Letter From Richmond

Tlie fbllowing letter was rcceived a few days siuco bj J. S. Hexderson. of tliis city, fïoiii Lia brotber, Lient. Colonel of the 33d Iudiaoa, but (hen bonrding at the ITotel De Libby, Kicliirjoiul. Col. íícnderson bas siico been esclmnged : Hotel De Liüby, üioiimond, Va. ) April 30th, 1803 Owing to the liabüity of capture you valí excuso no heading. I have now been a prisoner 5G days, 42 of which I hare spent boro at Libby. It would take too long to go back to the boginning of my captivity, and give a complete history of all of the ups and downs I have gono turough, but I live in hopes of getting out of Loro spme time, and then you ean eorae and sce me. I will then teil you all. To begin back at the fight of which you 00 doubt have had an account, (fhough few have giveu a correct ono,) we suffercd considerably. I lost not Iess thun 30 killed and 100 wounded. My regiment had the main body of tho rebels to fight, and they did it well. I have uo reason to oompiaïn of men or offieers. We fought from 10% üntil i}i, making 6)4 hours, and all of the time six brigades againat part of ono. We had about 1500 infantry m the fight and the rebels had about 15000. We had five piceos of artJlery and tho rebels fourteeu. When we surrendered there were two lines forraed on evcry side of us and we had not a round-of ammunition. There was no alternativo but surrender or be murdered. We fixed bayoneta to charge througli, but a brigade of cavalry came up at that time in our rear, formiog a third line and we gave up the idea. After surrendering we were marched to Sholbyville and thence to Tullahama where we took a cattle train and cams to Chattanooga, from thence we were sent to Knoxville, then to Bristol, then Lynchburg, and finally on here. To give you a good descriptiou of the prison would take more room than I have, but as far as my room goes you shall have it. The building ia a largo brick tobacoo house, four stories high with three seperate departmeuts on each floor. Eack room is 100x40, and above the basement story there areTnine rooms fWe omit plan]. Nos. 7 and 8 aro the hospital rooms and are fitted up very woll with matrasses and bedsteads. No 4 contains 100 Captains aud inferior of : fieers. No. 9 has 140 General, Field and lower grade officers. Those in No. 4 and 9 havo each one blanket an sleep on the floor. The rations are not one half as good as a cominon felón reoeives in our uorthern jails. The well men get one half pound stale bread, and four to six ouuces of meat per day, and more than ene half of the time the meat stinks so it can not be eaten. Some of the ofEcers being fortúnate enough to have some green backs along, we have sold the ra from two to five dollars for one, and have managed to buy some few things to fill up with. Flour is worth $2i par owt., wheat, $78 per bushei, Sugar l,25al,60 per 1b; Botter, $33,50 per ft; Eggs, 1,75 per doz ; Potatoes #15ï8 per bush.; ïlam, $1,75 per ïb; Molassea, 1416 per gal; Onions, 4 for $1, very small ; Hice, 35o per lb; Corn Maal. $28 per owt., 10 ginger cakes SI; Bread, % ft loa ves, 25cts You cao judge from the above prices which we have to pay how far a hundred dollars will go with a mess of a dozen men, In the hospital we get three small slioes of bread a day, three pxeoes of meat nfter (he strength has been boil cd out for soup, and a cup of rioo soup each meal. I was in room No. 9, until I was taken siek with sore throat and was ordered into the hospital. After my throat got so I could swallow I took the mumps and had it on one side, then the chills and fever fook hold of rneand I have just got them broken up. lam reduccd very much in flesh and strength, but hope for the best. We have somo expeetation of being released this week but the chances are very unoertaio. The Commissionei-s do not seem to agree on the exchane. No doubt f we aro not exehanged soon we sliall be sent south to soine othor prison There are 600 rebel officers at Ft. Dclaware, but tbe difficulty arises from the rebels oonteadiog for a lot of paroled offioers thcy pretend to havo captured in Kentuoky and Tennessce. If Commissioner Ludlow coucludcs to exchange thera wo will get away from bere by Eriday, if uot, tbo exchange stops for the present, It goos pretty hard, but I don't want our goverument to give down an inch. There is no use of the rebels trying to advocate that we are treated as well as their offioers. You ean say t,o the Srst man who says it that it is a d d lie. I lost by the operation. a fiue horse, saddle, and equipments, a pair of fine nnvy revolvers, a fine sword, overuoat, oil-eoat, blanket and eanteen, in all worth nearly $450, all of which I will havo to replaca wheu I get out. I expeet I will be ordered immedi:itely to my regiment and will not get away to como and see auy of you. Yon will therefore have to come and sce me. Ever Yuurs, J. M. HENDERSON. L3L Aepeoial session of tho Board of Supervisors is to be held on the 26th inst. JS32T" Tlic líielimond papers report that Stonewall Jaekson has died of liis wound received in the battlo of Chancellorsvillo. He was au ablo offieer, ranking nest to Lee, in the rebel anny of Virginia, The rebel Gen. Van Dorn is also reported dead. Doubü'ul.