USA > Illinois > History of the 17th Illinois Cavalry Volunteers > Part 3
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moLiten. but a care , ed to i. sig- jag, shouting. ! is heard up .14 all sides. Order anygiven on Every land. A stranger woall soon become confused and pros bly wish himself elsewhere. This is our home for the thine being.
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During the day Major Ficher has bren made acquainted with the facts. Stratton s abuse is rehearse to him. His reply, "The officers unist stand to- Lether: you can get him fried lat noth- ing will come of it, and if your charges are not clearly proven you will be se- verely punished." The above is, if not his exact words, the substance. "Major, will you kindly send me back to Jo? (Capt. Joseph Fisher, Co A. 12th Ill., Cavalry.) Co A of the 12th dont have such officers. You took me from there, please send me back, If you have not the influence I think I have friends that have." Ile replied: "It will all come right, I want you here." "Please send me to Jo. (who was a brother of Major Fisher.) My father was furious. Major Loop, of Rockford, soon wrote that I could be transiered. and advised the 15th Ill., Infantry. Fisher did ev- erything in his power to keep matters as quiet as possible, but in less than one week our desertions footed nine. Their names lie before me on the desk, in printed form. When these names were printed why were not these facts given?
Stratton was put in charge of the Alton Prison, and when he Best tried his insults on us he came near losing his life, and did lose his commission.
Here Frank Hill and Wm. Whit- beck were discharged and went into Negro regiments. The first would have been oue of our Lieutenants had no official influence been used: the second was a brother-in-law of Major Fisher's. During this time small details from some of the companies were made'who assisted the civil anthorities at Jer- seyville and surrounding country. Cha-, Parker was absent much of the time on this kind of duty, as were sev- erul others. One or two little fights took place but nothing harmful neeur. ed to our boys. We had not been paid of since enlistment or muster in, and some of the families of the men were suffering for the necessaries of life; ou this account some deserted, though only one from our company. The out- rageous incarceration in the prison by Hardin and the insults of Stratton Was what caused most of the desertions. The greatest of good would have re-
article nf punish at, the oth Butter the men holl'in down, thir t'es by bis men were fior becoming fericion, are Buck an . G.z wis te treqveut a . extra duty no cvutnon os dies. Now and then one was send myld. tim? up to a tree like a red dog. Jae- ing freu appe trances. potfiendt govert :- meut was apain asmakre sway. beste were not allowed to ever them ein when they salat od ourflug. No wonder a cenare writes "I dammed the hour when funlisted in thet regimeel. Trere are a dozen reasons why I wish I per- (, lad." Nothing now but active field servire will long prevent a mutiny. and if oue veeurrs bloed will run like we- ter. Not every man will dosert. all are rapidly learning that they that stand together, combine as the oficers do. What is to prevent a med ali ata tion of brute force? Another outras: and tongue cannot describe nor Ich write what will necur.
Here prayer meetings were held nightly in a tent erected for that pur- puse, and some were converted to the christian religion.
Here one of our Patrols accidently shot his thumb off, and not long alter received a discharge, his wife coming and with her winsome ways probably materially assisted in obtaining the wuch coveted doenment and I know of some more that about that time would have been glad to have received a sua- ilar paper.
Dr. Dow came to us at Alton, a pint. of large frame, pleasing manners, kind and courteous to all, but void of the vim that animated Dr. Crawford The roster tells us that he is at Gunned h. New South Wales, Australia. We
drilled a couple of miles north of camy., company and battalion. Here we leaped poles put up for the Beasts. here we jumped ditches dog for the purpose, charged as foragers, drilled as skirmishers and rapidly learned our duties under that model drill master, Major P E. Fisher. Beveridge and 1. Fisher were both well dille !, sud the men would do their very best to please them. On- day while drilling. Que man was overcome with the best. but I think recovered.
