, 1865-03-30

went direct to Canada. whereI met q number
| of Confederate officers. They ased me IL
was willing 10 20 On an expedition. said
"Yes, If it's In the service Ut ny county,
To which they replied, iss an all sga5, AZ 4oi
: ask for any. I Was sh >rt1y after sent to New
York. where stayed some time. There were
eight of us in the party, aud %tter VIC had been
In the city three weeks, We were toli that the
object OF The expedition was to retallate upon
the North for the atrocities OF ane'!aan N 11e
Shenandoah Valley. It was Originality intend
ed to set ire to the city On the night Of the
| Presidential election, but as the phosph rus
| WAS hot prepared, II was postponed until the
night Of the 25th Of November. VI the eight
men who formed the original party, Two ned
stopping at the Belmont House, In Fulton
f:et.ett, but afte1ward moved into Prince stree..
I st fire to four Aottls Or rather to Barnum's
Museum, Loyejuy's Hotel, Tammany hall,
and the New England House. The Others
only set fire to the house In which each was
eight due as did, We would have set fse to
tb,rty.two Eouses, and played big joke on
the fire department..
I know thatI am to be hung for setting
T. fire to BarnuIn's Museum, but the hctls that
that affair was simply reckless J Ike. had
Ho l0tA Ql QolHE III u1t "HEn "G "otu -
there, for the mere fun Of the thing cmptled
bottle Of phosphorus on the ioor just to
scare the people. / knew 1t wouldn't set fire
to wovd, Tor wo had tried that before, and
Ind at one time concluded to give 1t up.
There was no fiendishness aoout it. The Mu-
had been drinking, mud just for the fun Of
scare.
-:ssAfter setting fire to my four places walked
thestrect all night until near morning, when
went to the Exchange Hotel. There we all
met the next morning and again at night.
most Of the day in the office, reading the pa
pers, while the detectives, who were thick,
watched us. expected then that !
should be caught, and, If caught, expected
to de- Had I done SO then IT would
have been oil right; but 7 think now
did all the rest, aud very glad was to got
safely across the bridge. / was restless,
however, and wanted to rejofn my command.
staFttd my friend uia Detroit. Just before
We reached The city he received an int:mation
that the detectives were on the lookout for
the cars. I Didn't notice the signal, but Kept
On and WIS arrested in the depot.
wish to say that tue K Hing of women and
children was the last thing VIC thought Of.
We wanted to let the people Of the North
understand md feel that there are two SIDES
wealth and comfort while we at the South
are bearing nll the hardships and privations.
In retaliation TO- Sheridln's atrocities In the
shenandoah, VIC desired to destroy property,
not tho lives Of women and children, although
that would Of course have followed In the
tam.
HOW KENNEDY PASSED HIS TINE AFTER SEN
TECE.
Frcm the time Of the announcement Of his
sentence until near the hour OF his death
Kennedy seems to have been excited BY the
hope Of obtaining seprieve. BE Wrole to
General Dix, 1t Is said, asking for weeks
grace. He said also that if General Dix would
4on5ent to postponement, he would give
the authorities all the Information in bis
power. On Thursday he Was finally informed
that there was no possible hope for him !; but
he still remained apparently confident Of the
post.ehaplain at Fort Hamilton, Rev. DR..
Burke, Is the clergyman who attended Ken
neny from the hour of his sentence to the
hour Of bis death. DR.. Burke Vas unremtt-
| ting In his endeavors to awaken the con-
de11ned man to sense Of his awful condition,
|. be was about to be hurried. But while Ken
neds listened for the most part With courtesy
to III" appeals Of the mtnis'er Of God, ali
| efforts to arouse penisence seemed to
be lost; To the reporters the con
4l4D3 GAA 1 A4hC ~ 0ktI ulu lAlk, DHk 1k'H
| no use.". He said that. while 1t "was hard
! thing TO be swupg off in such weather. he
| thought his charnctcr would bear investiga.
