Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-12-21

! TIE CAUTIOUSLY SLIPPED TIE PENCILEE
! SCRAP FROM POCKET TO BIBLE.
the book, he caught the light paper on
his tongue, crushing out of it, between
strong teeth, all semblance of mes
sage.
Next night saw him entered on the
roll of prisoners at Camp Morton, a fiat
square of some twenty acres, formerly
used as cattle fair grounds. It was then
surrounded by a stoclade twenty feet
high, pierced by one great gate at the
north, near which lay headquarters and
| guardhouse. Outside this stockade ran
a platform, lower than it's top; and
about this paced unbrol1en line of SEN
tinels, whose heads and shoulders only
showed above the fence. Within, a
| huge moat, twenty feet wide and half
IS deep, added security against at
! tempted escape; while reflector lamps,
at intervals, gave sentrics, themselves
in shadow. clear view of the snow-clad
inclosurc.
Old cattle pens, long, low and dis
NAL, were the barracks for prisoners,
their upright plank sides SO shrunken
by age and weather as to give far more
ventilation than was safe for life, with
temperature varying about zero. Four
tiers of rough shelves. scarce three feet
between. formed the hunks, in which
wretched men crouched by highland
most of the day as well-for warmth
wedged in spoon fashion" and SILVER.
ing under such blankets as each '',less"
could scrape together.
Two cold, dreary, endless seeming days
s-.1>k = J., r..
Evan, aided by the long drawled tales of
hopeless men crouched over scanty enl-
bers, began to wear upon the boys
brave spirit. Already his eye had lost its
bright boldness, and a heavy weight
pressed upon his heart, that the longest
watch upon lonely picket, the most
wearing lying still under fire, had never
limited to it.
When he looked upon the things about
him-fanished, bloodless, hopeless rem
nants of what had once been men like
himsclf-then upon that high stockade,
with eager-eycd sentincls pacing short
intervaled posts around it, Evans spirit
fell, and he grew sick with helplessness.
He felt that the motto of the Italian
might well be reared above that strong
and guarded gate: 'Lasciate og,ai speran=o,
COZ eli entrate!'
Then, on the third morning, all was
stir and hustle betimes. Men were
ordered into ranks at reveille, sick or
well, many scarce able to stand, from
illness and starvation, some of them
but half clad and wholly shoeless, all
well-nigh frozen, as they shivered for
hours in that piercing air, in half a
foot of snow.
Grim, unShaven, with matted hair
and filthy shreds of clothing, a grew
some, hideols parade of misery they
made; for the rare exception was he
who had one decent garment, and did
bred of uncleanliness and want Of
change.
But now the prison-inspccting officer
had come; for the better manhood and
independence of the press, learning the
hidden facts of some Of the worst priAr
ons. had not failed to turn the strong
est light upon their abuses. And Sc
grave and circumstantial had grown
the repetition of press demand for re-
form, that Mr.. Lincoln himself took
note of it.
Then, as was ever the case when
that strong, quaint humanity in the
presssd dent was reused by wrong, the
war department ordered inspection,
fSese investigation and report. And
Gen. Baldwin-en route to this special
Auty when the prisoners had halted. In
Baltimore streets the previous Sunday
-now entered the Qamp Morton stocle
ode, followed by q man staff.
i1o BE udxuxUxn.l