New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-08

instance In which prisoners have been held, 40 vs
were, who had been paroled regularly w an ec-
credited agent Of exchange ct regular point Of en-.
change. For the most honorable exception made
in our favor feel thankful to the Rebels generally
and int vidually Their whole history is one OF in.
humanity, and their name is perhdy
TIE LIBBY prison.
For the first four months after our arrival IL
Richmond we were confined with the Union officers
in tho notorious Libby, materially considered the
least obnoxious of any OF the seven prisons VIC had
the honor to occupy during our twenty months Of
bondage. The conduct Of the officers, especially Of
little puppy named Ross, and a vulgar brute call
ing himself Richard Turner, the inspector, was 50
tyrannical and cowaraay as TO render tho place nj
times almos. insupportable. This fellow Turner
was formerly "plug ugly" in Baltimore, under.
stand, and is norclative OF Major lhcmasP. Turner
the commandant, though the das;ardly conduct and
extteme cruelty of the latter proves them to Ia
spiritual brothers.
Albeit generally opposed to violence, trust some
of OF officers will be able to make their threats
good, and hang any one or all Of shat trio. Indeed,
If any of the fellows who have servcd IN sppren'
ticoshp Of rufiiaDsm in the Libby sboald be exc
cuted at any time in the future, shouid regard
sach execution as a righteous oct. Tie world IL
worse fer their existence and better FOR their DEATH
At the Libby we were compelled to keep OUT
quarters clean ourselves, and cook our own food-
to do the work Of menials and scallioas under tho
most adverse and obnoxious circumstances. Thert
was no need of this, as there were dozens OF free
negroes in the prison, whom the Rebe.3 had stolen
from the Northern armies, aud who would gladly
have performed such Offices; but the Southern bluS
terers and DULLES were anxious to degrade the gem
tleen they held in custody to tie level OF servant:
and scavengers.
| When the weather was intensely hot, ard thcIat
mospherc Of the prison 50 vit.ated and mrphtie
that 1t seemed as if We could rot live in it, the
selfstyled "chivslry" wouid lot permit us to go
upon the roof for few minutes after slnset to OBJ
tain few breaths of interrupted air. IEey drove
US down repeatedly, with barbafous threats o. th'
event of our continued Offending d
| CASTLE IEUSDEE.
| On the I'd Of September, 1863, Mr.. Richardson and
mys self were transferred to Castle Thunder, which
mad very bad reputation in hichmOnd, aud where
even the papers of that city declared al manner Of
cruelies had been pract.ccd. There Rebel con
victs, Northern deserters and citizens, Southern
Union men and negroes persons Of the worst char
acter, were confned and though We were put id
the ieast disagreeabc apartment tbs absence Of al
most all cultivated or well.bred men, who were, Of
course, numerous among our officers, made thu
change undesirable; although lcss tyranny wal
shown, and more privileges we're accorded to Us tha1
in the Libby. Ha.
At the Castle we witnessed vsstdcal Of suferinl
and much inhumanity. but We were gcserally wei
treated by the commandGnt, WHO, Ike most South
erners of education rrstension, drew broad line
of demarcation between what they consider thu
people and tie class ofgent.eren.
There we made all the arrangements for CONCEAL
meat in the houses OF Union men in the city, ant
tried again and again to escape, always falling
through como other agency than our own, until II
seemed as if the gods were against us. MAJ
| named Alfred ". Brengle, Of Frederick City, Mdi
who assumed 10 be very 10y ard exceedingly pioui
played tie spy constantly, and reported TO tht
authorities all persons be sus .ected Of making az
effort for freedom. Toward tho close Of our com
fnement there We were discovered ia an attempt az
Iseifemancipaiion and thrown into = ahy aId
noisome cell, where, after i.rIiaLt, we were re,
turned to our old quarters, and dsy or two aftei
removed, as have said, to Salisbury, n. C., by a
order Of Secretary Scddon.'
SALISBURY pESITl STIARY.
Our transfer TO the Salisbury Penit>ntiary--do
signed as a place of punishment for Southern
soldiers guilty Of military chenscs, and where hog
tagcs sud ali those captyes the Rebels desredN
forget. were commtted-proyej, instead OF az
augmented torture desirable change; for theH
we had the privilege of walking in an open incoSurt
for two hours day, breathing some fresh air and
seeing the sky once more. How we banqueted on
the atnosphe.e-often, indeed, we had little esre1
and Toasted our eyes upon the blue dome, which tN
Rebels had no share in building.
Then and there grew more than ever Worship
per Of Mature; for could behold the same sun thai
had shore On Inc through years Of chance aud
change, and feel the rain had loved from child
hosd upon rIy upturned face, which seemed as III
would never know any other than Heaven 8 tears.
From roll-call in the morning to lite repetition ID
! the afternoon was always in the yard, until my
deadly pallor wore somewhat away, training myself
by walking for the Journey toward Knoxville, which
I vowed if I survived, some day to make.
The room in which We were coufned-there WERE
then only 600 or 200 occupants Of all kinds in tho
prison, formerly cotton factog-wss about ninotJ
by thirty feet and dirier, smoker drearier and
more unwholesome place had never seen. Ut 70
minded me of some old junk-shop in south-st., and
was hung round with filthy rags ta,tcTcd quilts and
blankets, reekng with verrnin, which the ~retehes