The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-04-24

Tense. His subdued and modest
manner, while narrating tho part he
had borne in this expedition, showed
him to be wholly unconscious Of
having dono anything more than
to perform his simple 1uty as SOL
dier. Such Spartan fortitude, and
such fideity to tho trust OF friend
ship and to the inspirltio OF patri.
otism, deserve an enduring record
in the archives of the Government,
and will find ono, am sure, in the
hearts OF The loyal people.
The twenty-five captivos, when
secured. were thrust into the negro
Jail OF Chattanooga. They occupied
a single room, half under ground,
and but thirteen feet square, so that
there was not space enough for them
all to lie down together, and q part
uf them were, in consequence,
obliged to sleep sitting and leaning
against the walls. The ouly on
trance was through trap door in
the ceiling, that wac raised twice
q day to let down their scanty meals,
which were lowered In a bucket
They had no other light or ventla-
ton than that which came through
two small, tripple.gratod windows
They were covered with swsrming
vermin, and the heat was SO OPP
pressive that they were obliged TO
strip themselves entirely of their
clothes to bear it. Add to this, they
were all handcutied, and with trace
chains secured by padlocks around
their nccks, were fastened to each
other in companies OF twos and
threes. Their food, which was doled
out to them twice day, consisted OF
little flour, wet with water, and
baked in the form Of bread, and
spoiled picked beef. They had no
opportunity of procuring supplies
from the outside, nor had they any
means of doing go, their pockets
having been rified Of their last cent
by the Confederate authorities -
prominent among whom was an of
ficer wearing the rebel uniform OF
Major. Mo- part Of tho money thus
basely taken was ever returned.
During the imprisonment at Chat
tanoogs, their leader, Mr.. Andrews,
was tried aad condemned a. Q spy,
and was subsequently, executed at
Atlanta, the 7th day Of Jun. -
They were strong and in perfect
health when they entered this negro
Jail but q, the end OF something
more than three weeks, when they
were required to leave it, they wore
go exhausted from the treatment 10
which they hsd been subjected, as
&C rely to be able to walk, and sev.
eral staggered from weakness az
they passed through the etrcets to
the cara.
Finally. twelve Of tho number
including the FIVE who dsposei, and
Mr.. Mason, Of Company X, 21sl
Regiment o. V.-who was prevent
ed by illness from giving his evi
dence- were transferred to the pris
on of Knoxville, Tennessee. o.
, arriving there, seven Of them wor'
arraigned before q Court Martial
+ charged with being spies. The,
a were permitted to be present, bu
q not to bear either the argument o
, their own counsel or that OF tn
Judge Advocate Their counsel
q however, afterward visited the pris
on and read to them the written de
f.nse which he had m msde before tn
g court in their behalf. The sub
d stance of that payer is thus state
Q by one Of the witnesses, Corpora
J Pittcnge,: ale (thc counseD con
), tended ihut our baing dressed in cit
9 izens' clothes was nothing more ths
o what the q Moderate Gov,rlmen
c itself had anthoriz ID. and was onl
2 what all the guerillas in the servic
, of the C)nfo ieracy did on all occa
sions when it would be an sdvan
J tage TO do so; and he cited the in
y stance of Gen. Morgan having dres'
> el his men in the uniform of our 30
u dicrs. AMI pissed them off s5 bein,
e from the Sh Pennsylvania cavalr
II regiment. aud by that means sur
? ceeded In reaching a r.ilroad an
n destroying it. This instance WI
n mentioned to show that our citizant
J, clothes did not take from us the pr(
@ tecliou awarded to prisoners OF wa
10 The plea went on further to stat
t, that we had told the object Of OF
is expedition; that it wa purely
'e military one, for destruction OF con
ne municstions, and IA such, lawfl
y according to the rules of war.
IN This Just AMI reasonable presen
10 alton of the case appears TO hav
o. produced its appropriate impres
30 ion. Several members OF the Cou
i Mar ial aiterward called on the pri
Ia oners and assured them that, frol
81 The evidence against them, the
8, could not bs condemned as spie
ID that they had come for a c~rIaj
~ known object, and not havin. linz
,d cred about or visited any Of the
is camps, obtaining or seeking any il
u formation, they convicted, Soc
" thereafter all the prisoners were r
rs moved to Atlanta, Ga, and the