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The Confederate prisoners at Chicago.
[from the Obicago times]

Camp Douglas, with its rebel occupants, continues to afford the great object of attraction, and crowds flock thither daily. Though a rigid system of admission by passes has been inaugurated, there are many who seem to be on sufficiently good terms with the colonel commanding to procure these necessary little bits of paper. At any rate the camp is besieged from morning till night by an anxious and inquisitive crowd, about half of whom continue to gain admission, while the other half are left on the outside to sigh over their hard treatment.

A sort of rude curiosity in this affair is being developed, which is becoming daily more and more apparent. The unfortunate captives are quite willing to answer all questions that are put to them; but it must be confessed that they are disgusted with the inquisitive glances of visitors, and the assertions openly expressed and thrust upon them a hundred times daily, that ‘"You are in the wrong, and I am in the right."’ Then there is a certain class of persons who, when once admitted within the camp, wander from barrack to barrack, and seek out the communicative prisoners, with whom they commence to argue, just as though the settlement of this accursed rebellion depended on their own efforts.

It must be highly repuguant to the impetuous Southrous to endure the stares and put up with the remarks of their visitors; and, although these may be likely to lead them to penitence, would it not be far better if the guards were instructed to keep visitors at a respectable distance? Sinners are more apt to become penitent when left to their own thoughts, for these overcome their worst resolves, and in the gloominess of silence repentance takes the place of revenge.


Intellectual and physical capacities of the prisoners.

As has been previously remarked, these prisoners, or at least the great majority of them, have been greatly underrated, both in intellectual and physical capacities. The popular notion has pictured our Southern brother as a fierce, devil-may-care sort fellow, with little of intelligence, and still less principle. He was thought to be a lazy, untutored person, and at the commencement of the rebellion was thought to be exceedingly unfit for fighting. Yet these prisoners, in nine cases out of ten, are found to be strong, muscular men, the very picture of soldierly physique.

We all know how much they have suffered in their Southern campaigns, faring on the poorest of bacon, and enduring all manner of deprivations. Yet they do not complain, and, although there are many among their number who profess an unwillingness to return to military duty, there are not a few who proclaim that they never will be subdued, but will fight till death for the ‘"Confederacy."’ In this is a real earnestness which cannot spring from the rainds of such men as we had fancied these rebels to be. The Mississippians are fine spocimens of physical strength, and far ahead of prisoners from other States in this respect.

As there are in camp representatives of seven States, it is fair to infer that the Mississippians are the very flower of the Southern army. The Tennesseeans, if we may except the Irish brigade of that State, are very inferior to their fellow soldiers of other States. They are, indeed, the very worst specimens of humanity among the captives.--The Texans are tall in stature, and come nearer the popular estimate of the Southern character than any of the rest. They are, for the most part, better clad, though some of them seem to have been placed in a position where dress was not at all consulted.

All the prisoners are receiving the best of treatment, are allowed plenty to eat, and are quartered in warm, comfortable barracks — They say they have met with extreme kindness on the part of the Northern people, and admit that they have uniformly fared far better than in the rebel camps of Dixie.--[Humbug]


A death.

One of the sick died suddenly yesterday morning. He was taken ill with a severe cold a few days since, and gradually became more ill, until he breathed his last early yesterday forenoon. His name was Ezekiel Bailey, a member of company F, of the 20th Mississippi regiment, and he has two surviving brothers in the same company. He was a son of Colonel William Bailey, a wealthy planter, living in the town of Lake, twelve miles from Jackson, Mississippi. His comrades watched tenderly over his dying bedside, and, when all was passed, shed bitter tears over the loss of their departed fellow soldier. It was a sad sight, never to be forgotten by those who behold the flush of life fade from the cheeks of that dying prisoner of war.


Departure of the commissioned officers.

During yesterday, Col. Tucker, commanding at Camp Douglas, received a telegraphic order from Major-General Halleck to send all the commissioned officers held at the camp to Columbus, Ohio. They were accordingly placed on board of the evening train on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, under a guard detailed to escort them to the above-mentioned place. They were brought from Camp Douglas on horse cars, which came down the State street line, and were switched on the Madison street line, thus moving to the depot grounds.

There were eighty-six officers, comprising nearly all of the commissioned officers brought hither. They were accompanied by six contrabands, their body servants. The cause for this sudden change in the Government programme has not transipred. The opinion is current, however, that this action was taken to prevent any possibility of an emeuts, which might arise from the consultation of the men with their officers.

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