Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-06-23
PRISONERS FROM THE MAPLE
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fHtSOtN EHS ChO4 LIZ" -AA 49,
LEAF.'
On Wednesday afternoon Lieut.. Oolonel
Dougherty, Of the 5th Missouri cavalry, ana
Cap. Seekel, Assistant Provost Marshal, OF
Stoddard county, Missouri, arrived in Rich
nond. They are the first arrival Of the pri-
soners who took possession Of the Yankee
steamer "Mspie Lsaf" while conveying them
on their way from Fort Norfolk to Fort
Delaware.
On the morning Of Wednesday, the lo:h
inst, about Ii o'clock, the prisoners, 70 IN
number, wore pl.cod on board the steamer
sMap!e Leaf aud took their leave foT Fort
Delaware. When they wero outside the
Capcs ard about ten miles from Cape ll;nry
Light. house, tiey rose and overgowe,cd the
guards, ard the whole vessel was in twink
ling in the hands of the Oonfsdsrates. Persons
had been stationed near each sentinel, and
some near the stacked muskels. At tap of
the bcll-the signal agreed upon-thc stacked
muskets were seized and the sentine!s pinion-
cd. No one was hurt, with the exception Of
one of tho sentinsls, rho lnado sCms resistance
aud was knocked down tho stops by cns OF the
Oonfedsrstss. After securing tho vessel, they
continued on the sam, course until within
about f ve miles of Cspe Henry Lighthouse,
when they stee.ed for tho point, and went
ashore in tho lio,bost and Sswl. As soos
as they finished landing they paroled tho lieu
tenant and his men, thlrteou in Tullber.
The captain Of the bost promised .hs5 if
our mon would not modest him or hls crow
10 would take tho vessel on 20 Fort Della
ware, as originally intended, aud say nothing
about tho matter, and both he End the lieu
tenant commanding tho gua-Gs, took an oath
to that effect, which they violated almost
immediately, and returned to Fort Norfolk.
A number of the prisoners however, refused
to leave the boat, saying they would not
violate thoir parole. Those who left would
have burned the boat, but there wore some
of our wounded On boa'd WHO could MT
help themselves, there wore no houses in
sight, and our mon were u0acquaintcd with
the country.
As to the violation OF parole, the prison
ers were not, according to GU. uadars..nd-
ing of the matter, under pa-oo Al ali.
o. srliysI at Fort Norfolk they ve-e told
that they would not BIO exchanged, blu,
would be held as hostages because the Con-
fsders!e autbo critics refused to relssss Colo
mel S:rai: and his command On tho ground
that they were melting servilc iusurcec-
ton.
The prisoners wore all put in small rooms
eighteen officers being shut up 10 room
fifteen feet square, which had but ono iltGe
grated window 80 high as 10 be out of reach.
a guard was placed at the door, which WAS
only opened long enough to hand !hsm
their meznest Of fare. They were al! taken
out of tho rooms and marched down under
guard to the bost, whore they He-e still
guarded until they released Themselves.
If this is the Yankee parole, will some
ono inform us what il their Imprisonment!
Tho truth is, that some Of those who Co.
manned on the maple Lest" let the ca: out
OF the bag by saying that they bad no doubt
t&at whom it Was found out that they had ro-
fused to take part in The affair, they you'd
bs Immediately paroled or exchanged, ard
thus get homo much earlier. Ono Of the tffl-
cars, however, told them that the rery
thought WAS cowardly, and the sctioa was
to 80 far dsmeaning themselves as to BEG fcr
Yankee mercy.
The credit Of the whole plot Of tho capture
Of the "Msple Leaf" is duo to Captain
Semmes, son Of tho noted p1ivateerem.n,
Judge MCGOWAN, of New Oflesne. and esp
tain Holmes, Of South Carolina, who we're
on board twenty-four hours in advance Of
tue majority of the prisopers, and had laid
plsus Of escape before the boat left Fort Nor
folk.
Dol. Doughorty and Capt. sseksl are quite
confident that all Of those who Left the BOAT
will get through safely. They themselves
sro still woary and foot sore, having t,ayal-
cd ai least two hundred milcs before they
reached the railroad, which conveyed them
to Weldon, N. O., and thence to Richmond.
1t is their intention to start worry shortly
for the Trsns-Missssippi Department.