_From the Philadelphia Inquirer, June 25._
Four hundred and ninety Confederate prisoners, taken recently at
various points in the Shenandoah Valley, arrived from Harrisburg last
evening, and at half past eight reached Washington street wharf,
whence they left the cars for the steamboat Major Reybold, which
transported them to Fort Delaware. Of these men four hundred and
thirty-four arrived in Harrisburg on the 16th instant, and fifty-eight
the day before yesterday, making in all four hundred and ninety-two,
of whom two still remain sick in Harrisburg. They had among them but
one officer, Major Davis, of the 2d Virginia Infantry, who had been at
the battle of Bull Run, and in all the engagements since fought in the
valley, under Jackson.
He is a native of Jefferson county, Virginia, is very prepossessing
and gentlemanly, and about 35 years of age. His coat was of fine grey
cloth, with abundant gold lace on the arms and collar; his pantaloons
were of light army blue, and his cap of the same color. The prisoners
were under charge of a guard, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Thompson, of the 115th Pennsylvania Regiment, and appeared in good
spirits, taking their present and anticipated confinement with great
philosophy. Many were from Northern States, and not a few from
Massachusetts. Irishmen were by no means unfrequent among them.
The account given by Northern men and foreigners generally was, that
they were pressed into the service, or enlisted through want of
employment and the means of living. The whole gang were exceedingly
sun-burnt and rugged through exposure and incessant marching, and
in an inconceivably filthy state, their clothing being filled with
vermin. The prisoners were in sixteen cars, of which nearly all were
freight cars. Each of these, on arrival, was surrounded by crowds who
entered into conversation with the prisoners. One Confederate was
asked if he would take the oath of allegiance, and answered, “I’ll see
you —— first.”
Another asked if it was true that McClellan was dead. “You’ll hear
about that when he gets into Richmond,” said one of the crowd. “He’d
better hurry up, then,” was the reply. “You know he said he was
going to be there on the 4th of July, he has only nine days ahead of
him.” In answer to the numerous charges of cruelty urged against the
Confederates, both towards wounded men and towards prisoners, this was
denied as regards the mass of the Confederate army, but it was allowed
that individual cases might have been perpetrated by the “Pineys,” or
ignorant backwoodsmen of the South. The prisoners claimed that the
Confederates were men, as were the Unionists, and would act towards
their fellow-creatures fully as well.