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HISTORY
0. TI !!
CHAPTER VILI
While in charge of the Alloy Pris. on an island in the Mistseppi andHad- ed the charge which containi che small-pox patients. Guards were pass- ed over in a row-boat every nureines, where they remained twenty i n.r bat.rs or until the next morning Retail An isolared house was on the island. Quite a history of the islandI was narrated to us by the proprietor. Whether the is. land was in Illinois of Missouri de- pendel on which side of the island the channel ran. This was a decision of the courts, but sometimes the channel was on one side, and then on the other. Yet be paid taxes in Illinois and his deeds were recorded in that stite. Two prisoners here while care lessly guarded sprang into the river and swam for the Missouri shore. Soon the guns were playing upon them, they diving and swimming, and soon they disappeared around the bend. They are reported killed in the water, but I presume they are living yet.
North of this island. nearly a mil ... was a sand-bar, and one day some of our boys were visiting there with their female cousins, when a boat was sent over, and the entire gang w is arrested, which served them just right, and 1 little additional punishment would not have been out of place. One of these was a non-commissioned officer. Ugh! The name of the boy that rumor said connived at the escape of prisoners, vhs Julius Henderson. He is not re- ported dead, deserted nor discharged, what lecame of bim? Someone knows. fint them answer ilis name was drop- . 1 from the rolls of Co. K, but this is all except ramor. To the best of ; rocollection, it was while scouting in this vicinity-with quite a heavy column, one of the boys shot himself through the heel, while marchin _:. hi4 enrbine in some manner was diselarg- ed. Whether he ultimately int his foot we do not know. We saw Him at Rolla, after the Raid, swinging on crutches. About the same tine one of our boys had a spur shot of by the discharge of a comrales carbine. was present I when the man was wounded, and think we were stationed at Alton at the time. Dit will not be certain. The naked 'acts remain however. But while stationed at Cape Girardeau. another Que accidentally shot himself, in the
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with us out the mat was not operated apartirl wen turned to cap. The batl luc grd among the metavarpai bones (wrist ) Dr. Crawford operat- I upon kim it front of the Hospital tents. [ Jo now know that Hegot the ball, but presame ke did for Dr. Crawford wos an : seclient Sarg.01.
The prisoners got to tunneling and before discovered had they dug up- word, they would have been outside the walls in the street. but a guard wie close by, as a beat ran by the road. Capture of the prisoners, or an attempt father, was at one time expected. but trah.uprame ot it. I think there was som thing in this besides rumor, but etapasi place on our part was the price of our retaining our prisoners.
Bat the telling the hours was the most enchanting of anything Lever hearj. It was rather tolling the quarter It is a quiet warin night, per- haps dark as erebus, or bright moon- halt. The Lieutenant of the guard at Post No. I .is, to the guard of that Per "Gaard, it is ten o'clock," the guar 1. sargent and corporal, stand by Listen" Hack! The guard in clear ringing tores at the top of his voice is cilline. "Port No. 1 ten o'clock and
Post No2 takes up the refrain, after which, each post in rotation calls the refrain, to the last post, No. 36.
Again all is quiet until aux her quar- ter hour pisues, when there is a repe- titi ... But let us say that post No 16 has toall ! the refrain. but 17 has not began before his voice has died away. Not ten seconds will elapse before "Corps d of the guard No. 17." Every port takie up the the call. The Cor- pourdl of the guard takes the supernu- teries abd rans directly to post 17. " Turn out the guard!' "Fall in, fall in!" The next relief, just awakened from their shop st ind in line. Every gnard stands with cocked gun. Hark! listen! "Post No. 17 and alls well!" The prisoners heads again seek the pillow, knowing by the tolling of that furet that "alls well." But what was the matter? Was that gaard asleep ?!! No, but taken suddenly ill-tried and did make a low call but not loud enough to be heard. He is rcheved. The Dr. from the prison Hospital works over him, the boys fretting because in some way they cant help their brother. In ten minutes every guard on the beats know what is the matter. They pace their beats rapidly; as they meet. "post No. 17 taken suddenly ill, taken to the guard room." la another ten minutes' dry all know the sick ones name avi
Volvo prisoners, with fout solicitado in their voices, will er quive, "what is the matter? But not so with the rah,! prisoners. The first we answer civiny, but the last to kee risks if they a Ik 'n the night.
