Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-08
THE FAMOUS RICHMOND PRISON AND
ITS FOUNDER.
"A Terror to Evil Doers"-A Reminiscencs
OF the Wsr-Its Early History
Glass of Prisoners Con-
fined There.
[Richmond State.I

1t has been nearly twenty years since the
socsin of war sounded and the north and the
south were ar ..yed in battle against each
other. Those were stirring times, and the
men that participated in the struggle are
| rapidly passing the meridian of life Some
nave already passed that period and are
now quietly moving along under the weight
of years Now and then incidents arise
which make the thoughts Of the veterans Of
the downfallsn Confedsracy and those
Of the Union army wander back
| to those days that tried mems
souls, when Joy and sorrow alternately
! -eigned around the campfire Now and
| then the days Of Libby prison, of Castle
Thunder and of Andersonville come vividly
| before the minds of those who experienced
those hardships, and war life in the north
and south Is similarly recalled.
Mr. Robert D. Ward, Of this city, who was
an officer at Castle Thunder during the war,
in course Of recent conversation with re.
porter, related the following:
The people OF Richmond who were here
during the war must well recollect Capt
Alexander, who was a conspicuous character
from the day he first put his foot in the ci Y.
Every body had heard Of the then recent
capture OF the steamboat St Nicholas, on
the Potoma in which he had taken q promi-
nent part, and his unique outre style OF dress
made him conspicuous when he appeared on
the streets. The St Nicholas was on its way
from Washington to Norfolk, laden with
valuable commodities, and at one Of the
landings it was entered by Col Zarvona
Thomas, Capt. Alexander, and picked set
of men as Passengers, all in disguise some of
them In women's apparel, and at q concerted
moment the party threw of their disguise,
captured the officers and crew, and brought
the vessel to Fredericksburg, where
its contents were sold. Capt Alexander,
shortly afterwards, was captured by
the Federal forces in Maryland, and
incarcerated 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. He happened to
have that greatest blessing that God ever
vouch-safes to man-a true. noble, courage
Gus little wife, who visited him in his prison,
and conveyed to him under her dress q suit
of Federal uniform. She prevailed upon
him to don this suit and make his escape,
she remaining prisoner in his stead, to
meet whatever fate Federal hate might as
sign to her. He escaped. jumped over the
walls Of the fort and swan to Baltimore,
and then came on to Richmond. Here he
was received with great cordiali.y by Gov
ernor Letcher, who gave him a commission
In the Virginian forces, and soon after he
was appointed provost marshal and superin- |
tendent OF prisons by Gen. Winder.
The eclat Of these adventures made him |
known to our people and no man Of Rich |
mond Of that time can have forgotten him, |
oS han nft l.
tight-fitting suit of black trousers, buckled !
at the knees, his black stockings, and black,
loose shirt, relieved only by a white collar,
with his long black whiskers flowing in the
wind as he rode on his black horse at full
gallop through the city.
Castle Thunder was named by Capt Alex
ander because, as he said, he desired its very
name to be "a terror to evl-doera" The
building was an old tobacco factory, in
which the late John H Greanor had manu-
factured many thousand dollars worth Of
tobacco before the war It occupied one
Nineteenth streets, with its front on Cary
treet, facing the dock and the river, run
hing back TO an alley In the rear divid.
ng the square. The building was
n the shape Of a parallelogram, three sides
icing occupied BY connecting houses, and
he whole inclosed by high wall, tho ints-
'ior space forming large yard, in which
the prisoners, were allowed to take daily ex-
rcise. 1t had the capacity 70 hold about
500 prisoners, and it averaged daily from
200 to 1,5oO. The books Of the prison will
how that its whole number Of prisoners was
bout 1000. 1t was divided into compart-
nents into which soldiers who had commit
/