The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-21
Incidents of the Voyage to the Tor
tuGAs.

Incidents Of the Voyage to the Tor
tuKas.
In the course of pleasant conver-
sation with Capt. George w. Dutton,
Company G, 10th Regiment Veteran
!scscrve Corps, who has just returned
from the Dry Tortugas, We have OBJ
tanned some interesting facts relative
to the conspirators md their trip to
the rock-bound fortress, which is to
be fer three of theln) their last
earthly home.
Capt. Dutton, wltha sergeant, three
corporuls and twenty-six men, report
I'd ut the Washington Arsenal OH the
morning OF Sunday, July IL, and,
taking charge OF The prisoners, placed
them on board the steamer State of
Maine, bound io- Fortress Monroe,
whey point they rc:cned at I D. M.
on the l7th. 1ney were then trans
ferrcd to the r'lor1,.:: Capt Budd, all
ON board, with the exception of Gen.
1Aodd, being entirely ignorant OF the
vessels dcsllnntion.
At dark, ouS the 10Th, the Florida
reached Port Royal. $. e., where She
discharged y cargo OF cordage. &c,
and coulea. On the list, she sailed
Tor the Dry Tortugas, rcuch1ng that
barren and inhospltable spot on the
24th. Just one week alter her depar-
ture from Fortress Monroe.
During the voyage, an the prisoners
were more or less att1vtcd with -sca
sickness, and at one time half of the
guards We're unfit for duty. Doctor
Mudd and Arnold were particularly
wretchcd.
Spanglcr. although quite sick, was
ven to practical joking. Finding
lat while sick he could get from the
1rgeon, DIR. Porter, IL modicum of
Ffench brandy, lie concluded to take
sick at various odd times, always with
pains for which rini Gmluci spiri4us Il
supposed to be Il sovereign cure; but
his trick w;-s discovered, and he was,
much to his chaSrin, obliged to quatf
Jamaica ginger III place of, the more
palatable beverage.
He Was generally quite t;.lkative,
and expressed, himself as being salts
tied with the action Of the Military
commission, but continued to assert
his innocence of participation in the
crime of assassination. In CONVEX
sat'on with Capt. Dutton, he remarked
that be knew nothing Of Booths de-
signs, and that even after the murder,
whlle Booth was passing through the
theatre, he was unaware of the foul
deed which had Leen committed:
The fact is, captain, said he, ':Booth
was a privileged character at Ford's.
lie had the run of the house at all
times, day and night; had access to
the dressing rooms, and frequently
came to the rehearsals unannounced,
and always by the rear entrance. He
was great tavorite and spent money
freely. Whenever he came with his
horse, he always called for me to
groom the animal; and have many a
time blacked his boots, and done other
meniM work for him. did not close
the door 5elVll Booth. It was a
spring door, which you can see when
you get back to Washington, and
..closed OF itself, unless YOU held it open.
There was nothing unusual in my
holding Booths horse on the night OF
the murder, tor l had done it twenty
times before. l didn't see how the
Commission which tried me could
have decided otherwise in NV case,
considering the evidence; but I am
not guilty Of having anything to dc
with the crime"
Spangler was very lively during the
. voyage, and several times ran up the
ladder from the hold, three steps at &