Mr. DaLee, Vans father, mal .. / H' 1. visit-a quiet. scholarly gentienun. Through the influence of Major Fisher we arrange to show him Alton byr .... light. We have the counter. ign. are regarded as Mounted Patrol- little patroling we do howeren. prearrange as much as we can to : Mr. DALee an insight into Vitres About ten o'clock we mountour horses and proceed toward upper Alfon Te Wiet by arrangement. the panel. + 0. 00 comes there? Halt!" "Tre: . w.th the countersign." "Discount filende, advance one, and give the counter sivy." With the carbine at our breastwe . hey, the balance of the patrol sitting with their carbines ata ready, "countersigns correct, advance friends." Van and his father advance, the latter saying he thinks it very dangerous to have : coeked carbine pointed at our breast. We don't mind it a particle. there is not a bit of danger. I have never heard of one being so shot. We taras toward upper Alton and take a view of Lovejoy's residence, a brother of thel martyr, Mr. DaLee recounting the ca- reer of Lovejoy as we turn and nievel toward the city. As we got tous at half mile from the prison, we bis. Scon the tolling of the hour is po'aly heard. In absolute silence Te .1: 5 .- til the last note dice away when we more on. Soon the project gerne 'la't us, and about the same manony. . 13 gone through with as before. We pre- ceed directly toward the prison. iut Mr. DALee thinks that I have beef exposing myself enough and he band the prison guar I may shoot. guards hear and are watching us. we turn towards the prison will, the guard turns, when, "Who comes dort Hault." "Friends with the counter in' . Dismount friends, advance one offs give the countersign." beats at either end of this brat .: d narrowly watching this strange good ceeding. As we move away !! , Dad Lee says, "boys, I have bad que enough of this, we will get be fired " OD.
olaur.ers.
.IT
K. :. CARPENTER, ANITA .. wany "E."
. l'eserved ]
CHAPTER
northeast
bobto us the } . ileng ex-
A Vater, appear u a.ni disap- fron. bends in t! Findecapo. Den hogy hats at the whif are re- nicht, the
: . withings of some 1 wewent ters; tor ahla prison walls storing buti- tady char in the soft mornicht: the words plaiuly visible on top of the grown in which the real, were confi- meil nights, with gaards on top and in- il. this buge pile of stens, that no relat my ese the, which tory are con- poorly trying to do. On the farther shot. a low miss hangs over the water. Avvned the bend there suddenly ap- 1 r ore steamboats. evidently facing. We watch them until the, disappear "round the upper bend in the river, neither gaining upon the other. "Boys, .pch a s'ene I never before saw. It Fino os though I stand et the gat - o; Herren," sid Mr. Dal. a. Terr- wer in his eyes, while his voir. to- bjel the emotion he fric. Little dit he think. or we either, rhet 3 .. a few more nights we boy- work lo gris- there in that prison, that we weer then gazing upor, that the sor b. side him "2. se hout to lose his Nif : Long we et and Food. I then ! !! the way by the rin . road and when we reached the Miere Kiln Mr. D:I .- gave us quite a litel' hetare on The dangers around Time Kilus, but we were both conver- int with Chemistry, yet his remarks r. die entertaining and instructive. As s & preached the road that les to the "aup I proposed stripping uy . If and to, and showing our guest how a waren swim. But a deund I no. fra. Van, who thinks I mi, tre old, Fettin it, and we seek the Vitb blaff s.lagain feast our eyes upsy moon- Het sumery. To the left. now, lies :1 ... . .. Ahon, to the right and rear h & rental camp to which we soon wwwn. l.cing opent a few hours that in lite- journey. Mycom- as of that night are leth dend. : anil son. but their memories 1 h th . all intensity of an na und de host advice said: "Um "e ramte advice was given 'yiA.l. B. M.
is pr sent.
viled us. I Ws
the daily te le sue a le cure of - ed hersen. Jay bruse would jump the pole or diten to get to me. could tok Jos ue. it saddled and bridled. what ever i went. Mr. Bean, con cout < aree- 1. keep away from the lar ...
