Sunday:
Breakfast—Baked beans, brown bread, and coffee.
Supper—Rice pudding, brown bread, and coffee.
Monday:
Breakfast—Flour bread, brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Corned beef, vegetables, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour bread, molasses, and coffee.
Tuesday:
Breakfast—Corned beef, warm brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Codfish, potatoes, butter gravy, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour bread, molasses, and coffee.
Wednesday:
Breakfast—Fish hash, brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Fresh beef soup with vegetables, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour bread, molasses, and coffee.
Thursday:
Breakfast—Meat hash, brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Stewed peas with pork, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour bread, molasses, and coffee.
Friday:
Breakfast—Meat hash, warm brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Baked fresh fish or chowder, potatoes, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour broad, molasses, and coffee.
Saturday:
Breakfast—Meat hash, brown bread, and coffee.
Dinner—Fresh beef soup with vegetables, and brown bread.
Supper—Flour bread, molasses, and coffee.
11. General remarks upon the prisoners. When entering my service here, the prison had more inmates than cells. Eight were females. The community was reaping a sad harvest from the demoralizing effects of the late war. Six or eight were U. S. prisoners.
All treated me with due respect. The most were easily approached, free in conversation, readily giving account of themselves, admitting their crimes and the justice of their sentences, which probably they would not have done to one in whom they could not confide. A very few would plead innocence, some, no doubt, rightfully; three probably having been victims of fiendish plots. Two or three were very reticent, one saying, "No one here shall ever know my real name, native place, or business of life."
It was heart-sickening to listen to their tales of wrong and suffering, clearly showing that "the way of the transgressor is hard." Sin has a most debasing effect upon its victims. Three-fourths or more doubtless came to prison directly or indirectly through strong drink. True, in many cases, more remote causes lay back of this, a native inclination to sin, loss of parents, parental neglect, family infidelity, vicious associates, ignorance, Sabbath-breaking and the like. A very few had used no strong drink. A large share were young, some mere boys on their alternate sentence. Many, on entering, could neither read nor write.
The crimes were various, extending from the worst murder cases down to the lower grades of iniquity, some perfectly fiendish, horrible. It would seem impossible for men and women to do such deeds.
But these inmates were evidently not all the wrong doers of the State who merited punishment. In a few cases, no doubt, the prosecutor rather deserved the doom. Then there are those rum-sellers, keepers of billiard saloons, gambling dens, and houses of ill fame, all inciting to crime. Numbers of them stand really in the light of particeps criminis to our inmates, and perhaps were more deserving of this confinement. How long will the people see this class making criminals of our sons and brothers, yea, of our daughters and sisters too, and remain inactive? Why do not the very stones cry out?
I found all the prominent religious persuasions here represented, from the Universalist to the staid Quaker; a number had been Sabbath school attendants, one quite an Advent speaker, who seemed positive he would be able to convert us all to his notions could he have the stand for a suitable time, a privilege he earnestly strove for. More came from the Catholics than from any other sect, and more from the shoe-makers than from any other business class.
When introducing the subject of personal piety to each, no little care was required to bring it forward in such a manner that it should not strike the mind repulsively, and thus fill it with needless prejudice, but rather conciliate and convince, leading to free conversation upon the subject. In this a great advantage would be gained.
The larger portion acceded to the just claims of religious truth upon them, some hoping that their imprisonment was being sanctified to their highest good. One feelingly said, "I was swiftly floating on the stream of sin and corruption towards that awful gulf in which I must have landed ere this, had not the prison walls caught and saved me, as I trust." Some I found professing a belief in infidelity, a few in real atheism.