Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-06-20

floors, In the latter part of 1863 Libby
was made altogether an officers prison
and more than 1000 we're inmates Of it the
succeeding winter. Under this croRding
each had a territorial right upon the floor
of about as much surface rs he would
sometimes, perhaps before his captivity
had ended, need for his grave. At one
time, while Libby was still filled in part
By enlisted men, the room No. 3-3 contain
ed $50 officers.
This is the most famous room in the old
building. Ii may be located in one view
BY the windows which appear smaller in
the fsrthest part Of the upper story.
Five Of these belong to room 3-3. In the
prison records the large room next shove
the Office was known as No. IL, meaning
the first on the second floor, the next vas
%, and the last was 80. Similarly the
third-hoor rooms were designated as l 3.
% and 3,3. To the last were shown the
officers captured in the preliminary battles
and skirmishes Of the war; and here were
confined the gallant Detroiter, Colonel o.
B. Wilcox, commander of the First Michi-
gan ~Iotsntry; Colonel Cochran of the Six
ty.ninth (Irish) Regiment, Congressman
Ely and other officers and civilians taken
on the illstarred day of the first Bull Run.
They first
GAVE NoToRIETY To TIE ROOM;
and after that, until the long struggle
closed, it WAS exclusively occupied by com.
missioned officers. Like all other rooms
in this story, it had special advantages Of
light and air, from the heighth OF the attic,
which was not aoored, and which added
many hundred cubic feet to the spsse of
three prison-roous, as may be seen in an
interiorview The second story was much
less desirable, for its height is little more
than seven feet between floors.
Ample ventilation, however, was pro
vided for oil rooms, at least in the warm
sesson, and even earlier. By the close of
the first winter Of occupation, windows
five in front and as many in rear of each
room-hsd been so generally broken out
that the ssshes were removed, and the
chill winds of early spring. as also the
more balmy airs that came BY and By,
blew freely through. The windows were
soon afterwards replaced, and we're then
heavily grated with iron, which did not
prevent the breaking of many psnes from
within, as we'll as without, to the grevious
discomfort OF the next winters inhabitants.
Notwithstanding the ~precsutiou of bars,
it was made q rule that no prisoner should
approach nearer thar three feet to q win.
dow, and several we're shot for insdverten
tly crossing the limit The south windows
com msnd pleasant views ofthe Lynchburg
oy Ksuswhs canal and tbs James river in
the foreground, but o few rods distant. and
the village of Manchester with it's tall fac
tories; also a fiat, sandy tract. said to have
been the farm of General Winfield Scott.
the other eide Of the James. From the
other wiudo va could be seen Belle Isle
and the bridge spanning the river, the
Tredegar, iron works. in full blast day and
night, turning out ordance for the Confed.
eracy, and other objects of interest. The
view down the lordly stream was superb
stretching twelve miles to Drury's bluff,
where our ironclads were disastrously re.
pulsed and taken in the line OF vessels and
sunk, TO obstruct the water approach to
Richmond.
The chief features of Libby prison, even
many of the inscriptions on the walls. re.
substantially unchanged, and the
building is one OF toe mos, interesting Of
the sights of Richmond A little book has
been made OF the inscriptions. under the
title Walls That Talk" which may be had
for o trihe.
On the other side Of Carey street, a little
below Libby, we're the Pemberton and
Smith buildings, much smaller than the
frst named. but at times insufsrsbly
crowded with Union soldiers. Castle
Thunder ives another plain brick building
above libby prison. bat in sight Of it. 1t
was occupied principally as q prison for
spies, dessrters from the rebel army, and
'traitors'-that is. union men residing
within the rebel liner, and arrested for real
supposed aid and comfort to the national
Cause Nearer Libby was Castle Light
ming. which had similar uses, and also
near was another small prison called THE
of which not much is known.
But by far the worst Of Richmond pris.
ons was that established on Belle Isle -the
beautiful islet which had in the old days
been much resoried to as q pleasure ground
BY the city people. 1t contains forty to fifty
acres, only about one.tenth of which. the
trail at the lowest end, was enclosed
for prison pen in the summer of 1868.
Here were confined at one time 10000 to
20, 1000 Union soldiers, with very slight, and
many Of them with no protection from the
lrenching rains of summer and the SHOWS
md frosts of winter. Many tales Of indies.
horror are associated with this spot.