Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-12-09
Misfrll
50
Libby Prison Memories.

ELNINl,CLN,E> oF I'M Old CuNlEplRATE
STRONGHOLD AT RICHMOND.
l.ibh, Prison. sold at auction on Thurs
day. was the most famous uf the Cunict.cr-
a'c military prisons. and by the Confederate
government II vas ranked a. the most Sc
cure. although the success Of the tunue..!ng
enterprise Of >irrighi, Rose. and Others.
rather deprecated the idea % 1t, safety. and
caused MAJOR Turner to double hi guards,
The Libby IN outward appearance. has
changed little. sals the New York sun,
since the var. Even the sisn, although uow
much weaihrr-s,aineI and rather indistinci.
j. there siil!-"Libby Prison" The iron
bar have been ,sken away from the windows
and sold s. old iron. Soon after the war
the prison Nas without tenants. bu, hnall,
Northern gentleman rented IT and fitted It
up sumac warehouse. Subsequently It
va, used a. a tobacco steamcry, and then a.
a tobacco factory. The building has front
of liu feet. and a depth Of los feet When
II ~as used prison it was divided into
ninc rooms. each lO3 feet long aud - feet
vide. The partition, have been knocked
down. In many place, on the walls there
t@aA NA2aA " SUI ttkktAN anu 4AttN AAlf Ia
the bricks by Federal cayi,iyes. Scattered
about there are designs BY those prisoners
Who we're artIstcaily inclined, and had a
turn for the sculptur's art. Skulls, cross
bones. collins, chains. are mixed up with
more ambitious attempts IN the shape OF thin
legged animals. which the beholders fancy
can take for horses. COWS, or dragons.
Men ~ho were confined IN the Libby are
scattered all over the Union. and Vet il NAV
be doubted whether there is one in hun
dred who knows the history Of Libby Prison.
Ii was built warehouse by an old citizen
of Richmond, Mr.. Libby. and up to ten
Years before the var he occupied the build
iug. When the war began the sign, Libby
X Sons. Ship Chambers and Grocers," was
over the entrance, and remained there up To
the year 1868. MANY a Federal prisoner
Will remember seeing it. Old Mr.. Libby
lived on Church Hill. in the lower portion
OF the city, near the historic St Johns
Church. in which Patrick Henry delivered his
immortal Grafton, concluding but for me,
give me liberty or give me death" This
hill, overlooking the river. since the war has
been turned into park. and is known as
Libby Hill Park. In his warehouse Mr..
Libby amassed large fortune.
Libby Prison was not the first choice of
the Confederate government as a military
prison. Soon after the commencement of
hostllities, the authorities began to look
around for a suitable building as a prison for
Union soldiers. They fixed upon large
frame building in what is known as Lump
kn's alley.
This was the first military prison in Rich
mond. and perhaps the South. and was
called Castle Goodwin" IL had been built
and used as jail for the housing of
slaves before they were sold. Lumpkin's |
alley was filled with these large houses |
called '.jails." and here the slave sales took |
place.
Castle Goodwin was nearly mile from the /
river and in low and swampy portion of 1
the city. Ii is a singular fact that none of /
the Libby Prison officials are now in Rich /
mond. There are quite a number of ex- /
Coniederaies who acted as guards at the 1
prison still living here.
Major Turner, the commandant of the /
Libby, was one of the Youngest officers in
the Confederate service, and his rank was
owing to the fact that he had been to West
Point. When the States seeded be was a /
cadet there, and at once resigned and came
South.
lie held the position of Commandant of
the Libby until the close of the war, when
he went to Mexico and experienced an ad-
venturous life with Maximilian. Afterward
he returned to Mississippi. studied DENTS
try. and one of his guards says that he is
now successful dentist in Memphis
To-day. in speaking of the sale of the
Libby, Mr.. Joseph Wingfeld, an ex-guard,
told his experience on a memorable night
while standing sentinel over the prisoners
so the old prison is sold, is it P. he said
"Weil, gentlemen, never go bv that place
without laughing. can't help thinking of the
cute trick played by lot of Yankees there.
The fact is it was so good that, although |
had been ordered to shoot in among them,
| disobeved orders. 1t was about SO. ami
the Libby building was so crowded that
wouldn't hold any more prisoners, so they
put large lot Of them in the second story
Of the building across the way.