Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-02-01
A New Year In Libby.
ton Post.

A New Year In Libby.
Great is the contrast between to-day
and the dawning of the New Year just
forty-three years ago for Major L. P.
Williams, one of the assistant clerks Of
the District Supreme Court. Major
Williams was a member of the 73d
Indiana Regiment, and January /, 1864,
he was prisoner in Libby prison.
Speaking Of his experience, Major VIII
liams said to Star reporter:
'eThe long -drawn-out cry of -
o'clock. Post No. 1-all's well.' by a
prison guard aroused hundreds Of the
prisoners, who were uneasily slumber
Ing on the floors Of Libby on the night
of December 81, 1868, and notified
them that the new year was in.
Quickly a general shout of Happy
New Year! went up from that rest
less throng Of more than thousand
unhappy men. Immediately some one
started singing The Star Spangled
Banner and voice after voice Joined
in the strain, until the soul-stirring
song was rising from every room of
that immense building, and foated out
upon the midnight air in one grand
chorus of enthusiastic and patristic
voices in a way that had not been
heard in the city of Richmond for
many months and years
''Then Aud Lang Syne' was sung,
in a way that transported many a
home-sick fellow back to the days when
he was a happy and contented person,
in time Of peace and plenty-and
awoke in him that tender sentiment al
ways inspired by that sweetest of all
Burhs' lays. After the singing had
died away a few boisterous fellows
aWoke the echoes by cheers, yells and
such a mixture of unearthly sounds
as would have made one believe that
pandemOnium had arrived instead Of
a new year. A caution from the guards
below soon ended this babel and quiet
once more reigned throughout the
prison.
daylight, however, brought to their
feet this vast crowd, who. as soon as
roll call was over began their meager
preparations for New Year dinner.
Much ccheming and planning had been
going On for several days toward this
important event The few prison ra-
lions furnished were but poor hope
for feast, and there was scarcely
money enough in the prison to make
extensive purchases, with potatoes at
$50 per bushel, wheat bread 81 per loaf,
sugar Sc per pound, eggs Sc per dozen,
and tea and coffee to be had at no
price. A poor prospect for a square
meal. But in some way quite a num-
Der of fairly good dinners were gotten
up, and those that had plenty invited
their neighbors to dine with them, so
that very few. if any, went hungry.
''The Afternoon was spent in visiting
from room to room and corner to cor
rer, and congratulations passed as
freely as anywhere else i'll the rand,
for each one was thankful that he was
alive. Early in the evening a grand
ball was given in the kitchen. The or
chcstra, consisting of a violin, banjo,
bones and tambourine, made fairly
good music for the occasion. Two
young lieutenants had dressed them
selves in Ethiopian style, one as a fe-
male, with ribbons and flowers, the
other as swell colored beau, and they
were the attraction of the bail, and
in ctx-lo ljUhfS
the room were poor tallow dips, that
only served to make it a little less
gloomy than utter darkness. 1t was
an occasion never to be forgotten by
anv one who saw it. To see several
hundred men dancing together as
though they really enjoyed it, although
a majority of them were young men,
who had on many occasions graced
fashionable ball rooms and sported
swallow-tailed coats and the rest Of
the full dress paraphernalia. Yet here
they were jigging away with stalwart
men as partners. Oh! what base uses
we may even come to! 1t was the only
real stag dance | ever took part in,
ana i never UdU ulSEJ1SAl1Ol Luz tlH-
other.
when the ball was over, and the
cry of lights out was sounded, the
noise and confusion of the previous
night once more reigned. Every con-
ceivable noise was made. Stamping
halloing and shouting. amid deafen-
ino ciatter of tinware, and good imi-
tations of all the domestic animals, as
we'll as the denizens of the forest,
through the halls of Libby. The more
quiet and sedate among the prisoners
soon controlled this turbulent element.
and in a few minutes the usual quiet
of the place had been resumed, and
the new year fairly began in that
dreary abode"