| ton - that be WAS "not a bad man at
heart" SC; II suppose 1 ought to be a
Christian. - be said to person near him on
t times he would indulge in rituperatlou OF tho
yankees" animadycrting, with the use of
great profsnity, upon the course Of Sheridan
and other Federalsoffcers, generally winding
up with eatog1es Of the Southern soldiery
and expressions Of hle faithfalncss to the
| officers Of the fort, and those composing the
| commission which tried him, making but one
OF two exceptions, for their courtesy and
| fairness, and said ''hc supposed 1t was NIL
| right" Hc passed mu:h OF his time In writ
i9s, apparently without any particular aim.
every one Who Visf cd him. His conduct. on
! the whole, showed Lin to have been almost
| constantly 1aboring under great mental cx,
citement. His indulgence IN profanity: WIS
! 1ccessant.
now He PASSED Ills LAST HOURS.
Some notion Of the character of the ex-
! ecuted spy and inccndiary, and Of the manner
n which hs passed big time while IN the con-
| deRned cell, may be derived from the follow
| ing, which a'c portions Of what seems to
| have been sort OF Irregular diary. The ma
1ority Ct Kennedy's sehediasms we're de-
IN HE'LL, March 2. 1ss5.-Having slept the
| greate4-portien n Of tile day 1-cannot-sleep to-
| night, md NJ have the conyeniences at
| hand propose 10 commit my thoughts to pa
pr- In thinking al over the circumstances
| ofmy trial must believe the verdict Of my
| judges will be, not guilty. But thinking also
that nm captive in the hands Of enemies,
an officer Of The Confederate States nrmy, l
am doubtful Of their verdict. In summing
| up the evidence against me the Judge Adyo.
| cate shed tears, and afterHntd shook hands
and asked me to pity lin, that he merely
did his duty, and Tas not actuated By mai.
NV 1wrote to cbief BIZ Stis 6steetye ~ Young tonight
70 procure an Aterview between myself and
Gen. Bcall, Z. s. A.. hops the Yankee au-
tborltIee will grant It. I am much in need
Of articles Beall could furnish me. The d--l
ve1min are so numerous that lam almost in
tue condition Of Lees veteran, Who wanteda
pound OF me1curlal ointment. Like him am
afraid to snceze for lear the d--d lice would
regard IL gong for dinner, and eat me up.
Oh, never, nerer, neser,wtl = true Confederate
soldier
For.ake his tricras OF fear his foes;
For while Lords cross proudly loats defiance.
! don't care damn how the wind blows.
And again he writes:
MARCH 4.--ThIs is q gala day for nv enc
mics. Th. = will do their best to honor Abra.
ham, and celebrate the recent Union victo-
rics. The Federals have obtained possession
Of Charleston, Wilmington, and other places
along the seaboard, bat not by yalor. Cir
cumstancea- military necessity caused The
Conf derates to ev2cuate them. The dogs
ought to remember thai they did not take
Charleston by open Warflre-Ibat Gilmore.
& Co., having hammered in vain long at her
gates and the finest Of secession" OILY sue
ceeded when there WIS IN army In It's real,
They swear that Charleston made no resist
ance without considering that her SONS are In
the peerless band of Leo G. d-41 Mens, let
them subtugatc the South and then triumph, !
= The following letter was written by Ken
nedy to Chief Young, Of the detective force,
WHO made his arrest.
FoRr LAFAYETTE, March 25th, 1866.
DEAR Sin: am much obliged by the send
ing Of that aYtide.
In answer to your desire to ascertain the |
present state of my feelings towards you and |
associates, I can only say bear you no NAL |
ice. You did. Your duty as detectives, with, |
perhaps, as much kindness to INC as any others |
would npder similar circumstances. Our pro-
,fessons have been different what appeared |
right md proper to yon seemed unfair aud I
dishono1able to me; Tor example, the manner t
In which Hayes was instructed and allowed
I'd act in order to obtain evidence against me. /
: Be assured ! appreciate the many little acts
Of kindness extended hJ you and others to
Respectfully yours.