would give any sum, almost, to have obtained him. The Force followed we on the principle of "Mary's iah ' Kindness and po tting was what ulu the work, as it a' ays will. Some Lopt their hor . aby nicans of hau i rub? ing. with gunsy coats, others bestowed as lite care upon them as possible, ann- k'pc them feel the cru. I cuib and spur, i season and out of season, their hos- ses under such treatment becoming miserable brutes Some men were un- fit to have the care of such noble ani- wals. The horses would learn the bu- sle calls much quicker than we could. Long before I was familiar with them, my horse would obey the different calls with piong thess.
The care the prisoners received.both R -! !...! Chim, was the very best. Not only was full rations issued to dieeur. but Fried apples, cabbages, to- bar vo, and potatoes in alomdanec Their unniters were roomy, clean and herith- Eal. Plenty of exercise they had; the pics and little trinkets they made to " sule found ready purchasers, and from this server obtained considerable in- come. The prisoners were kout sepr- rt at night, but all mogla br the daytime it they desired.
On the rebel side in c ersingel wo- man vas seen, who had been a purvey- or of quinine, or action is a spy for the Confederate Goverment. One night one of the Union prisoners while in bed had his thro ir ent byone of the inmates. He was : mumier of the 15th Ilinois Enfants The wound did not kill him, d'i not reach the Caroted Arteries. Th. sw in a fright. tul one. It was sup; ne thy his fol- low prisoners that tour. he that gave information of the rinneling, but it was a groundles . sarg tion. The fun- edling was fi covered by one of the Leys os Follows : he thought he heard something. when a whispered c.dl from beat to be at was sent to the sargent of gaard, who told the bay to watch iris opportunity and : res ists ramrod! into the ground and take it between his tooth; if o grating nuise was felt. to make the call. In bisa than five min- ato's the call cane. mul in fe more,
fred in that way ist
rerenil. ; washet which y all . . ....
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evine pe. de grond. .
por aly voluntary de mure the etc.
stake in werde terms of per bra
tive that they erin fly freand we .. mais, but all stood up for the angry . at state rights, so far as I know. Say- crati t'aies cach day the rolls wool; ne called, and by this news a giove watch was kept upon them. The Laim pris- oners, as it eruss, were very hard citi- ZeTES. Bounty jums is, deserties theives; thugs ans, rants ctly one of whom were front tl, 17th. Their countenances slow d this as well as the records. Now and the. one pre- sented the appearance of a gentleman, and in manners and conversation was countly and reined. The brary ci one I obtained who was in there for marder. A commissioned officer had, under the promise of marriage, ruined hissister. The officer suffered for the wrong by losing his life at the hands of this defender of his sistera hoan :. This man hed been tried. and i veiled i sentence of imprisonment, and was to receive a dishonoralde discharge. The last wis revoked. and I think he was pardoned while we were there.
Many were in for striking officers. I remember one brawny beast. in gres glee telling how he pounded an officer. The prison is the natural house of sach
Of My one prisoner was shot while ao were there. . Te account of which has been given A9 so much has been said of the . del treatingit of priester. ne beg the indulgence of our readers, while I compare the treatment we can't to mien who were traiter. to par conb. try, and to men who had dertat ort Bag, who had committed all de criuns in the calender, souse that were ich is
Ci prison system peedlier to the stars et Peansylvania and will let Charies Dickens de the describing, ann www. our military system of prism creme. tenit is compared with the c'rit zy tem that was in vogue, Leaded by :. christian people, we can say that while war was a dread circle of cruelty, our tr atarat of prisoners does not evine under that hend.
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E. K. CARPENTER, NUTS. CONTENT "X."
CHAPTER X.
