The principal building of the prison of Ham is composed of a story above the ground floor.  The ground floor is traversed by a dark and low archway, which leads from the principal courtyard into a back yard, and contains three rooms separated by a passage; the first floor contains five rooms.  One of the three rooms on the ground floor is only a little ante-room, almost uninhabitable; there they lodged M. Baze.  In the remaining lower chambers they installed General Lamoriciere and General Changarnier.  The five other prisoners were distributed in the five rooms of the first floor.

The room allotted to General Lamoriciere had been occupied in the time of the captivity of the Ministers of Charles X. by the ex-Minister of Marine, M. d’Haussez.  It was a low, damp room, long uninhabited, and which had served as a chapel, adjoining the dreary archway which led from one courtyard to the other, floored with great planks slimy and mouldy, to which the foot adhered, papered with a gray paper which had turned green, and which hung in rags, exuding saltpetre from the floor to the ceiling, lighted by two barred windows looking on to the courtyard, which had always to be left open on account of the smoky chimney.  At the bottom of the room was the bed, and between the windows a table and two straw-bottomed chairs.  The damp ran down the walls.  When General Lamoriciere left this room he carried away rheumatism with him; M. de Haussez went out crippled.

When the eight prisoners had entered their rooms, the doors were shut upon them; they heard the bolts shot from outside, and they were told:  “You are in close confinement.”

General Cavaignac occupied on the first floor the former room of M. Louis Bonaparte, the best in the prison.  The first thing which struck the eye of the General was an inscription traced on the well, and stating the day when Louis Bonaparte had entered this fortress, and the day when he had left it, as is well known, disguised as a mason, and with a plank on his shoulder.  Moreover, the choice of this building was an attention on the part of M. Louis Bonaparte, who having in 1848 taken the place of General Cavaignac in power; wished that in 1851 General Cavaignac should take his place in prison.

“Turn and turn about!” Morny had said, smiling.

The prisoners were guarded by the 48th of the Line, who formed the garrison at Ham.  The old Bastilles are quite impartial.  They obey those who make coups d’etat until the day when they clutch them.  What do these words matter to them, Equity, Truth, Conscience, which moreover in certain circles do not move men any more than stones?  They are the cold and gloomy servants of the just and of the unjust.  They take whatever is given them.  All is good to them.  Are they guilty?  Good!  Are they innocent?  Excellent!  This man is the organizer of an ambush.  To prison!  This man is the victim of an ambush!  Enter him in the prison register!  In the same room.  To the dungeon with all the vanquished!