Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-21
QDRllo(J. .StatGslran.
PRISON LIFE OF JEFF. DAVIS.
Authentic Detailed Account of Plac-
aaro ing HIM in Irohs.l ions 5l.
n'SEic sHacRLEs RSIEs TEMi@ EMoHED. HET MO
The Torture of BEING Watched.
60, sc , Sc.

1 Davis, abd upon farther examination find II
containing much matter Of general inter-
i est. There is no question as to its authen-
ticity, DR., Craven being the official medical
attendant upon Mr.. Davis for several
months. We quote:' fL '.
THE LANDING AT FORTRESS MONROE, AND
FIRST EXPERIENCE INA PRISON CELL,
First came Major General Miles, holding
the arm of Mr.. Davis, who was dressed in
a suit of plain Confederate grey, with q
1 gray slouched hat-always thin, and now
looking much wasted and very haggard.
Immediately after these came Colonel
| Prichard, accompanying Mr.. Clay, with a
guard of soldiers in their rear. Thus they
| passed through files OF men in blue from
the Engineers Landing to the Water Bat
| terry Postern; and on arriving at the case
mate which had been fitted up into cells for
their incarceration, Mr.. Davis was shown
into casemate No. 2 and Clay into No. 4,
guards of soldiers being stationed In the
cells numbered /, 3, and 8, upon each side
of them. They entered: the heavy doors
| Changed behind them, and In that clang was
rung the final knell OF the terrible, but now
extinct, rebellion. Here, indeed, is fall,
my cOmtrymen. Another and most strik-
ing illustration of the mutability of human
| greatness. Let me here give picture of
the earliest scene in the cell of Mr.. Davis, as
! related Immediately after its occurrence by
one who was passive actor therein, my
own connection with Mr.. Davis not COM
meneing until two days after MAY the
Ath), when l was first detailed by Major
General Miles as his attending physician.
Being ushered into his inner cell by Gen.
eral Miles, and the two doors leading there
into from the guard-room being fastened,
| Mr., Davis, after surveying the premises for
| some moments, and looking out through
the embrasurewith such thoughts passing
over his lined and expressive face as may
be imagined, suddenly seated himself in a
chair, placing both hands on his knees, and
asked one of the soldiers pacing up and
down within his cell this significant ques-
ton: (which way does the embrasure
face?" ... ... ..........
The soldier was silent. D,
Mr.. Davis, raising his voice a little, re-
peated the inquiry. - 'h- .''
But again dead silence, or only the meas
ured footballs of the two pacing sentries
within, and the fainter echoes of the four
without.
Addressing the other soldier, as If the
first had been deaf and had not heard him,
the prisoner again repeated his inquiry.
But the second soldier remained silent as
the first, slight twitching of his eyes only
intimating that he had heard the question,
but was forbidden to speak.
"Well," said Mr.. Davis, throwing his
hands up and breaking into a bitter laugh,
I" wish my men could have been taught
your discipline!" and then, Using from
his chair, he commenced pacing back and
forth before the embrasure, now looking at
the silentsentry across the mOat, and anon
at the two silently pacing soldiers who
were his companions in the casemate. ...
What caused his bitter laugh even in
his best days his temper was of the satur-
nine and atrabilious type, seldom capable of
being moved beyond smile? Was he
thinking Of those days under President
Pierce, in which on his approach the can
non of the fortress thundered their hoarse
salute to the ll-powerful Secretary of War,
the forts gates leaping open, its soldiers
presenting arms, and the whole place un-
der his commando Or those later days
under Mr.. Buchanan, when, as the most
powerful member of the Military commit
tee of the Senate, similar honOrs were paid
on his arrival at every national work
even during those final moments when he
was plotting Ito secure peace" by placing
in command of all our forts and armories
such officers as he thought might be relied
upon to ''go with the South If the worst
camew ' l.. ....t...t . ..r ..... ..
And was not his question significant:
(which way does this enibrasure face 9"-
was 1t north, south, east or west In the
hurry and agitation of being conducted In,
he had lost his reckoning of the compass,
though well acquainted with the localities;
and his first question was In effect: "Does
my vision In its reach 60 southwark to the
empire have lost, or north to heloyal en-
emies who have subdued my people?" for
it is always as ''his people" that Mr.. Davis
refers to the Southern States. N y.
His sole reading matter ~ Bible and
prayer book, his only companions those two
silent guards, and his only food the ordi-
nary ratfons of bread and beef served out
to the soldiers of the garrison-t passed
the)firstda and night of the ex-P Presidents
confinement ai.iH bm ,lni., trstis9I
EBACING MIR. DAVIS IN IRoNs-Hrs PROTEST
AND HIS sTRUGGIEs-FIRsT VISIT OF DIR.
CRAVEN TO THE PRISONER 10 ysfu
On the morning of the 23d of May, yet
bitterer trial was in store for the proud
spirit-7a trial seyerer, probably, than has
ever in modern times been inflicted upon
any one who had enjoyed such eminenee.-
1Hlo LuUEuiuk UcuCIbOu LIdFAp {Mdb oIlhChlCus
It,was while all the swsrming camps of
the armies of the Potomac, the Tennessee
and Georgia-over two hundred thousand
broized and laureled veterans-Iwere pre-
paringfor the grand review lofth next
.Tnorping, In which, passing in endless sue
cession before the mansion of the Presi-
dent, the conquering military power Of the
nation was to lay down its arms at the feet
ofsthe Civil Authority, that the following
scene was enacted at Fortress Monroe:,,, I, j
Captain Jerome Il. Titlow, ofthe Sd Penn
sylvania artillery, entered the prisoners 3 1
cell, followed by the blacksmith Of the fort
and hislassistant, the latter carrying In his
hands some heavy, and oharshly-rattlilg
shackles. AS they entered, Mr.. Davis was
reclining on his bed, feVerish and weary
after sleepless night the food placed near
tOlhim the preceding day still lying un-
touched on Its tin plate near his bedside, u
"Well?" said Mr.. Davis, as they entered,
slightly raising hiscliead. .9din5oT nJToW sg
Shave an unpleasant duty to performs, !
sir,n said Captain tTitlow; and, as he spoke,
ne shs senior ar ht0 t0C9k hfR from
Davis leaped instantly from his .recum-
bent attitude o flush passing oyer bis face
fora momenk and then his copntenance
growing livid and rigid as death.
He gasped for breath, clutchfng his
throat with the Gthinb fingers of his right
hand, ,oand then recovering himself slowly,
while his wasted figure lowered up to its
full height-now appearing to swell with