On the outskirts of Philadelphia stands a great prison, called the ca :. ern Penitentiary, conducted en a plan peculiar to the State of Pensylvanis. the system here is rigid, trist ant hopeless solitary confinement I believe it, in ios effects, to be cruel and wronz To its intention, I am well e mivinced that it is kind. humane, and meant for reformation, but I am persuaded that those who devisel this system of Pris- on discipline, and those benevolent gentlemen who carry it into execution, do not know what it is they are doing. I believe that very few men are capa- ble of estimating the homene amount of torture and agony which this dread- fait punishment, prolonged for yes. inflic's upon the sufferors; and in ane. s. ing ar it myself, and in reasonin_ f.om w/ c I have seen written upon thei: fires, und what to my certain know- ledige they frel within, I am only the more convinced that there is a depth of terrible endurance in it which pone but the sufferers themselves ran fath- cm, and which no man har a right to infret upon his fellow-creatures. I hoid this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain ?. he Hameasurably worse than any torture of the body, and because its ghastly signs and okers are not so palpable to the eye and sense of touch as sears up- on the flesh; because its wonnils are not upon the surface, and it extoorts few cries that human ears can lear; therefore I the more denonnee it. as a secret punishment which slumber- ing bonanity is not rousel up to May. J hesitated once, debating with my.cit. whether, if I had the power of eatin "yes" or "no," I would allow it to be fried in certain cases, where the terms of imprisonment were short, but now. I solemnly declare, that with no ... wards or honors could I walk a trippy man beneath the open sky by day, or ile me down upon my bed at night. with the consciousness that one human creature for any length of time. notuat- ter what, lay suffering this punishment in his silent cell, and I the cause, or I consenting to it in the least degree. I was accompanied to this prison by two gentlemen, oficially connected with its management; and passed the day in gxt ; from cell to cell, and tilking ritt. the inmates. Every facility was
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wagon frealy anven. the .v.fort too hi_idy, and of the excelent motives ot al! who are innmedietely concerned in de administration of the system, there can be no kind of quarst on.
Between the body of the prison and th ... po'or wall. there is a spacious gar- montering it, by a ticket in the ravive gate, we pursued the path be- fr as to its termin at'on, and passed ist . a large chamber from which seven log prasy radint., Ou either side of wall is a long row of low cell dor-, with a number over every one. Al .. r. a . Adery of cells Bike those be- how, except that they have no narrow yard attached tas there in the ground tier have). and ne some what smaller. The possession of two of these is sup- passed to compensate for the absence
if so inach att an } exercise as can be bed in the wall strip attached to cash of the at ers, in an hours time every do. am ! therefore every prisoner in the ripper scary has two cells adjoin- ing. a dj communicating with each oth- Stan linzat the central point, and Him down these dreary passages, the wall repose and quiet that prevails is awii.l. Occasionally there is a draw v -oand irun some lone weavers ¿butde er hoe mikers last, but it is stithed by the thick walis and heavy Hagen thor, and only serves to make the reuteral stiliness more profound. O. r the head and face of every pris- oper who comes into this melancholly house, a black hood i- drawn. and in this dark -proal, an emblem of the curtain dropped between him and the living world. he is led to the cell from which he never again comes forth, un- til hi- while tom of imprisonment ex- pires. He never hear- of wife or chil- tres, home or friends; the life or death of say siugh: creature. He sces the prisen officers, but with that exerp- tion he never looks upon a human emterance, or hears a human voicc. Te is a man burried alive; to be dug nat in the slow round of years, and in the raantime dead to everything but torturing anxieties and horrible dis- pour, his name aud erime and term of suffering are unknown, even to the of- ficer who delivers him his daily food. There is a number over his cell door, and in a book of which the govenor of the prison has one copy and the moral instructor another, this is the index to the history. Beyond these pages the prisoner has no recoril of bis existence; and though he live in the same cell
what part a the balling itis invited. what kind of un : there was alove' per whether in the In: winter nights there are living jaa far of be . in the great jail, with walls any net sages and iron doors b.tweet bit ind the nearest sbarer in it- s. htary borrei. Every cell has loable dames the uger one of sturdy oak. the other of ;iste ! iron, wherein there is a trap thious's which his food is handed. He i. bible and a slate and reneil, and wund " certain restrictions, has sometime. other book., provided for the purprze, and pen, ink and paper. Ilis razor. plate, can and barin, hang upone wall, or shine upor the Hitle .han. Fresh water is laid ou in "ve., eli. and he can draw it at pleasure, duuns the day his bedstend turas up again? v the wall, and leaves more spice for lum to work in. His loom or bosch or what is there, and there he labors, sleeps and wakes and coants the sea- sons as they change, ma grows old.
