Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-04-18
SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL lS, 1868.
OLD SERIES, VOL. 23, NO. 80

| from Cincinnati, who, in the exercise of his
trade, had travelled much through the States
| North and South, and who had greatness
of soul which sympathizcd intensely with
our struggle for national life, and was in
that dark hour filed with Joyous convictions
of our final triumph Though surrounded
! by a scowling crowd impatient for his sacri-
flee, he did not hesitate while standing under
the gallows, to make them a brief address.
He told them, that though they were all
wrong. he had no hostile feelings towards
the Southern people, believing that not they,
| but their leaders were responsible for the
! Rebellion; that he was no spy, rs charged.
but soldier, regularly detailed for military
duty: that he did not regret to die for his
country, but only regretted the manner of
his death and he added, for their adnloui-
! ton, that they would yet see the time when
the old Union would De restored. and when
| it's flag would wave over them again. And
with these words the brave man died. He.
like his comrades, calmly met the ignomini.
o,ls doom of fclon; but, happily, ignomi-
niOus for him and for them only so far as
the martyrdom of the patriot and the hero
can be degraded by the hands of rutlians
and traitors.
The remaining prisoners, now reduced to
fourteen, were kept closely confined under
special guard in the Jail at Atlanta, until
October, when, overhearing q conversation
between the iaicr and another officer, they
became satisfied that it was the purpose of
the authorities 70 hang them. as they had
done their companions. This led them to
form plan for their escape which they
carried into execution on the evening of the
next day, by scizing the iailer when he open
ed the door to carry away the bucket in
which their supper had been brought
This was followed by the seizure also Of
the seven guards on duty, and before the
alarm was given eight of the iugitivcs were
beyond the reach of pursuit. 1t has been
since asccrtaincd that six of these, after long
and painful wandcrngs, succeeded in reach
ing our lines. OF the fate of the other two,
nothing is known.
The remaining six of the fourteen, con-
sisting of the five witnesses who have de.
posed, and Mr.. Mason, were recapturcd and
confined in the barracks until December.
when they were removed to Richmond
There they were shut up in room in Castle
Thunder, where they shivcrcd through the
winter without fire, thinly clad, and with
but two small blankets. which they had
saved with their clothes, to cover the whole
party.
So they remained until few days since.
when they were exchanged; and thus at
the end Of eleven months, terminated their
pitiless prosecutions in the prisons of the
South; prosecutions begun and continued
amid indignitics and suilcrings on their part
and atrocities on the part of their tratorious
foes which illustrate far more faithfully than
any human language could express it. the
dcmoniac spirit Of a revolt every throb of
whose life is a crime against the very race
TO which we belong
Very respectfully, your obedicnt servant.
j. HOLT, Judge Advocate-General.
Hon. EDWIN N. STANTON, Secretary of
War.
to publish.