The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-12

Gmous Prison PurgatOry, let me quote
l1l .IntiD from my Notebook neither add
.go "a, nor substracting any word there
Ho HIS64 4th July.-The men on the upper
-. Of hunks have cut small, diamond
Jtdned holes in the weather boarding, so
.Lat thew may see what is going on among
.Ia Yankees outside. To-day while the
iT4 0rt was firing a 35-gun salute, in honor of
,Se GLORIOUS Fourth"-the day we cele-
irota, Il climbed to one of these loop-holes
novel sight to see the putfs of white smoke
nonn;nr round the massive walls, as case
,oata after casemate belched forth It's sui
n mr thunder; but my attention was
Eaoajilv attracted elsewhere by an exclama-
snnM*Look at that Yankee beating a
, ~ ~ Such was indeed the case A
ram Of fifteen or twenty privates were haul
mo the heavy blocks of granite from the
wharf across the island, and as they passed
m front of the officers pen, one poor fellow
lacked ND towards our windows and shook
his head. as if to say-''This is weary work,
but we must do it or starve !" The brutal
sergeant who bosses the cart-team, and often
limbs upon the vehicle to add his own
weight to the load, ran to the man and
nonnded him repeatedly over head and
shoulders with his stick-kicking him as he
aid so! The sight made my blood boil, and
I could but wonder how the team restrained
themselves from pitching him into the
canal. Alas long confinement, helpless
ness. starvation, and dependency seem to
take all the manhood out of men, leaving
Them cringing as whipped spaniels. And
vel. perhaps a greater subject for astonish-
ment is the patriotism of these poor, uned-
ucated, humble-born privates, that makes
them willing to submit to such privation
and suffering rather than desert their colors.
have heard that the practice OF beating
prisoners is common GA the other side OF the
prison; but | never before witnessed it.
truly it was an appropriate coincidence that
while the fort was laundering salutes to the
glorious independence Day'-Annlversary
# Freedoms Birth" the brass band on
the parapet playing Hail Columbia, Hap
pv Land and the gridiron-fag futterlng
high over ala brutal foreigner represent
lug the Best government the world ever
Kicking a miserable prisoner, whose enact
ated arms could scarce drag the rope tc
which he clungl Beautiful parody on the
patriotic Stars and Stripes" with Its
story of Liberty to all menu Land o.
the free!' forsoothl Land of the free
niger" perhaps; but brutality and blow:
for the real freeman, who has given VI
home, friends, comfort, -perchance all tha
life holds dear-to battle, and struggle o.
lie tor--the State that his forefathers estab
ushed.
.bh 5fh.-Interesting events The Fed
erals wound up their GLORIOUS fourth las
night with a glorious, or inglorious drlnkln!
spree. 1t was noticed early In the evening
that every officer and private within sigh
We're decidedly tipsey. After dusk the.
could be heard shouting, singing and hue
cupping in most glorious indifference t
listeners.
am glad to add that the little %jollifca
ton cost them half a dozen prisoners; a
Just that number celebrated the occasion
by a dash for freedom and independence,
Individually, and collectively.
The retiring sinks are in rear of the cook
house, built upon posts set In the water
and reached by a narrow walk way of plank
On the fiat roof of the shed, is a sentry post
with also a large locomotive Headlight, al
ranged on a revolving pivot SO that as tn
lantern turns, every foot of surrounding wa
ter becomes illuminated. But the blu
coat sentry was not smart enough, tor tn
grey-backs last night. Six officers (whos
names need not be glVen mere IOr opVlou
reasons, lowered themselves into the wate
under the sinks, and ran the gauntlet OF tn
%SentineIs fire. Each fugitive had a coup,
Of canteens tied around his neck to bel
buoy up his head in the long dark swi'
across the Delaware. Oh that |, too, ha
learned to swim!
1t is astonishing that any parent shou
allow his boy to grow up without knoWlede
q al art that may save his own lite, al
that of others, as we'll as relieve him fro
much needless annoyance in after year
Yet many a father or mother In tlmld tie;
of the n~eighboring mill-pond, will withho
him from acquiring knowledge that mig
comfort his or her maturer years.
Mother, mother, may 1 go out to swim9"
Yes, my dearest daughter;
hang your clothes on q hickory limb,
But-Don't go near the water"
So say they ALL
The six officers, however, knew how