Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-05-07


lite resort in the near future, but IL perish |
ed In its infancy.
This prison was inclosed by high plank |
fence, fifteea feet high or upwards. with O |
footway built near the top upon which |
walked the sentinels. A very intelligent
gentleman by the name Of Harris, from
Louisiana. who had been q prisoner for
more than two years, and who for some
reason had not been exchanged, told me
that he surveyed the ground. and that il
contained q little upwards Of ihirty-one
acres. The streets ran one way about east
and west, at right angles with the Chesa-
peake Bay. The prisoners quarters. put
up by themselves, placed side by side
along these streets in city fashion, was IN
architectural sight not often beheld. From
the little ely" that two or three men might
crawl under 10 sleep, TO the more preten-
tious cracker box and barrel stave build
ings, interspersed with the Sibley and
other tents To the aristOcratic log house,
more commodious in size, holding some
pants. This prison contained then up
wards oftwenty thousand prisoners. quite .
city within the limits Of old St. Mary's,
and all males. II there had been . res
ssnable proportion of females and child
rem, the population would have exceeded
hundred thousand. In the day time the
prison gates on the Chesapeake side would
be opened for the prisoners TO go out and
wash and swim TO their hearts content,
which they enjoyed and appreciated.
This saved the lives of hundreds, perhaps
thousands. Often have We seen nearly half
the prisoners (eight or ten thousand at q
time) disporting in the water, initiating the
antics almost Of every aquatic animal.
Sometimes the Baptists, Of whom there
many, would exercise the rites Of their re
ligion by baptizing in the Bay amid these
noisy scenes.
The ratioDs, the most important thing OF
all to hungry prisoner, was the scantiest
blessing that we received. Woe TO the man
that was ailing or sick His chances for
life were few. Our meals consisted of two
a day, what We were used TO in the army.
II is true we did not get enough 10 eat in
the army, but we got more and better food
in the latter than in the former, and we could
also get an occasional meal from farmer
A piece of bread and meat for breakfast and
bean soup with very few beans) for dinner
| r:o0s 81 ,<,1
but not in quantity or quality. The eat
ing room was q long, low building. into
which we were marched. If breakfast
we picked up our bread and meat with OUT
hands aad ate as we went back TO oul
quarters. If dinner, it took but few min
utes &c swallow the bread and soup and be
off, Bread was better currency than
money. 1t would buy mans labor some
times when money failed. In fact, 1t wa:
against the rules for prisoner TO have
money, but sometimes he had 1t surrepti
tiously. A part OF our duty, and by fol
the worst and the heaviest, was a detail Of
four men from each company to carry out
and empty the garbage barrels every morn
ing. A whisky or other barrel with one
head knocked out, two holes bored neal
the top edges opposite each other, and two
ropes fastened securely in, and two poles
run through so that either end could resi-
upon the shoulder. These were generally
full Of every imaginable filth. The weight
was tremendous. Four strong men could
carry one when foil with difficulty, but
the weak man would stagger and fall un
der his tremendous load. Therefore the
weak man would manage, If possible, &c
save some of his bread to buy strong man
20 take his place.
These garbage barrels were sometime:
made an instrument of punishment fol
stealing bread from one and another. Ifthe
offender was hardened sinner" in bread
stealing, he was tried by mock court
martial Of his fellow prisoners and sen
fenced to be dipped head and shoulders in
one Of these garbage barrels terrible pun,
;shment-almost equal to being lynched
Being caught by q crowd he would fight
pair with his hands and feet, or with any
thing within reach; but superior numbers
would overpower him and he would be
compelled TO suffer this terrible ordeal
To the credit of the Federal soldiers on
guard they tried hard to prevent this mode
of punishment, but did not succeed alto.
gether.
General Barnes had command of this de.
partment, and he was looked upon as one
having gentlemanly qualities. His head.
quarters were at the hotel. Major Brady
had immediate command of the prison
OF him we have not much Of good TO say
He seemed TO be abhorred by all the pris.
oners. Those prisoners who could posi-
bly, get money from home by letter would
certainly endeavor TO do so. If money
came by letter Brady, who had store on
the side Of the prison, would take the mon
ey and give the owner q blank book. The
owner could deal up the amount But
what extortion what prices he charged
You received about q third Of its value
If there was the slightest mistake in direc.
ton of letter, or on a mere bubble, he
would not give you your money, or rather
the worth of IT, He was regarded also az
the most bigoted ofmen. II was his duty
every day 10 come in on inspection. Hi
manner was TO come in his buggy, up one
efraa1 n "a down anofhar AZ f.o, as h;s hov,,s