in some OF the papers that a daughter
Of Br. Craven brings him his food is in
correct. 4 soldier brings his meals to
him, Tea, toast and an egg or two, or
broiled steak, usually make up his
breakfast. His appetite is very varia-
BILE. General Miles may call in to see
him and pas I few words, or the officer
of the guard may have something to
say for only these two except his ply
sician, DR.. Craven, and the chaplin, of
course when he calls, are allowed to
speak to him.
In conversation he has BETRAYED an
anxiety and even determination to dis.
cuss the subject of the impossibility Of
ever convicting him of treason. He
throws himself back upon the question
of state rights as his main point of de-
Tense. For some time finding that all
the discussion was on his own side, he
has kept silent on the subject. Except
these interruptions in the wav of con.
versations, which, it will be understood,
are not daily by any means, he passes
most of his time till half past o. m,
his dinner hour, in looking at the win
dow. He smokes his pipe occasionally.
but is no great smoker He says that
much smoking makes him too nervous.
After dinner he passes the time as be-
fore. He has super at half-past O'clock
and then directly goes to bed. He
sleeps pretty soundly, but more so for
merly than latterly. At first the light
kept burning in the room all night
troubled him, but he has become used
to it and makes no complaint on the
subject now, as perhaps he knows it
would do 10 good if he did. There is
every reason to believe that the execu-
tion Of the assassination COnSpirators in4
Washington has been communicated to
Davis within the past three or four DAYS.
1t Is certain that a great and marked
change has come over him, and to his
undoubted knowledge of this execution
the change is attributed His food is of
the best quality, he has abundance of
pure air, and there is no special reason
otherwise accounting for present gloom
mess and decreasing health.
Every day Mr. Clay is improving in
health. He still takes his morning
hours walk, and is in greatly improved
physical condition on account of it. DR.,
Bancroft feeds him on hospital diet yet
in fact his constitution is in no cOndi-
ton to stand stronger food. He is very
lively and chatty if he can get any one
70 talk with him, and hopeful as to the
future.
Nothing seems to affect the PHYSIQUE
OF Mitchell. He is apparently in as good
health as on the day he was brought
here; he goes barefoOted most of the time
and takes things coolly and quietly. His
manners are not conciliatory, nor calcu-
lated to attach friends to him. [ am
told that he has not lately expressed
any fears as to ithe president pressing a
pardon upon him.