Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-07
VOLUME XXXIII.

| kill ms. and my last breath shall be bless
ing on your head But while have life and
strength 10 resist, for myself and for my peo-
pie, tie thing shall not be done"
Hereupon Capt TITLOw called in a ser
geant and file ofsOldiers from the next room,
and the sergeant advanced to seize the pris-
oper. Immediately Mr. DAVIS few at him,
seized his muszet and attempted to wrench
it from his grasp.
| OF course such scene could have but one
issue. There was a short, passionate scuttle.
In moment Mr.. DAVIS was flung upon his
bed. and before his four powerful assailants
removed their hands from him, the black
4 smith and his assistant had done their work
one securing the rivet on the right ancle,
while the other turned the key on the pad
lock on the left.
This done Mr.. DAVIS lay for a moment
as if in a stupOr. Then slowly raising him
] self and turning round, he dropped his
! shackled feet to the floor. The harsh clank
! Of the striking chain seems first to have re-
called him TO his situation, and dropping
his face into his hands, he burst into pas
sionate flood Of sobbing, rocking to and fro,
! and muttering at brief intervals: 'Oh, the
| shame, the shame "
1t may here be stated, though out Of its
! due order-lhat we may get rid in haste Of
an unpleasant subiect-that Mr.. DAVIS some
two months later, when frequent visits had
made him more free of converse, gave me
curious explanation Of the last feature of
! this incident
He had been speaking of suicide, and de-
nOuncing il aa the worst form of cOwardice
Z E.1I = Of lilo ION
that we can resign when disgusted with the
service Taking it by your own hand is 4
confession Of Judgment 10 all that your worst
enemies could allege. Ii has often flashed
across me as a tempting remedy for neural
gic torture; but thank God l never sought
my own death but once, and then when COM
pletely frenzied and not master Of my ac-
tons When they came to iron me that day,
as a last resource Of desperation, | seized a
soldiers musket and attempted to wrench it
from his grasp, hoping that in the scuille and
surprise some one of his comrades would
shoot or bayOnet me-"
MAY 25. lS65.-Told him TO spend as
little time in bed as he could; that exercise
was the best medicine for dyspeptie patients.
70 this he GHsUered bg uHoOUeriRg the blank
cts from his feet and saolcing me his sbuekted
ankles.
at is impossible for me, Doctor; / cannot
even stand erect. These shackles are very
heavy; ] know not, T::sslai the chain, how ma
nv pounds If | try to move they trip me,
and have already abraided broad patches of
skin from the parts they touch. Can you
devise no means 10 pad or cushion them, so
that when ] try to drag them along they
may not chafe me so intolerably? My limbs
have so little flesh on them, and that so weak
as TO be easily lacerated."
At sight Of this turned away, promising
to see what could be done, as exercise was
the chief medical necessity in his case; and
at this moment the first thrill of sympathy
for ray patient was experienced.
That afternoon, at an interview sought
with Major General MILES, my opinion was
given that the physical condition of State
prisoner DAVIS required the removal Of his
shackles, until such time as his health should
be established on some firmer basis. Exer-
cises he absolutely needed, and also some
alienation Of his abnormal nervous excite
ment No drugs could aid digestion nat
urally weak and so impaired without exer-
else nor could anything in the pharmaco-
pmia quiet nerves so overwrOught and shat
tered, while the continual irritation of the
fetters was counterposing whatever medicines
might be given"
"You believeit, then, medical necessity"
queried General MILES.
q do most earnestly"
"Then | will give the matter attention."
and at this point for the present the affair
ended
MAY 2G.-Called with the officer Of the
day, Capt. JAMES b. KING, at l P. NJ.
Found Mr. DAVIS in bed, complaining of in
tense debility, but could not point to any
particular complaint. The pain in his
head had left him last night, but had been
brought back this afternoon and aggravated
bv the neise Of mechanics employed in TAX
ing down the wooden doors between his cell
and the exterior guard-roOm and replacing
these irith iron grdtiHgs, so that he could at all
times be seen by the seHtrjes IN The outside room
as lreH as by the tao "siieHt rie,tds' lrhO lrere
the tulspedkiag companions Of his solitude.
Noticed that the prisoners dinner lay un-
touched on its tin plate near her bedside, his
meals being brought in by a silent soldier,
who placed foed on his table and then with
drew. Had remarked before that he scarce
lv touched the food served TO him, his appe-
tite being feeble at best, and his digestion
out Of order
Quitting him, called on General MILES,
and recommended that be allowed to place
the prisoner on a diet corresponding with his
condition, which required light and nutri-
tious food. Consent was Immediately given,
and had prepared and sent over from my
quarters some tea and toast for his evenings
meal.
Calling about Z T. NJ, found Mr.. DAVIS
greatly improved, the tea and toast having
given him, he said, new life. Though he
had not complained Of the fare, he was very
thankful for the change
He then commenced talking and let me
here say that | encouraged him in this, be-
lieving conversation and some human sym
pathv the best medicines that could be given
TO one in his state,-on the subject of the
weather.
How has the weather been-rough or fair?
In this huge easement and unable TO crawl
to the embrasure he could not tell whether
the weather was rough or smooth, nor how
the wind was blowing.
"All of my family are at sea, you are
aware, on their way to Savannah; and
know the dangers Of going down the coast
at this season Of the year too well to be with
out intense alarm. Ny wife and four chill
dren, with other relatives, are ON board the
Cgydc. and these propellers roll dreadfully
and are poor sea-bOats in rough wether."
lie then explained with great clearness Of
detail, and evidently having studied the sub
iect, why the dangers Of going down the coast
In rough weather were so much greater than
coming north. Going down, ships had TO hug
the shore-oilen running dangerously near
the trcacherous HORRORS Of Cape Hatteras;
while in running north they stood out from
land 10 catch the favoring gulf stream, to
avoid which they had to run in shore as
close as they could when steering south.
He appeared intensely anxious on tins
subject, recurring to il frequently and spec
ulating ON the probable position of the Clyde
at this time.
As Twas leaving, he asked had been able
to do nothing to pad or cushion his shackles?
He could take no exercise or but the teeblest
and with great pain, while they were on.
To this ! gave an evasive answer, not
knowing what might be the action Of Gen
eral MINIS, and fearing to excite false
hopes No such halfway measures rs pad
ding would suffice 90 meet the necessities of
1 his case while their adoption, OF suggestion,
/ might defer the broader remedy that was
needed. On leaving, he requested me in
/ the morning 70 note how the wind blew, and
/ the prospects OF she weather, before paying
him nav visit. Until he heard of his iamily's
arrival In Savannah he could know no