The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-01-11
From tie New York Times.
The Adventures OF Congressman Ely.

Mr.. Ely was captured by South Care
lima company, at Bull Run. about p. NJ
of the day of the battle. lie had stoppet
at blacksmith shop to have his carriag
mended, and, after that, waited awhile 10
Senator Foster, of Connecticut, who hat
T gone out with him While waiting h,
walked down towards a ravine, in which
he saw a company of national troops
skulking or in ambush, but, as he ap
preached them, they receded, and just al
Mr. Ely paused, to return to his carriage
a spent musket ball struck the earth nea
him. lie stepped behind a large tree neal
by to be out Of danger, and continued Ia,
observations. In a moment a cannon bal
went crashing through the branches d
the tree ai.d seemed to be telling tht
whole top upon him. By the time he re
covered from his surprise, company o
soldiers, accompanied by two well dressed
officers, emerged FROM be woods near by
On perceiving Mr. EN- the two officers
advanced and demanded his name. He
answered. Mr. Ely, of New York The
question followed, =" Do you hold any
civil office in the government For the
first time Mr.. Ely sand he felt he was 10
trouble. He replied that lie was mem
Der Of Congress, and thereupoa one of the
/
/ declared him prisoner, but assured him
I he should be treated with every consider
alton. They took him TO their Colonel
and introduced him formally as Hon
Mr.. Ely, Member OF Congress from New
/ York. Instantly the Colonel drew u
pistol, cooked it and levelled it at Mr.
! Eiys head, not two PAGES distant and
said You ID rascal, I'll blow ycur
/ brains out The .~o officers who had
arrested Mr.. Ely instantly threw them
selves upon the Colonel. forced his pistol
back, and persuaded him away They
! then apo!o-ized to Mr Ely. saving they
were ashamed Of their Colonel, who was
excited Y drinking Tn S officer was Col
Cash, and the officer who arrested Mr.
Ely was Capt Mullins
Mr. Ely was put with a large herd Of
prisoners, and all were started tn Manas-
sas 1t was a march Of seven weary mile
and the prisoners suffered tottures from
the dust, heat, and thirst At Manassas.
which they reached at o clock p. = /,
they Were driven into an open space. sur
rounded thickly by guards, and all began
10 fall on the ground, then wet with fast
falling rain, TO seek rest and sleep. While
Mr. Ely was preparing for a similar move
mcu,, an officer rode Iato the. yard and
called aloud To know if d" Mr.. Ely, OF New
York, was present Mr. Ely thought his
time had come now TO be shot. Never
thelcss, he answered the CALL and was
told that Gen Beaureeard required him
10 come To his headquarters lie followed
the officer. ana reac4ed the los-house sur
roundded by "a veiancah, on the porch OF
which, with As ingle candle burning on il.
was tshle, and around the table sat JEFF
Davis, Beauregard, Extra Billy Smith,
PorcEer Miles, and other rebel officers.
appaI emily reckoning up the result Of the
day battle.
Forcher Miles approached Mr Ely, and
expressed regret at las situation, but ia a
moment changed his tone. remarkiny thar
he bad no opinion OF Congressman who
would come la aid an army in invading n
State. Mr. Ely Was sent oil 10 sleep in a
barn. whore he found the captared na
iioI'al 4itissrs .-, ,nvy were ar srastru 70
Richmond. The morning after their ar
rival there Messrs Bocock aud Pryor, OF
Pirc;nia, and Kei,t and Boyce, OF South
Carolina. called upon Mr. Ely. and stated
that they should use Their Influence to
secure liis release They inade an appli-
cation Tor this purpose 10 jef. Davis, who
called "A meeiin. Of his Cabinet. and the
result was a consultation OF several hours.
The Cabinet generally favored Mr. Elys
re..ase. bat Davis, Benjamin. and Hunter
were, opposed to II, on grounds of public
policy, and Walker, the Secretary oi War,
sent an elaborate communication stating
that the Cabinet had come 10 the concla-
sion 10 deny the application.
III Eiy- arrival was announced by the
Rirhnoud papers and the whole press OF
the South, 10y which hc soon became mo-
toriuus Visitors came 70 see BIN by
hundreds, and 1t was not unfrequeutiy the
case that he had forty in his room at a
time Among them were Breckenridge.
Humphrey Marshall, and Ex Minister
Preston. who exlne -. d the opinion that
his being held In custody was IAN outrage
The Governors and Episcopal Bishops OF
most OF the rebel States were also visitors
la fact, they came 10 hinI from all parts G;
JEFF Daviss dominions Bouquets were
sent him almost daily. and sometimes not
less than a dozen a day. lis meas, too
nicely prepared, were sent him by the
families OF citizens In his conversations
politics were rarely alluded to. unless he
himself introduced the sntlect, when
there was a free inteIchanglng of opinion
The position of our hostages at Rich
mOn@ l. painful Seven OF them are con
fined in a room about twelve 10y fifteen
in the Richmond Jail, having two small
windows, which admit but little light
Tney are permitted to see no person but
the jailor and the negro who waits upon
ZEN, and are only permitted TO leave
thu cells thirty minutes in the moInip I.
and the same time in the afternoon, To
walk in the narrow promenade between
the Jail building and the interwall Their
food consists OF Jail fare, sobby corn bread,
and boiled beef. and they are not permit
ted to have anything better. even though
they purchase it. When Mr. Ely was re-
leas, H. he went in company with Mr..
Faulkner To the Jail and the two were
granted the favor OF an interview with the
unfoiiuuate officers. Mr.. Faulkner eX-
dressed his surprise at this rlsos, and he
stated that such was not the treatment
that the privateers received in New York
and Philadelphia; that, though they
were held for capital crimes, they were
allowed to receive visitors, and to have
all the comforts compatible with their
safe custody Mr. Ely thinks that, based
upon this last statement by Faulkner the
rei,el authorities will lessen the severity
Of the treatment
OF the reckless ard outrageous conduct
of the rebel guards, Mr. Ely speaks in
terms of the utmost censuret He states
that the prisoners had not been in the
tobacco warehouse fifteen minutes before
a bullet was fired into the window of one
OF our prisoners, who had ventured to put
! his head outside, aud that in this way
seven men had been wantonly killed
/ This conduct met with severe censure
/ from all who were aware Of the facts, but
he WIS not apprsed that any action had
been taken to punish the offenders by the
| rebel authorities.
A few days before his release. Mr.. Ely
was again visited by Messrs Boeock and
! Boyce, who stated that they intended to
use their efforts to get him exchanged for
Mr.. Faulkner. The following day, he saw