The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-22

l'.odlv suggested themselves to the Federal
o.borities. Secure from cavalry raids, or
Lifted up-risings, such as came near to sue
pWs Of camp Chase, /: was easy OF access
Gts3b hv rail and by water besides possess
y certain special recommendations for a
.mPPebel PEN As for example, what loca-
,;an could have been more admirably an,
II"sntbu than these ten acres OF re claimed
ann. in the middle Of, and five feet below
s;Ja level of, a broad river, whose waters
iii nercolated through the thin levee, and
nprmeated the black. porus mould until IN
ptainv weather the island seemed a plat OF
lmarj9 What more suggestive of cholera
hon q single Whit from the slimey bitches,
canals, running in all directions in con-
Ooction with the deep moat of the Fort, and
m5;cb at low tide were left with just enough
" nntrid water to float the trash and otfal
q walye thousand prisoners? There was
Unt . tree, nor shrub, to break the stitfling
ri"ra of the sun, which in midsummer
55oLed the black soil until it cracked like the
bottom of a dried up mill pond and some
.;nes seemed to scratch and "sizz' the
starnsnt surface of the stream itself. Nor
was there ANYTHING to break the bleak bit
tarness of N~oyember's blasts, the hoarse
bowlings of winters winds, the fearful fury
February and March, when the crashing
nj hinge Ice OeTSS i tuC "oO -
tho nnroar of storms that threatened to
weep the island as bare as when the granite
fortress begun to rise above the water line.
These features are but outlines the full
lar nicture was already being painted IN
vivid colors by the Death Cart" at the
time nv experience begins. In short, no
mere unhealthful situation for a crowded
prison could be selected, always excepting
Point Lookout.
THE BARRACKS.
The prisoners were not confined In the
Fort, but in large opens directly under its
Guns, The pens were formed by enclosing
rarallelogram of some s acres by a con-
nous line of rude one-story pine barracks,
inning around the four sides. The en-.
aosure. or court yard, was then divided in
10 two wards by a double line Of high plank
fence, with a parapet on the top, for SEN
trys to walk and overlook the prisoners IN
each square. An alley ten feet broad sepa
rated the two fences, preventing any inter-
course between the two "pens, and giving
access to gates opening into each. Othcers
occupied the smaller pen nearest the Fort
~Driyates the other, which, though larger,
was many times the most crowded.
The rows of barracks were under a con-
tinuous roof, but were divided into rooms,
called Divisions" numbered from NO
One to Forty" The buildings were
mere shells, constructed of long plank, stand
ING on end. in line, like a double fence, or q
covered bridge, running around three sides
Of a square. The floor was rough as a
stable; the roof leaky as a serve the
weather boarding SO open that one coulc
thrust his hand between most OF the planks
and great drifts of snow accumulated upor
our beds every night in winter.
Each Division measured 20 feet long b!
I6 wide: vet in this small space one hun
bred men must find shelter! How coui.
they be racked away? By being "shelved,
literally. The interior OF each division con
sisted of a central aisle, five feet broad IN tn
middle of which stood the stove, and a ION;
table. All other space was taken up Wit
three tiers of shelves; the first being t fee
above the floor; the next, four feet a6ov
the first. and so on to the roof. Fac
shelf was six feet broad, making a platform
upon which long rows of men should sleep
side bv side, with heads to the wall, an
feet towards the centre. Thus at nigh
fftv men Law on the four shelves on tn
North side of the aisle and fifty men, |
the same manner on the South side; In
three upper tiers could only be reached b
climbing the supporting pillars, which wei
long pieces of scantling running from noe
to roof. Upon these tral! uprigh.s s cs,
cross pieces were nailed at intervals 10 1orl
kind of ladder. But the elects. soon "0'
out, and we're constantly breaking und!
continuous use; so that large men were
daily danger of breakage that would preclp
tate them backward ten or fifteen feet, u,p!t
the benches or stove, in the AISLE oreakl H
their head. neck, or leg, according to the
luck. Ofcourse the continual climbing
and down was a great annoyance to the Q
cupants of the lower shelves, whose blanke
and clothes, as we'll as faces and food, we
literally sprinkled with mud, and trash al
vermin. The occasional overturning OF W
ter, coffee, or ink, upstairs" did not IL
prove the situation. Hay fora week dlre'
~ under a man with the small pox, al
helped to lift him down, on his way to Z
grave. Per contra, the lower tiers oscar
ONE Of the rain-leaks, and tetld ar
which the "high livers' were subject. Re
haps the most uncomfortable were t
floor men, exposed as they were, to %