Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-26
Correspondence.
Belte Island 50djH,

EttWOT ITQNStIIV
l notice in the TRANSCRIPT Of the
9th inst, an attempt by ii c p" 10
correct my former article in relation TO
the loo ion of Belle Isle. He says he is
"glad of an opportunity to acknowledge
the CORE ct on. for although the island
described may tie the Belle Isle of fact,
it is not the Belle Isle of history, and
not the island on which our prisoners.
later than the Spring of 1862, were con-
fined
If + am To understand 10y this state
mcnt that the island described in my
former communication is not the Belle
"wage war; with al G p" He says il
is mo the island on which our prison
ers, later than the Spring of 1862, were
confin cd This also Is n mi take. Vita
in September of that year, where | had
passed good part of the summer.
There are now living i'll this and adj
Joining counties, large number who
came away With me; they may have
/ noticed my former article, and will bo
able to decide who is mistaken. II
names ere required | can give them,
and also the names of tho-e, not many
miles away, who had occasion to visit
the me island a: prisoners a. lale
as the autumn and winter of 1853
and 1864. To those who have had the
sweet pleasure of visiting that island
and its surroundings for many months
at different times, the statement Of " II
c p" will be surprising.
will venture to say that no one ever
heard of his Belle Isle, by that name du'
ring the war. any one will take tho
trouble to look up the files of Hdrper''
Weekly or Frank Leslic's, soon after tho
war closed, they will find picture o.
Bell Isle, with quite lengthy article
corresponding very nearly with the
description have given. 1t is an easy
and mistaken, and ii is not surprising
that "H. c. p" should be in this fiS
himself. From my personal eXperienc'
| think | know where the Bell Isle o
fact and history is located, and thinl
there are many not far away who vii
corrobo4 ate all / have written.
In relation to the thigh bridge
mentioned formerly, l have since beef
informed that it was burned when Rich
mond was evacuated. l still think m.
, description of the bridge os it U0s, i
not extravaganza. AS day after day ant
month after mOlth, within a short di
lance, and in plan view, l watched til
, heavy trains of Confederate troops, wit
artillery G'--i>....ti,.us uiuosinS,
think am able to describe the bridg
as it was. Many are the speculation
| in which the boys INDUCED, to destrO
it, if they could have been permitted t
f have swan from the Island to the bridg
with kegs Of powder, to place in til
massive abutments, &C., the rest can b
. coniectured.
| never was at the .redegar works
and don't pretend to know the direction
tn river runs over there. 1t must
more than half mile wide at hat oint
filled with bays and small lands, an
it would tie difficult for any one to Civ
the precise direction, and l think tn
pc MS of compass ] have named are a
correct as can be given.
| intend no "brcach of courtesy i
, charging name the writer did MT rs
sume," found the name elsewhere il
the san paper in which the letter wa
published, associated with it, and care
lessly used the name, for which l mus
apologize. With this l abandon tn
contest, only to be renewed when sha
be able to accept the friendly invitation
of" III. G. P.' to " Go over the disput
ed grounds together, and make a join
report"
Yours. as ever,
e ST. ALBANs. Feb. %, 1869