The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-01
POINT LOOKOUT.

was q SulCTy Junc
morning when We first caught sight of the
ION to mark the confluence Of the Potomac
and the Chesapeake. Point Lookout is the
.outhernmost tip of a sandy Peninsula,
nointing like a finger down between the bay
and the river, which is itself an inland sea,
seven miles in width for a long distance
above the Point.
The Peninsula is less than half a mile in
width low, level, devoid of vegetation, and
covered with light white sand which the
slightest breeze stirs into dense clouds; than
which nothing more could be distressing TO
man or animal. Morthward from the Point is
vast stretch of wooded wilderness, abound
inc in swamps, and trsversed by a narrow
road without a traveller, ,er a habitatlon fol
miles on miles.
The peculiarly isolated, and uncomforta'
bic features of the Point recommended it &c
these Lincolnites for a Prison Camp: while
its location midway between Fortress Mon
roe and both Baltimore and Washington
made it convenient as a supply station tol
military, and Naval Stores, forage, Goa
etc.
Accordingly about one mile of the sandy
tongue was seized and cut off from the int
rior by an high stockade of logs running
across from river to bay, and having a deer
ditch III thsO ouUS1lC. WIZ DOo
ted along this fence day and night, though
there was never any real necessity therefor.
At the Southern end of the Point was a
lighthouse tower, half a dozen wharves; a
double row of frame hospitals officers bar
rack, etc.; and a large colony of negro wO-
men and children, stolen from southern
plantations, and held here at government
expense, virtually prisoners since they could
not escape from the limits OF the Point.
But the striking feature of the
place is yet to be mentioned. The
newcomer looking up the stretch q
sandy beach saw two large parallel
the other somewhat larger; both enclosed
by an high plank fence, full thirty feet above
the surface, surmounted by a narrow plat.
form or walk-way, upon which a number o.
armed negroes, in yankee uniform, could be
seen lazily p~romenading to and fro. These
were the "Rebel Prison Pens )" the smaller
one known as the Officers Pen the Other
the "Private's Pen" Both were filed te
OVERLOOKING and a continual hum of voice:
arose from within as fit were an human bee
hive. Nearly ten thousand 'Privates' oc
cupied the larger stockade, and perhaps
500 officers the smaller.
ROBBED.
Crueltys W self must have melted at thu
spectacle of the half suffocated, and sea
sick Southerners disembarking after a da.
and a night of horror In the Black Hold o
the vessel. All were weary, be-grimed
sleepy, and miserable beyond description
while none of us had eaten anything fol
nearly IS hours.
The officers were marched through tht
sand to Provost Marshal Brady's office
where each prisoner was forced to surrendel
every article of value or interest he possess
ed, no matter how harmless nor how useful
The robberies embraced all money, watch
rings, keepsakes, lockets, gold pencils
knives, trinkets, etc.: everything In short
that cupidity could covet, or petty malice
delight TO deprive of the enjoyment thereof
1t Is scarcely necessary to say that these
articles were never returned. There may
have been exceptional cases of officers o
high rank who by means of influential Nor
thern friends, or"Old Army" acquaintance
were enabled to recover their watches
money. etc, but the vast majority OF thu
prisoners never again laid eyes upon theI
property.
IN THE pm.
And now we were marched into the four
acre Pen, and told to-'Scratch into some
hole or another - meaning to find shelte
as best we could. The lower portion OF The
Pen was occupied by rows of small tents, OF
''pretense1 of tents, they being a lot o
condemned canvass, ruined by salt water an,
mlldewed so that they afforded less protec
ton than the same number of Hy-nets. le
81 even these there were so few that fron
seven to ten men were huddled In each ten
Ike a sweltering nest of pigs. 1t woul
have been better to have allowed us, Ink
the yankee prisoners at Andersonvllle t
Construct small shelters of our own.
IN rainy weather the rotten canvass serv
edto gather and pour down upon us stead
streams of water, more annoying than tn
universal shower; while within an hou
after the rain ceased great clouds of dry san
began their %tireiess whirling, like anothe
SIMEON amid the Sahara. No pen no
tongue can portray the plague q lhs fin
SAM e~ternally filling the air, ini..n.u5 tn
eyes; penetrating the hair, the beard, tn
,ears, nose, and clothing; covering blar
"ets, towels, paper, etc, with a thick CO..