The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-01-20

viii never grow faint while one Of It,
hapless victims survives. The story resta
not alone on my evidence, but Il estab-
iIshed by sworn testimony published in
the war records.
The captain, who was appointed my
conductor, called q guard OF eight men
and led me for some distance through the
streets OF Chattanooga Two Of the Con-
federate soldiers linked arms with me,
one on each side, two walked in front
and four followed behind. could not
help telling the captain that they took
better care OF our men than we did OF
theirs; that had once guarded a Georgian
long distance without any help, and
with no handouts on him. He did not
resent the implied reproach, only saying
that they meant 70 make sure OF mel Al
length we came to q little brick building,
surrounded by high board fence. It
stood, as / learned long afterward, on
Lookout street between Fourth and Fifth.
The ground sloped rapidly upward, so that
the back Of the fail was built into the hill
while the front was level with the sur
face of the ground The Jail had two
stories with two rooms In each story. Il
was quite high for its length and breadth.
The jailer and family lived In the upper
and lower rooms at the north end, and
the rooms at the south were the prisons.
| the lower being entered only from the
upper, and that In turn only from the
| jailer's room. This prison when built
| was intended for the accommodation Of
negroes by their humane owners. An
other and much larger prison, in which
were confined the great majority of white
| offenders and afterward of war prisoners,
was situated on Fourth and Market
streets.
Swims, the jailer, was peculiar char
acter. He was old, perhaps 60, with
abundant white hair, and dry and with
cred face. His voice was always keyed
on q whining Tone except when some
great cause, such as the requests of pris-
oners for an extra bucket Of water.
aroused his ire, when it rose to hoarse
scream. Avarice ives q strong trait. He
seemed to think his accommodations
vastly too good for negroes and yam
kees,n and that when admitted TO his
hospitality they should be thankful and
give as little trouble as possible. With
such notions 1t is easily seen how much
| he could add to the sufferings Of prison
ers. One thing favorable was that he
was fond Of dram, and when INDUCING
became very talkative, revealing many
/ luluko JuhS VIC OOuAd NV OeAASA "ASN AesNN
learned.
We halted for a moment at the camp
fire of the guard outside the gate; then
Swims came out. grumbling about theil
being disturbed so much, and, unlocking
the gate, admitted us. We crossed the
yard, assembled the long outside stairway
and from an outside landing entered the
bedroom. From this door opened intc
the prison. The room was quite small
square, and entirely destitute of furniture
of any kind except long ladder, which
lay on the floor. There were five or si1
old, miserable looking men in the room
whose clothes hung In tatters, and WHIT
presented terribly starved, dirty anC
wretched appearance. 1t was dreadful
place, and shuddered at the idea Of tax
ing up my abode in such den. But
soon found / was not to be so highl!
favored, and little more experience wa
sufficient to make me look almost will
envy upon these old men.
Said the jailer to the captain: "Wher'
shall put himf'
"Below, of course" was the promp
, reply