The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-05-03

I yonQ the Confederate lines into the State
of Kentucky, to Union neighborhood. /
was about to accept the Generals prefer.
when arrested on charge of treason, for
writing and publishing what appeared in
the Knoxville Whig as my last letter to my
patrons and subscribers. On the 9th of
| December was thrust into the Knoxville
Jail. found in the Jail one hundred and
| fifty Union men-the building crowded to
| overlooking. Every man confined on a
( oh arge of treason was a personal friend.
! They ran around me in establishment, and
| asked what was thrown into prison for
| Some of them shed tears, others smiled,
when they saw me enter the iron gates. I
told them was under arrest for treason on
a warrant just issued. 1t operated upon
me for the time, but 1 cried out, '.Cheer up,
boys, cheer up. What are you here for +?
For counterfeiting or horse stealing? No,
but for standing by your country This
is the proudest day of my life. Here I
choose to lie, until they turn me out,''
They. all said they would die with me in
the last ditch. We organized court and
they elected me the judge, and we tried the
leaders of the rebellion. Strange to say. we
found them guilty. We couldn't exactly
execute them, but hope the day is not far
distant when may 60 back and put the
laws in force. ~ 20 .l17af i7ssf
In that dirty prison but two thirds of our
company could lie. down.. and there was
neither bench, chair, block or other thing
to sit or lie upon. A wooden bucket and a
couple Of tin cups, out Of which we drank,
were all the furniture we had AS conse-
quence, many took cold and were sick. In
FIVE weeks I was myself Frustrated, and had
to be moved. Ny family brought me bed
to rest upon. During the time I was in
jail they doubled the guard, saying l was
going to make my escape to Kentucky. 1
was in there illegaly-in violation of all
law-and I intended to make them carry
out their contracts, as to passports, or exc
cute me.
Among the inmates were three Baptist
preachers One of them, Mr. Pope, III
years of age, was charged with having pray
ed to the Lord to bless the President of the
United States. to bless the General Govern
ment, and put an end to this unholy war.
Another old mana minister-70 years of
age, YVES thrust into Jail for having thrown
up his hat and hurrahed for the stars and
stripes when a company of Union Home
Guards marched by his house with thel
stars and stripes flying over them. The
third, young man, was confined for hav-
ing volunteered as chaplain of a Union reg
iment.
The sufferings of the inmates of the Jail
were horrible, The food they were sup
piled with was rank and unwholesome. I
got permission to receive meals from my
family, otherwise I should not have been
able to live through my confinement. One
younger man since dead) had for his bed
law IF
old overcoat served for pillow. His wife
came to see him, with little babe six weeks
old in her arms She was a modest lady.
They finally permitted her to go in for if
teen minutes, but no longer. | met her at
the door. She spied her husband, stagger-
ed, and forgot her child. took it and held
it for her. She sank down upon the old
carpet, sobbing and crying. Neither spoke
a single word, stood and held that child, |
and gazed upon that scene. My God May
Tennessee never see such a sight again
The wife had six children at home and her
infant but six weeks old. And yet she had
but fifteen minutes to stay. When the time
expired the iailor came and said: "Time
is out; you must leave here, | never saw
her after. Her husband is dead-murder- |
ed by those Internal rebels, those devils in
fuenced By the spirit of hell. II
Once they hung a father and son, whose
whole offense was their loyalty to the Gov
erHnlent, on the same gallows. They COM
PEELED the father to- witness the agonies of
the son befole permitting death to come to |
his relief The most affecting case was |
that of an old man, who, after lengthy in
generation, was sentenced to be hung at
four O'Clock that afternoon His name was
William Henry Harrison Self. His daugh-
ter, highly intelligent and well educated
lady, hearing this awful news during the
day fastened to the Jail, and with great diff
Guilty, obtained permission to visit the con-
demned man. The meeting of the father
and daughter was scene which drew tears
from the eyes of hundred and fifty men
long used to hardships and suffering them
selves. They embraced and kissed each
other, neither of them able to utter word
for some time. At about one O'Clock the
young lady approached me, and asked me
to write, in her name, a dispatch to JEFF.
Davis. at Richmond. asking him to grant
pardon to her father. I did this, stating in
the dispatch as follows:
Hon Jefferson Davis -
s'My father, w. II. II. Self, is under SEN
tence to hang to-day at O'Clock. Ny
mother is dead: my father is my only hope
and stay. ] pray you pardon him. Let
me hear from you By telegraph. ssl |
:4er ~ es ELIZABETH SELF"
The young lady carried this dispatch to
the telegraph Office, distance of two miles,
in great haste, and had it sent to Richmond
Sortly before three O'Clock
she received an answer from President :
Davis, committing the old mans sentence |