The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-07

| hating at desOlate-Iooking building, few
hundred yards from Libby, which we afterwards
| learned was castle Thunder" the far-famed
Bastile of the South. Through guarded door
we enterted reception-room and waited for
some time. In this interval fierce looking,
| black -whiskered, bustling individual who
| afterwards learned was Chillis. the Prison Com
missary. came BY and, looking at us. ex-
| claimed
Bridge burners, are they? They ought to
hang, every man of them; SO ought everybody
who does anything against the Confederacy."
| The latter proposition with the change of one
word, precisely suited my own feeling then.
| Soon we were ordered upstairs. Up we went
passing by room filled with bowling and
yelling multitude, who made such an outra-
geous racket that was compelled to put my
hands to my ears. score of voices brawled
with all the power of their lungs Fresh fish !
| Fresh fish !" The same exclamations greeted
every new arrival.
| Hero we were searched, as usual, to see If we
| had anything cOntraband, or rather, anything
| worth taking from us. / had obtained large
| knife in Atlanta, which l managed to slip up
| my sleeve and by carefully turning my arm
| when they felt for concealed weapons, succeeded
| in keeping it out of the way.
The examination over, supposed they would
| put US in the bedam we had just passed. They
did no better, for we were put into stall beside
| the large room. use the word "stal advis-
~
of range partitioned off from the room in which
were the noisy miscreants, and from each other,
| by boards nailed to the upright timbers with
cracks wide enough to let the wind circulate
| freely everywhere. Most of the windows of the
large room were out, which greatly increased
the cold. Our stall was only eight or nine feet
wide, and perhaps sixteen in length. Ii was
perfectly bare of furniture, not having even
bench or any means of making fire. 1t was
in the third story, and had one redeeming
quality-it commanded view of the street,
but there was q guard below, who had orders to
shoot at any head that might be protruded from
the window.
In this cherries place our party of six, with
nine Tennesseeans-ffteen in all, were con-
fined during the months of December and jan
| uary. The first day our spirits sank lower than
ever before. All our bright hopes were dashed
to the ground, and there seemed every reason
to believe that we were doomed to this drcary
abode for the whole duration of the war, if, in
deed, we escaped sharing with our murdered
friends the horrors of scaffold. 1t was too
disheartening for philosophy, and that day was
one of the blackest gloom. We seldom spoke,
and when we did it was to denounce our own
folly in suffering ourselves to be deluded to
Richmond by falsehood. / cannot say at this
time whether the false declaration concerning
the exchange was intended to deceive or was
only the result of some misunderstanding; but
then we had no doubt it was deliberate treach-
cry. Not being able TO spare enough guards to
make US secure, we fe that they had deceived
us to this terrible prison, which we might have
avoided by seizing one Of the many opportuni-
ties for escape our journey afforded. But it was
no use lamenting; all we could do was to reg
lister VOW never to be so deceived again. One
resource remained. 1t was my turn to lead our
devotions, which we had continued faithfully.
If ever prayed with fervor it was in this hour
of disappointment and dread. l tried to roll
our cares upon the Lord, and at least partly
succeeded, for rose from my knees convinced
that we had one Friend who had not fOrsaken
us, and who had often made His children rejoice
in worse situations than ours. The next morn
ing we awOke quite cheerful and neryed for any
fate that might yet be in store.
The routine Of prison-life here differed but
little from that in Atlanta, though our cOndi-
tion was far less comfortable. In the morning
we were taken down to the court (the building
was square and built with all open space in the
center) to wash, and were Immediately taken
back to our stall and locked up. The principal
difference arose from our lack Of fire. No other
physical suffering l endured in the whole i'm
prisonment was more intolerable than this per-
pctual freezing We had no opportunity for
those pleasant hreside chats which had done so
much to make our days endurable in the At
lanta barracks. In their stead, as the darkness
and GOODNESS of night drew on, we We're COM
PEELED to pace the floor, trying to keep warm;
and, when sleep became a necessity, we would
all pile down in a huddle, as pigs sometimes do,
and spread over us the thin protection of cur
two bits of carpet. Thus we would lie until the
cold could be endured no longer, then rise aud
resume our walk. When the weather became
warmer than usual we would sleep much to
make up for wakefulness during the colder
nights.
We never omitted our public prayers For
while the crowd outside in the large room,
cod l,,c 4 49,
ern society, such as deserters from the army,
gamblers, and cutthrOats from the large cities,
gave us all the annoyance in their power, by
shouting all kinds of derisive epithets through
the cracks in the board Partition while we were
kneelng; but, finding their efforts Intellectual,
they finally gave over, and left US to pursue
our own way in peace. We found, afterwards,
when, for a short time. we were put in with
them, that they respected us all the more for
our perseverance.
A few days after our arrival we noticed
great stir at Libby Prison, which was in plain
view. A truCe-brOat had arrived at the place
of exchange. Soon body Of prisoners were
marched up the street by u.s. aud our four At
ianta companions with them. AS they passed
by they waved their hands to rs in farewell
and continued their journey to freedom. They
were not disappointed, and, as / have since
learned, they were soon with their friends at
home. The representations made at Atlanta
were true as tneSS tOur men the 1dlSe-
hood was in making us believe that We stood ON
the same footing. We felt glad for their sakes;
but the parting to us, was very painful, and
we turned away from the window with some
thing of the gloom that had darkened the first
day of our abode in this prison.
One great privilege we had here-a delight
full oasis in the dead sameness that settled over
our days. This was found in reading the daily
papers We were not now forbidden their
persual, and some one in the large room had
always money enough to buy paper and charity
enough to lend it. AS soon as we received it,
ali the party would gather around while it was
read aloud. Each item of Importance was
eagerly discussed. The news was often eXcit-
ing, as the Union commander, Burnside, had
just made an advance, and we breathed hearty
prayers that he would be successful in reaching
Richmond. Probably our enemies would, in
that case, try to remove us farther South; but
we had firmly resolved to escape in such con-
tingency OF die in the attempt We would not
allow ourselves again to be moved from one
prison to another without risking everything
tor freedom.
But soon came the sad news of Burnside's
bloody repulse at Fredericksburg,-sad to us,
but causing the greatest rejoicing among our
enemies, who ielt that they had escaped great
danger. If Union defeats diiiused gloom through
out the whole of the loyal States, there was yet
no place where they were so regretfully and
bitterly felt as in Southern prisons.
Here sold the hat had obtained from Com |
mander Wells in Atlanta aud made an effort
fS; inv thn in hNnl-c forx oh I Tvac