Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-05-25
Mls sCELlANEo US.
Prison Life During the Late War.

The Gooason Gazette makes the following
facetious notice of prison life during the late
war:
Some ex-Federal soldier has recon tly pub>
lished book upon his prison experiences at
Andersonville and elsewhere, dilating upon
the horrid cruelties practised by the nspeak-
able rebels upon the Union braves. We sun
pose that this book has been brought out in
this election year as much with a view of in
hueucing the Presidential election as of res
cording the truth Of history. This whole
story of prison life, indeed, is one of sinpu-
lar interest, az showing how much better
people the Yankees are than the Rebels
We ourself were 10 several of tho Northern
prisons during the last year of tho war. and
can testify to the brosd and philanthropic
Plan W on which these delightful resorts were
carried op. How it was elsewhere we do not
profess to know. but at Fort Delaware, Morris
Island and Fort Pulaski, things we're pretty
much the same with tho prisoners as thew
would have been at a frst-class hotel. The
ouly trouble was that eating too much, with
too little exercise, caused tho death of sew
erai prisoners from surfnit. The barracks
were built in the most scientifically correct
s'y 10 OF architecture, SD as to combine beauty
OF appeance with commodiousness and hy-
stories high the most elegant elevators were
provided for the use Of prisoners. The finest
linen and the most feccy blankets were pro,
vided for the beds and several lauudresses
were executed at Fort Delaware. during our
snJourn there, for failiEg TO do up shirts ac>
cordiug to :he regulation style of elegance
Tho breakfast bell was rung every morning
at seven O clock in summer, and one honr
later in winter. The prisoner, upon rising,
found his boots nicely blrcked. his shaving
water ready, and a cherry fro blazing brisk
ly in his CRATE. IT he chose to breakfast in
his apartment he had only to ring his bell.
send for tho gentcmanly sergeant in charge
OF the dining room, and his toast and oysters
or porter house steak, or fresh shad las tho
case might be) were at once sent in to him.
Most of US. however, preferred breakfast.
ing at the tad|e a. hote for tho sake of the
company both of our comrades, and that of
tho biSh>toned aud gentlcmhnly Fedcrals
hundred>days men and bounty jumpers
whose duty it was to wait upon us. The din
ners were always excellent although there
was occasionally complaint made by some of
Arkansans or Missourians of the quality of
the wines furnished by the authorities.
These misguided men preferred corn whiskey
| as dinner drink, to the AmontilIado sherry
or Clos Vougeot which were the regular
thing on the prison table. Some men are SO
hard to satisfy. Upon referring the matter
TO the secretary OF war Ohe sainted StAnton)
he forced them. with unparalleled brutality.
to take French brandy instead of whiskey.
For this instance Of oppression to prisoners
he has been severely reprobended by the
more humane of his countrymen. The cook
ing was done by small army of assistants.
under the direction of a French chef de cu>
hnl4 tIa
tenant Colonel in the Commissary Depart
ment. Among the arrivals there was eIwavs
some complaint about the methods of prepar>
ing food, at first they preferring the old timc
Southern ways of cooking to the uaaccus-
toned stcws, ragouts, entrees. &C., of the
French chcf They would soon become rec
oncicd. however, and We have learned that
since the close of the war nearly every indi-
vidusl Confederate who was an inmate of n
northern prison has either employed French
cook or Joined the staff of some hotel kent
in the European style.
OF evenings after tea, we were reo1;red to
assemble in the prison parInrs in full dress.
to listen to the private concerts there pro,
vded for US. The post qusrtcrmssters were
made to furnish swallow tails, white ties aud
white kid gloves to such of the prisoners as
did not have these articles on at the time of
N-'~'' Ou hut UoSss uSDlDH e1CuT-
sions. picnics and visits to places of interest
| in the neighborhood of the respective pris-
ons at government expense, added another
charm to this idyllic existence. As result
OF all this, when peace was declared it was
with great difficulty that ex-rebel prisoners
could be made to return to their homes and
to their former modes of life. The humane
spirit of the officials in charge of them of
course forbade resort to stenuous means to
accomplish This desired end. and it was only
after the discontiDuance of all picuics, cx-
cursions. &c, and the taking away of wine
from the daily bill of fare that these mis-
guided people could be induced to return to
their homes In fact. some Of them never
did leave. In marked contrast to this was
the manner in which the Union braves were
treated by the brutal rebels. We have not
space to go into this subject as il shonld be
gone into, bat have to refer our readers TO
books that have been published in the North
upon the subject. This article is written in
the interests of truth, and with no reference
to the Presidential election.