In fact it stunk and the filth
was overpowering, but again, in the darkest hour, a sense
of the ridiculous came to my relief. Gazing around the dimly
lighted cell, there appeared each one of the party sitting
on his trunk, carpet bag, or bundle, in perfect silence
and profound misery. Mr Roberts observed
that he should certainly die before morning, that no mortal
could stand that dampness and dirt. I suggested that as
the room had evidently been previously occupied by soldiers,
and as he was seated near one of the bunks where some of
them slept, he had better look out for lice. Forgetting
his gout and other ailments, he instantly sprang up, observing
that he thought he felt something crawling upon him, he
stripped himself in less time than I write this account,
and proceeded to invest himself in clean clothes. I could
not help laughing at Roberts. He was comical throughout
the performance. Before he got through, a darkey put his
head in the door and enquired if we would have supper, responding
affirmatively, in about half an hour he returned with a
large tray, containing about a gallon of greasy coffee,
three or four hunks of badly smelling and half cooked beef,
and several loaves of stale bread. This meal, of course,
was rated untolerable and remained untouched. Fortunately,
some of our party, suspecting a strait of this character,
had provided themselves with snacks which served as quite
a meal for all which having dispatched we set about retiring
and soon were stretched in the filthy vermin infested bunks,
but so far as I was concerned, not to sleep. The perfect
darkness and silence of this dungeon (for it was nothing
more) and the startling occurrences of the past forty -
eight hours filled me with the most gloomy reflections,
not unmixed with apprehension and the condition in which
I had left my wife and children with my servants absconded
and they with all that was mine in the hands of the enemy,
were stern realities which stared me in the face and drove
slumber from my eyes, until nearly day when from sheer exhaustion
I fell asleep.
