Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-04
OLD LIBBY PRISON.
VISIT TO 1T ON ITS NEW SITE IN
CHICAGO.


ATE RELICs-soME OF THE HUNDREDS OF
CURIos IN THE MUSEUM.
[From the Richmond (va.) Times.l
CHICAGO, ILL, March 22.-"Libby
prison. The great war museum, DO not
fail to see it. >" This is the sign that most
frequently greets the eye in Chicago.
Yet, despite these frequent reminders and
many guides to the old landmark OF the
veterans of the Lost Cause, the inhabitants
of the city, nor those most familiar with
the rugged appearance of the abode OF the
hostages of war could recognize the out
ward semblance of its homely features.
The cosmetics of the architects skill, the
stone-cutter's cunning and the carver's
chiselling have changed its countenance to
grand, rich air, and its face to martial
grandeur, but "beauty is but skin Deep,
and behind this plaster mask are the self
same scars, the wrinkles and the frowns of
the ugly lineaments of old Libby prison.
AS it appears on Wabash avenue, there is
massive stone wall, somewhat suggestive
in design of an ancient English castle for
LITIGATION. In length it would occupy about
one of our blocks of Richmond; is some 25
feet high, and at intervals rise five pictur-
esque towers, the highest being so feet. On
either side of the ground entrance are two
cannon pieces and their huge and deadly
balls.
Against the wall on one side is highly
Furnished shield, upon which are emblaz-
oned the words: mo animosity; no sec
tionalism; no North; no South;" while
opposite upon like shield is the motto:
GIN union there is strength" Above the
entrance door across the stone arch SEEM
ingly burnt into the white rock in huge
the top is gigantic eagle of bronze, there
perched as though in its downward
sweep" Two towers rise on each side of
this, and upon the height of each stands a
life like guard, one the Confederate, one
the Union soldier, in the blue and the
grey. Above these soldierly monuments
are unfurled to the breeze the two flags of
the great civil strife.
SAME OLD JAIL.
Beyond this massive wall the visitor, in
long, narrow yard sees the old prison,
so perfectly without one exterior alteration
as it stood in Richmond, that the eye ma
turallY turns eXpectant to look on the red,
sluggish waters of the old canal the clear
or shimmering of the ''noble Jeems' be-
yond, and the closer contact of the hum
drum Rockets traffic Instead, however,
it looks upon something of a navy yard
and a little bit of a battle field, for there
before the door and walls of this some
time historic warehouse are 700-pound
Blakely shell and two fifteen-inch mortar
shells, weighing $50 pounds each, with
cannon pieces standing guard along the
line. Among the relics in the other side
of the yards of marine interest are several
small war boats and piece of the great
chain. placed across the Hudson at West
Point in 1778 by General Putnam, to pre-
vent the English war ships from going up
the river. This is truly gigantic speci-
men of chain, this remnant of it is some
twenty-five yards long. and as it lays
tho nj m q 10 Mt 10 1pnp
link fence at least foot and a half tall.
VETERANS AS GUIDES.
The guides in the different apartments,
without an exception, are old Union sol
diers, veterans Of the war, dressed in the
blue, and naturally some of their remarks
on the subject of the exhibits provoke
ashing Of sentiment if the visitor chance
hail from Dixie land, but in the clash
ere is the true ring Of the metal of good
ture and friendliness. One old comrade,
no Judging from his stunted statue and
lib Righteousness, must have found his
ngue 'smightier than the sword" who
as generous and brOad-minded in an I'M
Fecedented degree, he seemed to think,
ID me up to very fine steel engraving of
e two heroes jackson and Lee-each on
eir chargers and leaning together in an
bn't mean no disloyalty to my side when
tell you that that there man there, what
vail called Stonewall Jackson, to nv
mind was Christian man. Eve'y night
he knelt down en- said his pra'rs, jes like
the war Warnt going on. Icould't er done
more myself en- l been member er the
Methodist Church some forty year OF
more. En- as for tother one, Gen'el Lee,
enemy or no enemy, he was fine soldier,
and we all know that he Just went into the
Confederate Army cause his folks and his
friends and his interest was in the South,
but he really preferred the Union Army
and would er been at the head of it, would
Ell been where Grant was, but for the step
he took" Who can deny that there was
liberality it not logic in these comments, OF
that in crude way he was not so vesting
Lee with the Brutus spirit that he might
have proclaimed, mot that l loved the
North less, but the South more"
ON NEUTRAL GROUND.
These guides are required to stand on
neutral ground within the bounds of their
phraseology, but they take such particular
pains to use the terms, 'sUniOn" and "Con-
federate," that the more natural appella-
lions Of ICY Yankee and ''RebeI' are clicked
back with, sometimes, apparent difficulty.
AN INSIDE VIEW.
The interior with the rough board walls
and visible smoke blackened beams, is in
no wise changed. It is in three stories and
three departments in each story, making
nine very large, long rooms as Stern-loOk-
ing as is natural for such an abode to look.
The first department entered is called the
reception room as it was there that Captain
"Dick" Turner, inspector of Libby Prison,
received all the prisoners and then as
signed them to their various places. Here
the exhibit is exclusively Of Confederate
interest, and contains the most complete
and valuable collection of Confederate
relics in existence,
SOME OF THE RELICS.
The museum is especially rich in numer-
GUS and finely executed Oil portraits and
photographs of soldiers of distinction. and
the first the eye falls upon among our own
interests is a life-size portrait of Major
Thomas P. Turner; On the same wall near
BY are these of Jefferson Davis and R. E,
Lee, as well as General "Dick" Taylor,
General Sterling Price, Raphael Semmes,
General Kirby Smith, General j. E. B.
Stuart, General George d. Pickett, and
Hon. James NJ. Mason. Hanging on other
walls are striking portraits of Mrs. r. E.
Lee, General R. E. Lee, Stonewall Jack
hugh Lee, John G. Calhoun, General Beau
regard, and General Forrest. There is a
quaint old tower-like building in the Capt.
toll Square, at Richmond, near N NTH street,
that wears such an important frown that
every stranger asks what it is, expecting
the relation Ol some thrilling history. Its !
only fame is that Of having been Confed-
crate arsenal, and in this museum is a frag-
ment of Its old bell, the tongue of which is
forever dumb. The original key of Libby |
Prison is exhibited with beautiful speci-
mems of carving done by the prisoners on
beef bone, the workmanship and polish so |
fine as to be perfect in imitation of ivory,
One specimen is delicately carved paper |
knife, on the handle of which is the name |
Mary" One such relic makes the observer |
nvoluntarily ponder over the thoughts
hat filled the carver of that sweet name of
and read in its suggestiveness the
story OF noble longing for some tender
mother, OF the ardent thoughts of some
zero lover.
An interesting picture, which rests on an
EASEL, is stirring scene before the court
house in Montgomery, Ala, on February
8, 1861, when Jefferson Davis was made
President over the Confederate States.
There Is an entire ease given up to Jeffer-
on Davis collection, in fact, the memori-
Is of this hero, so recently laid to rest,
eem more abundant than almost any
ther, with the exception, perhaps, Of Lee
nd Jackson: Among them is lbYe=letter,
written by him III 1884. to Sarah Knox Tay-
or, daughter of Zach. Taylor, AS is we'll