Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-21

| as he glanced from the Captains face to
the shackles-he said slowly and with la
boring chest:
"My God! You cannot have been sent
| to iron me?"
"Such are my orders, SIR" replied the
officer, beckoning the blacksmith to ap-
prOach, who stepped forward, unlocking
the paddock and preparing the fetterS to
do their office. These letters we're OF heavy
iron, probably five-eights of an inch in
thickness, and connected by chain Of
| light weight. believe they are now in
the possession of Major General Miles, and
will form an interesting relic.
| This is too monstrous," groaned the
| prisoner, glarlng hurriedly round the room,
as If for some weapon, or means of self de-
! struction." II demand, Captain, that you
let me see the commanding officer. Can he
pretend that such shackles are required to
secure the safe custody of weak old man,
so guarded and In such a fort as thisY"
NItcould serve no purpose" replied Cap
tain Titlow; "his orders are from Washing
ton, as mine are from him"
But he can telegraph interposed Mr..
Davis, eagerly; "there must be some mis-
take. No such outrage as you threaten me
| with, is on record in the history of nations.
Beg him to telegraph, and delay until he
answers" .'n
| ''My orders are peremptory," said the
| officer, "and admit OF no delay. For your
own sake, let me advise you to submit with
patience. AS soldier, Mr.. Davis, you
know must execute ORDERS" ...
| "These are not orders for a soldier"
shouted the prisoner, losing all control of
himself "They are orders for a iaiIor-for
a hangman, which no soldier wearing a
sword should accept! tell you the world
will ring with this disgrace. The war is
| over; the South Is conquered; have no
longer any country but America, and 1t is
for the honor of America, as for my own
honor and life, that l plead against this
| degradation. Kill mel kill me I" he cried
passiouately, throwing his arms wide open,
and exposing his breast, "rather than in
flict on me, and on my people, through me,
this insult worse than DEATH"
| "Do your duty, blacksmith" said the
officer walking toward the embrazure as if
not caring to witness the performance.
1T only gives increased pain on AZ sides
to prOtract this interview"
AT these words the blacksmith advanced
with the shackles, and seeing that the pris-
Oner had one foot upon the chair near his
bedside, his right hand resting on the back
of it, the brawny mechanic made an at
tempt to slip one of the shackles over the
ankle so raised; but, as if with the vehe-
nencc and strength which frenzy can i'm
part even to the weakest invalid, Mr..
Davis suddenly seized his assailant, and
hurled him halfway across the room.
On this Captain lowturned, and seeing
that Davis had backed against the wall for
further resistance, began to demonstrate,
pointing out in brief, clear language, that
this course was madness, and that orders
must be enforced at any cost. "Why COM
pei me-" he said, ''to add the further in
dignity of personal violence to the necessi-
ty of your being ironed ?"-
Tam prisoner of war" fiercely retort-
ed Davis; III have been a soldier in the ar
mics of America, and know how to die.
Only kill me, and my last breath shall be a
blessing on your head. But while have
life and strength to resist, for myself and
for my people, this thing shall not be done."
Hereupon Captain Titlow called In SER
geant and file OF soldiers from the next
room, and the sergeant advanced to seize
the prisoner. Immediately Mr.. Davis flew
on him, seized his musket, and attempted
to wrench it from his grasp. Hn-.-.f
OF course such scene could have but
one issue. There was a short, passionate
scuffle. In a moment Davis was flung
upon his bed, and before his four powerful
assailants removed their hands from him,
their work--one securing the rivet on the
right ankle, while the other turned the key
in the paddock on the left. IN ~
This done, Mr.. Davis lay for moment as
If in stupor. Then slowly raising himself
and turning round, he dropped his shackled
feet to the floor The harsh clank of the
striking chain seems first to have recalled
him to his situation, and dropping his face
into his hands, he burst into passionate
flood of sobbing, rocking to aud fro, and
muttering at brief intervals: ''Oh, the
shame, the shamel" .H
1t may here be stated, though out of its
due order-that 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 con-
verse, gave me curious explanation af the
last feature in this incident. ,...,...-... .
He had been speaking Of suicide, and de-
nOuncing it as the worst form of cowardice
and folly. 'Iife is not like commission
that we can resign when disgusted with
the service. Taking it by your own hand
is confession of Judgment to all that your
worst enemies can alIege. 1t has often
flashed across me as tempting remedy for
neuralgia torture; but thank God, never
sought my own death but once, and then
when completely frenzied and not master of
my dCOtOnSs WnCH bAcy CdLuc W lEOIl H1o
that day, as q last resource of desperation,
! [ Iseized soldiers musket and attempted to
wrench 1t from his grasp, hoping that In
the scuffle and surprise, some one of his
comrades would shoot or bayonet me,"GG1 4
What has preceded this, with the eXcep-a
tion OF the preceding paragraph and of
things / saw-such as the cell, procession,
l&c.-has been based on the evidence of
others who came fresh from the scenes they
pictured. i now, reach the commencement
of my personal relations with the prisoner,
and for all that follows am willing to be
held responsible. .inac 'I ar ij1G
On the morning of May "a, was sent for
about halt-past A. NJ by Major General
Miles; was told that State prisoner Davis
complained of being III, and that 1 had been
assigned as his medical attendant.
Calling upon the prisoner-the first time
l had ever seen him closelv-he presented
very miserable and affecting aspect.
Stretched upon his pallet and very much
emaciated, Mr.. Davis appeared mere fas-
cine of raw and tremulous nerves-his eyes
restless and fevered, his head continually
shifting from side to side for cool spot ono
then pillow, and his case clearly one in Il
which intense cerebral excitement was the,
first thing needing attention. He was ex- 7
tremely desponde6t, his pulse full and at Z
ninety, tongue thickly coated, extremities d
cold, and his head troubled with long es- ,
tablished neuralgia disorder, Complained
of his thin camp mattress and pillow stuffed
with hair, adding that he was SO emaciated
that his skin Chafed easily against the Stats;
and, as these complaints were well found /