Year: 1867

lis decision, whatever it may be-" rss,


ExtrAets from the Diary OF a Con.


federafe Prisoner.


In about a week after our arrival al
Camp Chase, we were removed to another
where we were furnished cabin similar te
those have described, and twelve Of Us
assigned to it. Having the privilege in
some degree of selecting our room-mates
we selected those whose habits and past
associations would make US conganial This
we partially ly succeeded in accomp plishing, bul
| it would have been almost miracle to have
| found in any one regiment twelve men whose
tastes, habits and requirements were simi-
lar. But In forming a mess, when all the
menial duties of the kitchen had to be per-
formed, it was more essential to our eom-
fort to have some Of the mess Versed in the
arts culinary, than in the arts literary. In
fact, great as is our admiration for the
bards sublime" we are no inconstant
worshipper at the shrine of epicurus. The
physical man is generally duly considered,
when planning a poem or sketching a ro-
nance. After organizing our mess two
were appointed to cook each day. On that
day the supreme power of the household
was vested in them, By this means we
all soon became pretty good cooks.


never had any great aversion to cook
ing, but "loathe, abjure, condemn, de-
spise and hate" dish washing. To have my
delicate hands, which had been accustomed
10 drive the editors pen, or write the law
yer's brief, immersed to the elbow in greasy
dish-water was to my mind coming down
from the sublime to the ridiculous but it
had to be done, and generally reported
unfit for duty" or hired some one to do
my part of the dish washing


Another Inconvenience attending ones
prison life is that of becoming ones own
laundress. This thing of washing ones
own clothes is quite as unpoetic as washing
dishes; yet to a prisoner who has no money
it is a necessity which has TO be met and
attended TO. Some men have the capacity
to adapt themselves to all possible circum-
stances. l acknowledge l have not that
versatility of genius by which can adapt
myself as well to the laundry as TO the
study of light literature or the classics.


Several weeks have now passed and no
tidings from the loved ones at home. Can
it be that they are as ignorant of my con-
dition and health as 1 am of theirs


can only, in the absence of any news
from home, look back through the mist and
gloom of the past month and behold, in
my imagination, at the solemn hour of
eventide, fond wife surrounded by her
two little children, while her mind is busy
with memory and hope. sFEf


All, how sad must be those lone wintry
DAYS of doubt and uncertainty How
gloomy those pictures which crushed hope
hangs around the chambers of her repining
heart The futnre to her must be rayless
and starless, and filed with phantoms of
joys once tasted, but now fled and gone.
Truly "the heart knoweth its own bitter
ness" This picture of a wife's sorrow is
not overdrawn. 1t is but the counterpart of
the sad images which haunt with terror
my own heart Though separated by a
thousand miles, the electric chords of sym
pathy, which blend two hearts in one, are
yet unbrOken.
the sorrowfal can alone know the scTrowfal." "


Time rolls apace. A visitor from Nash
Vile is announced. He is ushered in, and
/ recognize the familiar face of my friend,
Rev. Dr. III. A cordial shake of the hand
unites us again.


A letter--yes long, precious letter from
NV beloved wife is handed me. The seal
is broken with tremulous hand, and with
throbbing heart and tear-dimmed eyes
four pages are read Oh, how much Of
love and hope and sorrow were there re-
corded Each line was a silver stream
issuing from heart whose pure fountain
was deeply stirred, and whose stiffness was
Il. l. - . - g. 1f
and tears.


1t may be unmanly to weep. 1t may
not comport with the deep lessons of ply
losophy to be moved TO tears, but / thank
my God that have none Of that stoicism
which forbids man TO weep over the tales
of sorrow from a wife to her imprisoned
husband. To read Of her sorrow, to know
that she weeps over my misfortunes, to feel
that even ia my adversely she entwines
herself around me more closely than in
life's prosperous hours, is a sufficient apol-
ogy for my weakness. When perusing the
sad transcript of her heart | could feel
doubly sure that


"She loved me for the dangers through which l


had past,


And loved her that she did pity them"


A spirit of heroism as lofty as that
which animatedthe heart ofmodern Roland
on the scaffoId breathed through every
line. There was no spirit of submission,
no crouching before the imperious tread
of the invader, no servile admiration of
our country's oppressors found utterance in
her letter.


A calm, heroic defiance, trusting in the
Justice of our cause, gave dignity to every
line. Such letters are invaluable to a
prisoner; they build uphis hopes, intensity
his zeal and infuse into his spirit that
courage which has in every age proven
that woman is the tutelar divinity of free
dom.


Now that the line of communication is
open to Nashville we anticipate great plea
sure in writing and receiving letters from
home.


One month have these walls held me a
prisoner, a month Of thought and sorrow.
| have learned that in prison we have a
fine opportunity to philosophize on this
revolution, and comprehend, in its fullest
significance, the consequences that are to
result to the South should she prove un-
successful in this conflict of arms.


Those who are enjoying the quietude of
home, or even those in the camp confront
ing the enemy, are not 80 apt to look so
closely al the result of this war in its effects
upon the happiness or enslsvement of the
South.


Every movement Of the army, every
strategic move in a campaign, is watched
with intense interest, and is criticised with
a freedom which veteran of a hundred
battles would hardly assume. Each man
has his peculiar plan for a campaign.
Many think Beauregard is somewhat of q
military man, yet dey can see great errors
he has committed in some points Of stra-
tegy. They cannot forbear a pungent
criticism on certain want of military
foresight, because they have been looking
at that point themselves and are much
surprised that he had not observed it, If