, 1885-03-18
CASTLE THUNDER.
THE FAMOUS RICHMOND PRISON AND
IT'S FOUNDER.
"a Terror to EVIL Doers"-A "Reminiscences
OF the wAr-us Early History
Glass of Prisoners Con-
fined There.

Riohmond STATED
II has teen nearly twenty years since the
tocsin OF war sounded and the north and tho
south wcro arrayeI ~ battle against each
other. Those wera stirring times. AMI the
mon that participated N the struggle are
rapidly passing the meridian o. life. Some
hava already passed that period and are
now quietly moving along under the weight
OF year,. Now and then incidents arise
which make the thoughts OF the veterans Of
the downfnllon C~onfederacy and those
OF the Union army wander back
to those days that tried mems
souls, when Joy aud sorrow alternately
reigned around the campfire. Now and
then the days of Libby prison, OF Castls
Thunder and of Andersonyille como wildly
before the minds Of those who experienced
those hafdships, and war life in the north
md south Is similarly recalled.
Mr.. nolort ID. Ward, OF this city, who was
an officer at Castle hunder during the war,
in course OF a recent conversation with q re-
porter, related the following:
The people Of Richmond who were here
during the war must well recollsct Capt.
Alexander. who was a conspicuous character
from tho day he first put his DOT In the CT y.
Everybody had heard Of the then recent
capture OF the steamboat St Nicholas, on
the Potomn In which he had taken a promi-
nent part, and his unique outre style OF dress
made him conspicuous when he appeared on
the streets. The St Nicholas wns ON Its way
from Washington TO Norfolk, laden with
valuable commodities, and at one OF the
landings 1t was entered by Col Zarvona
Thomas, Capt Alexander, and a picked sol
OF mon as passengers. all In disguise. some OF
them in women's apparel, and at a concerted
moment the party throw off their disguise,
captured the officers and crew, and brought
the vessel to Fredericksburg, whers
Its contents were sold. Capt Alexander
shortly afterwards, was captured by
the Federal forces in Maryland, and
incnrcerated In Fort McHenry. near Balti
more. After some months suffering in that
Federal fort he made his escape in "A manner
which greatly attracted public attention
and aroused sympathy. Ho happened t
have that greatest blessing that God even
vouch-safes TO mana trus, noble, courage
Gus little wife, who visited him in his prison
and conveyed TO him under her dress a suit
OF Federal uniform. She prevailed upoT
him to don this suit and make his escape
she remaining a prisoner in his stead, u
meet whatever fate Federal hate might as
sign to her. He escaped, jumped over thu
walls Of the fort and swan to Baltimore
and then came on to Richmond. Here hs
was received with great cordially by Gov
ernor I.atcher, who gave him a commission
In the Virginian forces, and soon after h'
was appointed provost marshal and superln
tendent OF prisons by Gen. Winder.
The eclat OF these adventures made hin
known TO our people. and no man OF Rich
mond Of that time can have forgotten him
as he often appeared on the streets in hi
tight-httin9 suit OF black trousers, buckle
- fIa lnaa. hi IInrE afoeEfuua and biaol
loo o shirt, relieved only by "a white collar
with his long black whiskers flowing in tn
wind as be rod, on his black horse at a full
gallop through the city.
Ca tie Thunder was named by Capt Alex
ander because, as he said, he desired its verl
name to be "a terror TO ~evil-doers" TIL
building was hn old tobacco factory. II
which tn late John II. Greanor had manu-
featured many thousand dollar worth O
tobacco ieiora the war. IL occupied one
half Of tine iquars between Eighteenth an
Nineteenth streets. with its front on Carr
street, facing the dock and the river, run
ming back to an alley in the rear divil
ing the square. The building wa
in the shape Of a paralelosram, thres aila
bein occupied by connecting houses an
the whole lnclosed by a high wall, the int
rior pace forming a largo yard. in which
the prisoners. were allowed to take daily ex
ercise. Il had the capacity 10 hold abou
1900 prisoner, and it averaged daily iron
LOO 10 1,510. Ths books Of the prison vii
show that its whole number OF prisoners wa
about 40 .O00. 1t wa divided into compart
ments into which soldiers who had commit
ted different grades OF military ofenses wer
respectively confined; and also into rooms a
lottel to disloyal persons and civilians Nh
were captured as attaches OF the Fed
erAl army. and all others not prisoners q
war, these Inter being always confined /
LihLY nri-nn.