After breakfast,
a small blackeyed, humorous looking Frenchman
came in from an adjoining room, bearing in his hand an old
slouch hat. He stated that he had been imprisoned for so
long a time, that he could claim to be an old resident,
and that custom of late obtained in the Old Capitol of initiating
all new arrivals, in conformity whith which, he was then
present to conduct the ceremony. Then turning to Coakley,
who had chanced to be nearest to him of our party, the Frenchman
extended to him the hat with the request that he would lay
his hands upon it. Coakley, who had been previously eyeing
him, evidently, with suspicion and some apprehension, instead
of complying, drew back as if he had been invited to handle
an infernal machine. The Frenchman laughed, the crowd roared
and Coakley looked inexplicable. Order being restored, Coakley
was reassured by some of the old prisoners of Fred'by, that
no harm was intended, and that the proceeding was all intended
as fun, where upon he was induced to take hold of the hat.
"Now," said the Frenchman, "gentleman, I
call you to witness that this is a felt hat," handing
it around that all might feel it and making the same statement
to each, he pronounced us initiated. I
learned that prisoners were permitted to write to their
families and friends, and procuring materials, penned a
short letter to my wife and a note to
my friend Mr Leutze who I learned was
in the city and hoped that, through his acquaintance with
men in power here, he could probably extricate me from this
imprisonment. This concluded, I returned
down stairs to our den where I was informed that the seal
had been taken from the door and permission granted us to
take exercise in the little yard, the dimensions of which
I have heretofore described. This little enclosure I found
filled, about three hundred and fifty prisoners of every
rank, condition and degree, statesman, lawyers, bankers,
doctors, editors, officers, merchants, soldiers, deserters,
and vagabonds were mingled in the court. The great majority,
however, were dirty, lousy, half - clad soldiers. Indeed
danger of the vermin which swarmed on all sides was so great
that I retreated with a friend into a corner of the lot
and there stood until the expiration of the alloted half
- hour. The condition of many of the captive soldiers can
be conceived when I state that many of them were actually
scraping lice from their persons with knives and sticks.
On returning to our room, imagine my consternation on feeling
my neck where there was a slight crawling sensation, to
find that it was a louse of the largest size. I immediately
sounded the alarm and stripped with more alacrity than Mr
Roberts had done the night previous. Mr Roberts seemed to
enjoy my confusion exceedingly, so did Mr
Berrey. The tables were turned. I was soon, however, arrayed
in an entirely clean suit of clothes, and the subjection
of those I had cast off to a close scrutiny failed to detect
another "varmint." The perplexing question with
me was whether the things had gotten upon me in the yard
or the den, and what rendered me more unquiet was that,
considering the precaution I had observed when out, the
probability was the latter supposition was correct.