The first man I saw was seated at his loom, at work. He had been there six years, and was to remain thre. more. He had been convicted as a ro- ceiver of stolen gouls, but even after this ;long imprisonment, denied bis guilt. and said he had been hardly dealt by. It was his second offence. He stopped his work when we went in, took of his 'spectacles, and answered freely every question asked him, bur. always with a strange kind of Jehar first, and in a low, thoughtful voice. He wore a paper hat of his own n .... king, and was pleased to have it an- ticed and commended. He had very ingeniously made a sort of Datch elock from some disregarded odds and euds. and his vinegar-bottle served for the pendulum. Seeing me interested in this contrivance, he locked up at it with a great deal of pride, and said he had been thinking of improving it, and he hoped the hammer and a little piece of broken glass beside it "would plav musie before long." He had extract. d some colors from the yarn with which he worked, and painted a few poor fig- ures on the wall. One, of a female. over the door, he called "The Lady of the Lake." As I looked at these com- trivances he smiled, but when I looked from them to him, I saw that bis hp trembled, and could have counted the beating of his heart. Some allusion was made to having a wife. he shook his head, torucd alle and covered his face with his hands Are you re pon- ed now? was asked he sigked reekles -- ly and replied: "Oh yes," And are a better man? "W. H I hope /0, 11u sure I bope I may be."
1 . Affects Cave'ry Volunteers. BY .. 4. CARPENTER, Private Company "K."
CHAPTER NI.
! : other cell there was a German n Ite tive y ars imprisonment Levens, two of which had just ex- With cob r. proenred in the manner, he had painted every at the woils and coffing quite mike. De had laid out the few , si ground. with exquisite neatness v. bal monde a littie bed in the cen- . That looked by the by nie a grave. Ch. taste and ingenuity he had dis- D : ed iu everything was most extra- .i.pary. and yet ; more dejected .. . toraken wretched creature it would , . dificult to imagine. I never saw s ch a picture of forlorn affliction and tress of mind. my heart bled for Wha; and when the tears ran down his checks and he asked one of the visit- 1 ... nervously clutching at his coat to det.in him, whether there was any hope of his diamal sentence being vonaunited. the spectacle was really too vajuful to witness, I never saw or heard of any kind of misery that im- pressed me more than the wretchedness of this tuan. In a third cell was a tall strong black. a burglar, working at his proper trade of making serews and the like. His time was nearly out. Le Was pot only a very dexterous theif, Int rts notorious for his boldness and honlihood and for the number of his privious convictions, he entertained u- with a long account of his achieve- i.pots which he nariated with such infinite relish. that he actually seemed t bick his lips as he told us racy avec- dates of stolen plate and of old ladies whom he had watched as they sat at windows in silver spectacles (he lad hed an eye to their metal from the uther side of the street) and had after- wards robbed this fellow upon the Highrest eneumragement would have mingled with his professional recollec- tions the most detestable cant. but I am very much mistaken if he could Give surpassed the anmitagated hypoe- rios with which he declared that he Hosped the day on which he came into tto prison, and that he never would commit another robbery as long as he Bord. There was one man who was allowed as an indulgence to keep rab Ling, his room having rather a cluse .well in consequence. they called at rite door to come out into the passage, I. emuplied of course and sound shad- ing his be gard face in the unwonted zuulight of the great window. looking as wan and un-earthly as if he had been sommoued from the grave. He had a white ribbit in his breast; and when the little erratore getting down on the Freun I stole back into the cell. aud he, hn ing disnessed, erept back timidly af- ter it. I thought it would be very hard to say in what respect the man was the bobler animal of the two. There Was an English theif, who had been but a few days out of seven years. a vil-
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