Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-18
TRANSIT OF REBEL PRIsoNBRE.
A Large DeIegat.On OF Prisoners Pas.
Through the City-1heir Appear
Ruee, Spirit, de.

auee, Spirit dc.
A special train from Toledo Brought to
this city, yesterday afternoon, five hun
dred rebel prisoners from the barracks in
Rock leland, Illinois. They were under
command of Captain j. Amerine, 4th
United States Veteran Reserves, and at
tended by a guard about fifty strong.
As soon as they could be transfer
red to the Pittsburgh train they left over
that rosd, en- route for City Point to be ex-
changed.
They were wonderfully sorry-looking
crowd of men and boys, and what with
their variegated clothing, barring the brill
liant hues, presented as picturesque sight,
we dare say, as any which the Italian
towns could present. The six hundred
who passed through here on Tuesday night
were, as we have said, a fine looking COM
paDy, hsle and hearty, every one. But the
Johnnies of yesterday came rightfully by
their woe-begone appearance, as they were
eonvalescents, all or nearly all of them
and had been recently cullsd out Of the
hospitals.
II Carlyle had seen these men before be
wrote 81 Sartor Resartus, +" the sight of their
garments would have given rise to several
more quaint reflections than those he has
left as in that unique and immortal disserta-
ton on the philosophy of clothes. There
was nearly every modern and ancient STYLE
freck coats, dress coats, surtouts, rounda-
bouts, sacks, wamuses, and, in the sb-
seuce of these, sha Wis which aped, not in
the dirt and grease grained in, but in cut
and manner of wearing, the toga of old
There was every color, black gray, white,
brown and butternut, but the colorS were
faded and threatened to go out entirely ,leaT-
ing the clothing nothing but pure transpa-
rency. On the garments was patch on
patch, we know not how many strata deep
giving the wsarers a decidedly novel
aspect. 1t has not been settled how
far the process and expedient oi
patching can be carried; perhaps the tail
ors have q theory corresponding with that
of railroad engineers and machinists, who
affirm that an engine lasts forever by viz
tue of being re-patched, and thus re-
newed; but one is inclined to become
skeptical of the tailOr-t theory, viewing the
extreme limit to which these rebels have
carried it. We saw some Of the gsyest
feats of tailoring, carried to successful issue
by necessity, the mother of expedientS and
invention, but which would have made
Brummell crazy.
The most noticeable feature of the liv-
ing tablesux was the youthful appearance
of the prisoners. They were mostly youths
or very young men. Care, hardships and
other agents had left lines on their faces
which gave them an oldish and stOlid
look, bat the proportion of bearded mel
was very, very small. The large majority
had apparently never shaved. A number
of boys were in the ranks, who could not
have been over fifteen or sixteen years o
age. There were not moro than half g
dozen whose heads or boards were silvered
There were also but few who bore inteli
gent faces. The sight of that column wal
pitiful, for while one, oo reflection,
kneto that the bsipgs herded there were
men, suspicion lurked in the mind all the
while, that they were a flock OF erect
gOats-ssve the beard.
Perhaps it was the effect Of sickness, bu
their eyes were almost universally lack
lustre, and the men seemed to have lost al
their FIRE. One or two were noticed to kin.
die at the impertinent remarks made By
some inconsiderate, bOOrish On-loOkers, bu
the Hinety-nine hundredths of them heard
the jests, banter and foolish, cruel criti-
cisms as if they heard it not, or had mind
too mouldy TO understand and resent i
with fash of spirit through the eye. The
only activity they manifested was tina! pro
voked by the approach Of the restaurant
women bearing bread and cakes, and BY
the desire to get seat, and the best seatt
or squatting places, in the cars. They
seemed to have the spirit of selfish compe-
tition keen as ever, and their digestive or.
gans in prime condition. They seemed K
have no antipsthy to the Yankees. twas
impossible to read ineradicable hate of the
Yankee race on their faces or in their man
ners. They appeared quits like brethren,
and one had the feeling and conviction in
their presence, that the chasm between the
North and the masses of the South is geo
graphical only, as peoples ideas, faiths,
customs, virtues and vices usually are, and
that The antagonism between the two sec
tions 10 in reality not vital, personal and
sincere, but accidental and purely mechan-
ical.
A slight episode occurred while the
prisoners were mounting the coaches. The
musket of one of the guards, stationed on
the side of the train opposite the prisoners,
went of with loud report. The Clothes
Of one of the huckster women, in passing,
had caught on the hsmmer and discharged
the piece. Happily no one was hurt. The
officer in command instantly famed with
rage, and ordered the guards to clear the
space of looksrs-on. He calculated several
choice words and phrases, with strong
German accent, whereupon his head was
wrapped in an aureola, after the manner
of saints, but his was Ofa blush color, and
the olor was powerfully sulphurous.
There are six or seven thousand prison
ers in the barracks in Rock Island, waiting
fos exchange, and another delegation may
arrive here any day.
Kansas Let 'er.