Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-06-27
LIBBY AND ANDERsoNvILLE
a Modern BastIIe -lEiIItary Be
neVOlenCe.


gerated representations of Wirz-how he
was pen-drawn as an inhuman looking
monster, OF most hideous and revolving
! aspect. 1t was not true, but the country
believed it, and attributed to the ruth
less turnkey the most atrociOus enormi-
TICS thst most extravagsnt visions Of
hasheesh and opium would fail to equal.
! The young men who were arrested at
! Columbus, Ga, on suspicion Of being
edncernad in the murder of Ashburn
nd We So all that Wirz was repre-.
sab t.d - ~ hThe editor Of the Atlanta
! C1nstj,,,t;oS mas been to see him, and on
a, ~ }, ;,,s w . s-,.,9 Sl}SSa,
description, and a sketch Of what else
was seen during the visit:
On arriving at the Barracks, which
are nothing more than circle OF we'll
/ built and cOmmodious wooden buildings,
/ enclosing the old race track, we were DO
liteIy received by Maj. --, by whom
we were treated, throughout, with uni
1 form courtesy. 1t was not long, how
ever, before another party hove in view
/ and was introduced as MIR. Whitley.
| The appearapce of this man was any
thing but prepossessiDg. He is about
! five feet eleven inches long, and distress
ugly angular 10 his physical conforms
ton. Ony, eely and SLIM eyes grey
aud very close together; long, sharp
teeth Of pearIy wbiteness; nair so closely
cropped that nit could not hide itself
therein; face about the width OF con-
sumptive's hand; knees curved forward
nd = ~ q
down easter: but withal well dressed
aad excessively Rffable. This Govern
Zae1t Defecfiue struck us at once as the
verv peisJnIfication of all that is mean
and contemptibe. He looked like an
escaped convict in disguise, who is labor
ing under the apprehension that some
body might recognize him.
This igdividual undertook to show us
around in the capacity Of turnkey. The
prisoners are entirely under his control, !
and whatever he commands shan be |
done with them, the military are bound !
to obey.
We were first invited into an ante
room about ten by twelve, in which were |
confined five OF the Columbus prisoners, |
including Sergeant Marshall. These |
seemed to be doing very well. Upon |
asking enc of the number, Lawrence, |
how he was treated, he replied Pretty |
we'll, except the confinement" This
room was sufficiently ventilated, and the
door which opened into hall filled with
soldiers aud skirted with guns, was left
siar. We noticed the remains of dinner
upon q table, among which were frag-
neDts Of soda crackers.
Returning to the hall through the same
door by which we entered the apartment
where the FIVE we're confined, passage
Wav about four feet wide met the view,
and ranged along the left wall of which
might be seen the line of heavy wooden
doors opening into the prison cells. Our
turnkey opened No. ], which contained
the person Of the prisoner, Mr.. Roper.
The cell is exactly ten by two So feet,
end answers in every respect to the de-
scripiiOn heretofore given in this journal
Besides Mr.. Roper and Misery, there
were in the rOon a thin mattress
stretched on the floor, tobacco box, q
newspaper, and nothing else. 1t must
be borne in mind that the cells were ORR
ginally ten by six feet, and have recently
been divided by partition, in which
there is small door admitting, when
of er-communicatien. The
outer door commands the entrance to
both cub divisions.
No. 2 contained Messrs. Barber and
Cash. The former seemed rather Uucer-
tain as to our status, and evidently
looked upon our visit with suspicion.
Nor do we blame him in the least, for 1t
IS reported that strange parties have
sought and obtained interviews with the
unfortunate prisoners. Barber is a
trump He is not man to be coWed,
we think. nor will the Government de-
teetives make much out Of him. Wig
gins and Wood occupied the remaining
cells. The latter has but one arm, and
was recognized as n conscript officer on
duty ct Augusta during the war. The
prisoners all complained Of having suf-
fered from the excessive heat, but said
that they had enough to eat, such as it
was.
Messrs. Bedell, KiTsky and Chipley
quarters in another building, and ,
are comparatively comfortable. Upon
these latter several friends called during
our stay.
Not one word was addressed by US to
the prisoners in the cells which was not
overheard by the detective, who stuck to .
ls like q fiy-blister but he failed to
draw US to HIM. He was, however, very I
willing apparently to allow the prisoners
anything in the way of provisions which
friends would send, but added that thus
far nothing Of the kind had been con-
He remarked that those in :
the cell got soldiers rations. One of
them exhibited to US a piece of bakers
bread, left over from the evening before, ,
and complained that he could not eat it.
Il is not the matter of bread so much
that we complain OF, as the sitting cells,
too small for pigmy, in which citizens
Of Georgia are stored away like hogs,
and subjected to the vile espionage and
Insulting overtures Of 3 hireling monster
In human shape, whose province it is to
make money out OF the blood Of the in
lGcent,
The Euaaw Prisoners. !