, 1865-10-30
J OW SlEIlA OUE3c=i'ouuEUt-
WlTuS THE S1ocEAuE,

I
F1cnEscE, S. e.. 0ct. Is, 1876.
Docs it seem adectation that date rny let
ter from "Withln the Stockudc'' Mt this
plaeicc!s At least w1i;c Ii thcre-wtlto /, IN
my note book, on my knee, sitting on block
Of wood, In ono Of the lut houses built by the
hands oi those who served tho cause of Union
und Liberty In the prisons Of Secs
sion and Slavery-write it to the accompanl.
mcnt Of glarins lightning and crashing thuu.
der and driving rain. VIII these mud walls
shutter me through the storm Of this hot Sun
day afternoon! I cannot forget that they
have sheltered mcn who perlAed vastly moro
than ccsc aud comfort and rs look through
the hole that they called t'door," and SEQ
the acres of such barbaric but sanctiaed habita-
tious, lit reyercnt heart Of Thanksgiving to
Him who gave liz the victory and blessed the
struggle and suffering of that great ar1ny
througg b whom We have National unity and
the assured promise Of universal freedom.
FLORENCE
Is Eanne rathcr than q place-or, say, point
ut which three railroads centre, rather than a
town. There is hotel and church and a
machine shop, md two so called stores and
three bar.rooms and twenty-five or thirty resi-
dences, and great pine forest. There Is q
long broad sttee: at one end Of which Is the
hotel-n ecne;Ehnt pretcntious two-story
wood building, with wide and lofty piazza
in front, and an mgainly tower In the centre.
At the further end Of the street are the stores
and the machine shop. Midway arc the
npothecary's and the hospital, and a vacant
law office. Back Of this street, in the pincs,
arc the dwellings which constitute the town,
The three railroads hare common starting
point just In front Of the hotel. Passengers
from Wilmington to Charleston reach herc
about seven in the evening, and leave abort
three in the morning, after paying two Glol1ars
each for supper and lodging Of d passably
good character. Passengers from Charleston
to Wilmington reach here a. the snmc hour,
for the support Of The landlord. Those from
Columbia get supper here, and are taxed one
dollar. Those for Chcraw are Obliged to dis
lprsc three dollars for supper, lodging and
breakfast. The town Is, therefore, 4 ralroad
cating-honsc with sleeping rooms attached.
Sitnnted at the Intersection OF the great
cross line Of railroad with the great const line,
about one hundred miles from either VIII
1nfcgton or Charleston, and about seventy
five miles from either the coast or Columbia,
II wa5 peculiarly adapted for the location and
safety Of prison.
TEE ST0CKADE
is abont a mile and l,an north Of cast from
tho hotel, about third Of mile from the
railroad, and near the centre Of q great open
as t'thc old field" The field is sandy, roll
ing, fencelcss, frrcgularly- shaped tract Of so
ncfes, moro or less, which probably nj some
time formed the tillab1c portion of two or
thrce plantations, mostly given up to turpcn.
tine and resin making; The stockadc Is
and some scEcnty-0yc rods long, east and
west, containing, perhaps, sixteen or seven
teen acres. Through the middle of this en-
closure, from north to south, flows little
stream Of water, five or SIX feet in width and
four or five inches In depth. It Is g swiftly
running stream, and the water has not ln-
pleasant taste. From either end tho prison.
pen slopes. OF to this brook-makiny five or
tix acres Of low, lnarshy ground, lying princi-
ra1ly cast OF the stream, full OF stnE-hotcs aud
stasnant waters, and miasmatic odors and
malarial iuflueuces--the breeding-place OF
agnes and fevers, md typho1ds and rheumatic
comp1nints-the rank nnd pestileEons home Of
disease and death, than which helllsh malfg-
mtg could scarcely liayo fashioned one more
fit TO Tho purpose Of that foul TREASON which
laid Its foundation in slavery and sought to
enthronc Rnpine and Anarchy rs twin dcities
in the lind Of LAW and Liberty!
Everything remains as the rebels left It
WEen lAE4 G*AItAt&u E1u.cnEe-iG Gn1aAA9 = =
most ds It WIS when these hillsides swarmeeas
. ---'th our soldier prisoners. On the east and
On tho vcst. twenty rods or 80 distant from
The wills. ore the ionE lines Of carthworks
reaching away to the timber On either side,
and fur down in front Of these again are the
numerous liie-pits commanding the advance
for nearly hundred rods The natn entrance
to The stockade was at tho northwest corner
Scar this ccrncr we're the log houses Of the
sunrd, and half dozen small ovens. The
barracks stand almost as they did when last
occupied, but the houses over the ovens have
been burned. Jnst North Of this entrance Is
handsomc little grove Of q dozen trees, among
which get remain the benches and stools oi
the officers Of the guard Fiffy feet IN front
Of the middle Of The northern wall was the
lag-staE whence loated the banner OF treason
md slnrcry. Its stump only remains, md 10y
nj and disloyal nike cut chips OF menento
thcrefrom. Across the pcstilcntial qua gmtre,
beyond the northeast corner, Is another de-
serted village of log houses-houses Of the
! guard for tic rear Of the prison.pcn, not one
| OF which has been touched. I went among
thcm With tho wonder II s3me long haired,
lean bodied, leering-cycd johnnie might not
spring out with ready musket and bid me halt;
and, sure enough, from one Of them suddenly
q moment, md then strude away with d
swinging and defiant step. In the southeast
! corner Of the pen was the rear entrance
| thence the prisoners went 10 fetch wood. q
| duzcn cords Of which get lie piled only tlyeor
| six rods away
I \ Tho walls of he stoekade arc nltecn feet
| hi.l. built of unhewn logs some nine or ten
! inches in diameter, set deeply in the ground,
| T1lis solid wall Of oak and pine logs ia 1mbro
I kcn,except By the gate openings and the quas
| n,ir-the matshy ground necessitating thu
substitution Of stout board fence Tor th'