The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10


| were erected. 4 wartime photograph
OF this hostoric Jail shows numerous
cannon pointing at tho barracks to
aueil an outbreak II it should be at
/ tempted.
| covering forty acres a board fence
| surrounded the numerous barracks.
On the outside OF tho fence a platform.
about twO-thirds UP from the bottom OF
I the fence, ran around tire stockade.
mere the sentry paced as he guarded
. the captiNcs. At regular intervals
| sentry boxes were ioca ted rvh, rcin the
sentry could rest in Indictment weather
| The record books OF the prison SHOW
! that during the war l2.122 prisoners
! were received. Nearly 1000 died, sew
| entecn escaped. and els were in the
| hospital on July /, 1865.
Ancient Forts Used MS Prisons.
! the forts on the coast were utilized
! by the United States as prisons Fort
| Warren, in Boston harbor, Dccame a
military post and bears the distinction
| OF being the best conducted prison of
tho war. Il being the only one of when
! the Inmates all seem to have words
| of praise.
III New York harbor there are two
forts that served as military prisons
/ during the war--Fort Lafayette and
| Fort Columbus. In Patarsco River,
| Maryland, IS Fort Mciicnry, which
served military prison. 1t was
! while thig historic old fort built III
/, 1874. was under bombardment By the
! British in 1914 that Francis Scott Key
wrote his memorable national song,
The Star SpanSlcd Banner" Fort
ID 4Iaware. situated on Pea Patch Island.
in the Delaware River, was one OF the
/ most dreaded forts III the North to the
| Confederate captive.
! i Prison-Eort Which Cost over 100000.
Historic old Castle Pinckney, in Cop
| per River. opnosts Charleston. $. G.,
! was another fortified prison. 1t was
/ Il circular structure. built Of brick. at
a cost of s53,S69,, many years before
tho Civil War. and was the only fort
| prison in the Confcderacy. 1t was
guarded by the Charleston Zouave Ca
! diets an organization of youths. Castle
Ifncknay has the distinction of not
! having single escape Of Il prisoner
chroniclcd against her.
Thousands OF men still living on this
| anniversary can testify to their expo
riences and adventures in these old
! prisons. il took man OF iron nerve
| TO stand the hardsnips or the Iona
! monotony of captivity. whether in the
! North or the South.
The prisoner arose merely to eat and
| wait lie began his breakfast when
! food was to be had. and then wait I'd
! for dinner, which might come some
/ time during the afternoon. Two meals
! We're all that were served in most OF
! the prisons. Both governments tricT
| to Eivz their prisoners the same fare
! that WIS served TO the soldiers in the
! Held. Iii the South {, became mpos-
sible to maintain this plan, either in
| the field or in the prisons. The navy
| gradually closed in on the coasts and
cut off importa,ions; the Federal armies
devastated the farm lands OF the South,
and what they did leave was even in
Sufficient to support the hghtlng armies
OF the Confederacy.
! Gumcs and Pnstimcs OF Prisoners.
Prison camps became LITTLE cities
! There were plutocrats- poSsessors
of a frying pan OF some such luxury,
which he could rent to other prisoners
Merchants were symbolizcd by the Ven
doris who traded about the tents with
! articles TO Wear o. sat. Some sQuatted
before Il mound of beans OF musn
which they called TO the attention OF
the prisoners. Others maintained res
taurnnts, while several were the pro-
! prIetorS OF wood yards. where fuel
could DO purchased by those who had
money.
/
! munity life, had corner on the avail
able cash. The medium of eXcha nge
was usually gambling, for the inmates
| frequently became invcteratc card
| players. y pack of cards on which
the spots had nearly disappeared made
| the posScssor Immediately an object
of envy. Checkers and chess early
! found favor. and as the men had TWEEN
! ty-fo'Ir hours Of time on their hands,
}
| rough piece OF plank. patiently planeG
with a pocket knife, and marked of
J in squares. served as the board. Cary
| ing became an industry, and some OF
! the work produced was marvellous.
when the tools-n single knife-are
considered. Gu,ta percha buttons and
| beef bones, which had been Kicked clean.
! wer. magically converted into some
| form of ndornmcnt under skilful HANDS.
Whnt the Prisoners Talk About.
| The most talked OF" subject in all
prisons was not the war. but how TO
! escape and the possibilities of eN-
| change. In several Instances the on
| GERS who We're serving as prisoners
! OF war conceived the idea of debatin
! societies. On Johnson's Island the
! Confederate officers formed u govern
| nent, with house of representatives.
! and here questions on international
| law were threshcd out. In other
| prisons classes in French were or
| ganized and presided over by some
officer proficient in the language.
| Dancing and music classes also served
| to pass away the heavy hours
AT Fort Lafayette. New York, and
i'll Camp For2. Texas. also IN Rich
| mond prison. the inmates issued news
| papers filled with local news and
| written in long hand. At Fort Della
ware the Rev. l. *. Handy conducted
religious services among the Confed-
| cratic prisoners whenever he could
| gather a group OF listeners.
| Ingenious Escapes From Prison Walls.
The stories of the ingenious escapes
| from tho prisons (of the Civil War
would battle tho clevercst detectives.
| There were dynamite plots that would
| have taxed the ingenuity OF such a
man as Burns. One OF the most dra :
matte of these scenes occurred at