The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-08-10
sTRoUDsBURG MONROE COUNTY, PA AUGUST 10, 1885,

ed about him. He found the camp-abo,
20 sixty acres of fiat, sandy soil, inclosed by
> tight board fence, an inch thick and fou
- teen feet high-had a garrison of but tw
u regiments of veteran reserves. Numberin!
all told, only 700 men fit for duty. Th
small force was guarding 5000 rebel pri
oners, ono-third of whom were Texas rar
gers and guerrillas who had served unde
. Morgan-wild, reckless characters, fonde
of fight than dinner, and ready for an
enterprise, however desperate, that held ou
the smallest prospect offreedom. To add t
the seeming insecurity, nearly every offic,
g IN the camp was filled with these prisoners
They served out rations and distribute,
clothing to their comrades, dealt out am
munitlon to the guards, and even kept the
records In the quarters of the Commandant
In fact, the prison was in charge OF the pris-
oners, not the prisoners in charge of the pris
on. This state of things underwent a sud.
den change. With the exception of very
few, whose character recommended them to
peculiar confidence, all were at once placed
where they belonged-on the inner side OF
the prison fence.
A post Office was connected with the camp
and this next received the Commandant's
attention. Everything about il appeared
to be regular. A vast number of letters
came and went, but they all passed unsealed,
and seemed to contain nothing contraband.
Many of them, however, were short epistles
on long pieces of paper, curious circun-
stance among correspondents with whom sta
tionery was scarce and greenbacks not over
plenty. One sultry day in June the Chm
mandant built fire, and gave these letters
warming, and 10! presto the white spaces
broke out into dark lines breathing thoughts
backer than the fluid that wrote them
Corporal Snooks whispered to his wife, away
down in Texas, "The fourth of July is comm.
Sukey, so be man; fur I'm gwine to cele-
brate. I'm CIV inc up loike a rocket, efI
dose cone down loike a stick" And Ser
gent Blower said to John Coperhead of Chi
cago, "Down in 'old Virginny' | used to
think the fourth OF July Was a humbug, but
I'd like to burn an alfred sight of powder,
and you help, and God is willing, shall
do it." In similar strain wrote halfa score
Of them.
Such patriotism seemed altogether too
wordy to be genuine. 1t told nothing,
but darkly limited at events to come
The Commandant bethought him that
the Democratic Convention would assem-
bic ou the 4th of July that vast null
titude Of people would congregate at
Chicago on that occasion and that, in so
great throng, it would be easy for the
clans to gather, attack the camp, and
liberate the prisoners "Eternal vigil
ance is the price of liberty and the
young Commandant was vigilant. Soon
Prison Square received fresh installment
of prisoners. They were genuine "But-
ternuts," ont at the toes, out at the elb-
ows, out everywhere, in fact, and of every
thing but their senses. Those they had
snugly about them. They fraternizcd
with Corporal Snooks, Sergeant Blower,
aud others of their comrades, and soon
learned that grand pyrotcchnic display
was arranged to come off on Lndepend-
ence day. \ huge bonfire was to be
built outside, and the prisoners were to
salute the old flag, but not with blank car
tridges.
But who was to light the outside bon
fire? ? That the improvised "Butteruuts"
failed to discover, and the Commandant
set his own wits to working. lie soon as
certained that a singular organization ex-
listed in Chicago. 1t was called "The
Society of Him." and its object, as set
forth in its printed constitution, was the
literary, scientific, moral, physical, and
social welfare of the conservative citizens
of Chicago" The Commandant knew
conservative citizen whose development
was not altogether perfect, aud he recon-
mended him to join the Organization.-
The society needed recruits and initia-
ton fees, and received the new member
with open arms. Soon he was deep in
the outer secrets of the order but he
could not penetrate its inner mysteries
Those were open to only au elect few who
had already attained to perfect develop
ment"-of yiIlany He learned enough,
however, to verify the dark hints thrown
out by the prisoners. The society mum.
bered some thousands of members, all
fully armed, thorougly drilled, and I'M
patiently waiting signal to explode
mine deeper than that in front OF Peters
burg
But the assembling of the Chicago Con
vention was postponed to the 29th of Au-
gust, and the 4th of July passed away
without the bonfire and the fire works
+. The Commandant, however, did no
sleep. He still kept his wits at work
and the red flames still brought out the
black thoughts on the white letter paper
Quietly the garrison was re-entorced
nr