The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-10-29


Fresh ii,H Fresh fish! Who amt a Copper
head Fresh fish,"
Al the same time we We're icrked, hatloss
and br..thlcss clear over the heads OF tAo COM
mitter 10 The floor among the other prisoners,
amid yelling aud laughing
To-day found ont that that ceremony Us
gone through with on all fresh FISH," or new
arrivals.
To-day newcomer got quite mad about it.
MAEsH
TEuBY PRISON, RICHMOND. Dec. II, 'G3.
DEAR J0HN; To-day bought of one OF the
guards the iuclosod photograph OF Libby. Cost
50 In Conied money. The prison stands close
10 the James River, with The kanawha Canal
between-the latter close 10 the prison. The
tents you see IN the picture arc the quarters OF
the rebel guards.
There Is 4 line Of scutnes about the build
inp who not only have orders 90 guard Us, but
90 shoot any prisoner showing himself close 10
the window. ChivulFUus set Of fellows, these
Nirginiuns are tits right 10 say, however, that
an occasional officer who comes 70 the prison 10
see the Yankee lions, disapProves the outra-
Fe0us treatment we arc receiving. We have
more visitors TOO, than you would imagine.
Almost daily some l0nica, of standing, j sup
pose, is escorted through the prison by Maj.
Iumer the commander
They rarely speak to u.s. but their eyes tell
men among the prisoners are pointed out to the
visitors
ONE or THE BIG WIGS
hero among MS is Gen. Neal Dow, the famous
Temperance lecturer he Is little biz OF
gray old fellow, with twlnkiug blue eyes and
a pleasant voice. JIG is treated just like the
rest %. us. The board where he sleeps on the
n0Or is close 10 the board where ] sleep; for you
must know that every fellow has his own
he cfa ~ rff4l uritl
things afc piled mp during the day. Many Of
Us have cut barrels in two pieces aud made
t0ler,bg chairs Oi them.
At ui ight we pile cur chairs mp on a rude
table made Of boxes provided We have one, roll
ourselves mp iu our single blanket, except
where two sleep together aud double blankets,
and when thecry Of Lights out " Is heard pro-
eeed 10 sleep tho best WU can.
When morning comes We take our ration Of
eOrnbread cob ground with the Rraln) down
stairs iu where the cook stove is CRATE the loaf
which Is not haf baked, and then make nd
of p0rridge or mush out Of the uusayOry mess
few boxes o. provisions sent the prisoners
from friends IN the North have been brought
into tho prison. The lucky recipients have
divided generously wish those Of us who have
received nothing 50 we have now our mush
and coffee aud occasionally meat
The ration, a. tie BEST. you may know, is
mighty poor, aud not half equal 10 the shortest
NEInN ration ever seen ll ANG A6ftns
want you 90 send me, per express via Wash
inEtOH aud flag Of truce 60 Richmond, box
containing sugar, salt, coffee dried beet couple
OF flannel shirts sud blanket ] have no
everest and the wind comes iu through these
open windows
COLD As GREENLAND.
Ny boots happen 10 be good and, as ] remain
in-dOors here J don't much need q hat. My
coat aud pants are strong and good for SIX
months By which time ] hope tO be out Vi here
and See HE war ended
j am beginning 10 make acquaintances here
aud lul many Interesting men IN Libby. Va
dare write nothing OF The war, 50 on that sub
Sect expect nothing
They say an letters sent from OF 10 tie urisor
arc inspected, but ] much doubt it-thcre ar,
too mHHy of them; besides ] have seen s0mt
queer rrstcs tlat ] know were allowed I,
pass. or else were overlooked. The fact OF tht
matter is, We prisoners know nothing 10 writl
shout True, We see the Richmond paper
often, bat the censorship is as strong or then
a. ID is on us; and nobody Of sense would be
licvo what lie rcads in a newspaper anyway
R0rtl o. South, iu these times.
] Will tell you one thing the Richmond IL
0H1tc does say, though, that D. probably true
The ankCe prisoners Ou Belle isle remark
this beast Ol au editor, MT. Daniels are Iiko
% kI4 your dogs anu use them for ratiuns
you 60 90 close 10 the line where they s.s con
lucd Lea ID be 20 u is right; il Is dog "a
dog"
Jefferson Davis reads The yaporinrs of al
ee0unurel every morning AZ the brcuk kiast-tablr
aud taen gets up and puts his name 10 au Of
cla message lu which he says that, spite
our humane treatment the prisOuCts are dyiu
Ht shocking rate"
Did anybody in the az de world ever read sue
bcaTl.es and outrageous impudencey H
more .Han any other man. Is guilty for what
I5f- ffl |T II 4.
have reckoning.
Don forget what j said about putt iup mon,
in bosses. wrote you d long lellCr Sunda
Hope you ppl b. Some home papers wouldu
be atnisa in that box. MAEsH
LIBBY PRISON EIcHMgND, Dec. IA 'G3.
DLbE JsHN: ] expect y0u would like
know bow we spend our time here Wo
many play cards constantly aud many al
Chcss. That is an intellectual game aud IA
is not murdered by pursuing 81. There o
voIy many Gne players in The prison--onc m
WHO las never lust game, aud be has be-
here .E months. Occasionally the chess ala
err ol our room challenge those OF the 10,
next u- and thr game assumes the interest
iuIe bat 10. Such game has been going
fOr Two GAYS.
Many read books aud old magazines c,
EtHuty just such us they can pick up or
tb0se HHO have q lIttle money can buy
sending outside. IHprr ls uuchoice of com
aud worthless uOyo.s arc read as much as IA
thing.
Some few only. arc studs ing text books 4
IecitIug 10 the hettrr educated Que man
au old law book aud Is committing Il
memory. Two ~ three arc writing nist0I
Hnd experiences ol Libby Prison
sUur keep careful diaries myself among
number, aud icW exports with ibc pcukl
spend most oi their time carving lutte triul
iTnm wood ur bone. D uHtS mace o. eros,
bone shat would surprise you. ItWll D,
Children Cry {,