The incurable house of the Marshall institution is situated upon Ida Hill, between the main house and the pest-house, in an open field, on either end of the house are high hills, making a lonely place. Beneath is the Hollow road, and on the west beneath, is the great Hudson river to be seen, passing between South and West Troy. Often have I seen, in the time of the war, the great flag hoisted near the arsenal, and heard the loud cannons roar, when locked up a prisoner in this house.
INCURABLE HOUSE.
July 3, 1862. Soon after I was in the room with Scott, in came Chris and ordered me to take off the coat that was given me by the attendant and Gibbs in the main house; time passed on, the hour for dinner came, in came Chris and his wife with dinner, placing mine upon a small stand and Scott's upon his bed, one plate each and a cup of water. Here we slept, ate and done all we did do for many weeks, and I declare, it was not a very sweet smelling place for a dining-room, in the month of July. This room was on the second floor, the other rooms were occupied by females. In the adjoining room there were two colored women. The old Mrs. Jones that Chris struck when she came into my room at dinner time, died before I left, the other referred to is Maria, who I have often seen there since 1870, if I am not mistaken.
AFTER THE REIGN OF CHRIS.
Alfred, who I have described as the painter, was a very intemperate man, English by birth; first saw him in the main house, in 1860-61; did not see him bound there, heard he was, to a stationary chair. I went to the incurable house July 3d, 1862; saw him there, he done some painting in the house. After Chris was removed Alfred had the key to my room and Scott's. Scott was a man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of age. I soon learned he was a self-abused person and that he knew how to abuse others. I think he was an impenitent, self-condemned madman; he knew enough to work, he knew when he was called to dinner; most of the time sullen and mute.
Some time in July John P. Bacon was brought from the main house to my room and bound to a stationary chair. Now we numbered three in this room of perfumery. J. P. Bacon was a resident of Lansingburgh, some nineteen or twenty years old; had been taken to, and brought from, Utica asylum previous to his coming to Ida Hill asylum.
In the fall of 1862 we were moved to the third floor, and I roomed with Scott and others in the middle east room nights, being locked in another through the daytime, with many maniacs. Upon this third floor I staid until I got my liberty in 1870. Walked out a few times.
DOCTORS, ATTENDANTS AND PATIENTS IN THE INCURABLE HOUSE.
During my stay in this house I became acquainted with many different attendants and patients whose names I here record, and shall speak of some of them individually in subsequent pages.