Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-08-09


mittee Of the rebel Congress in s65. They
also ouste aletter signed by Lieut.. Col.
Iverson. published in the Sumter Watch
man of September, 1864, IN relation to the
friehtful condition of the prison camp az
Florence, s. c. These extracts, say. the
Committee, are but small portion OF the
evidence. The fact remains that from the
year 1862 to the close Of the rebellion, the
authorities were fully,Isnd frequently in
formed. as we'll by letters and. communlca-
tions from private persons as by offcial re-
ports, that the prisoners D their custody
were suffering every conceivable horror, and
dying in great numbers daily in .conss-
auence ofthe treatment they endured Mt the
hands of subordinates of the Richmond
Government. And it, alse remains q well
established fact that no really efficient effort
was made at any time to remove or dimin-
ish the evil. sd sqlt8is 4gg'f -o-.--
p ,ir -rs) eeNsPIRAGIEs, g.. .blie.i no
The remaining testimony to be examined
and considered relates to the com plicity OF
Jacob Thompson, g. @. Clay, Jr, and JET.
fersop Davis in the assassination OF Presl-
dent Lincoln. .'-.1 OF. .f,... =. 7.- .,
The first allusiou in point Of time made
to the presence of Clay in the South, among
all the papers in possession OF the Govern
ment yet examined. is letter dated at Rich
mond, March 8, 1865, and written by h.
L. Clay to G. G. Clary, Jr. This letter
contains the following words: Your in
dorsemcnt upon letter OF sister to celeste,
brought yesterday by Captain Hudson, is
the only direct intelligence I've had from
you since the telegram announcing your ar
rival at Charleston" The evidence upon
this branch of the subject establishes beyond
reasonable doubt the fact that Clay remain
ed in Canada far into the month Of Febru-
ary, 1865, and necessarily couviets him OF a
false statement in his communication to the
President upon point which he deemed
important, in exculpating himself from the
charge of completely in the assassination OF
President Lincoln r, nj esgr
The statement of Clay that he had never
known any of the persons accused and con
victed of participating in the ASSASSINATION
of President Lincoln is shown to be false by
the evidence of Richard Montgomery, as
reported in the testimony taken by the
Military Commission; Montgomery says
II have seen Lewis Payne, the prisoner at
the bar. in Canada. I saw him at the Falls
in the summer of 1854" Again, Il had
some words with him at the Queen Hotel
at Toronto; had an interview with Mr.
Thompson. aud on leaving the room met
this man Payne in the passage way talking
with Clement q. Clay; Mr.. Clay stopped
me, and held my hand, finishing the conver,,
satiuu with Payne iD an undertone; and
when he left me for a moment he said,
Wait for me, will return" ," (Vonspiracy
trial, page "a
Clay while in Canada acted under the fol
lowing commission
RIcuMoND, VA. April 27, 1864
Hon. c. c. Clay, Jr., dc. Richmend' va.
Sir: CohGdng special trust in your zeal,
discretion and patriotism, ! hereby, direct
you to proceed ot once to Canada, there to
carry out such Instructions as you have re
ceived from me verbally, in such manner as
most likely to conduce to the lurtheraute Of
the interests of the Confederate States OF
America. which have been intrustsd to you.
Very respectfully and truly yours,
TSiened1 JEFFERSON DAVIS.
This communication is written upon dis
patch paper, and appears to be in the hand
writing Of Benjamin. si ,'."
II is we'll established by letters and docu-
ments derived from rebel sources and now
in the archives of the Government, that
Clay, under this commission, Was instru-
mental in organizing and executing, with
mere or less success, the raids upon the
cities and towns along the border, the plans
for the introduction ofipestilenee, the or
ganixatien of conspiracies to liberate the
prisoners confined in Camp Douglas, Chi
csgo; to destroy our commerce on the rivers,
lakes and ocean; and, fually, tothwsrt and
overthrow the Government, If possible, by
ipciting new rebellion in the North. II
lIs also asceftsined that Jsc6b THOMPSON
Beverly Tucker, George. N. Sanders. WHC,
Cleary, Bennett H. Young and K!J. Stuart
were employed in Canada as special agents
for the Confederate authorities. .,at,.g.
Among these letters is the following
which discloses the character OF the means
Of bringing about civil war in the West
in the summer aud autumn of 1864, aud re
vesls the names OF some Of the persons en-
gsged in the movement. The first letter Ii
from OaG. Clay, Jr, to Jacob Thompson
The following isa cepy ~ . JOY ".
IatTlI1P Tr- WELLANp HOUSE,
ST. GATHERINGS, July IL, 1854
Hon. J, 4 hon,pson, Montreal: :,
My DEAR SIR: Walker goes off to nigh
! to the United States He will try TO pre-
pare our friends to aid us in the icontem
plated move. DR.. Massey is hero, sonTin
law of Meday, and viii stay until finding b
is high priest of the Sons of IibeTty, ant
can be employed most ,usefully for u.s.
He and w: might traverse Ohio, ladiapa
aud Illinois, by the 20th, and have oil th'
organizations ready TO act 10 cO-operation
| You had best come, from lewe here imme
tdiately, and let themiknowal' the plans
They can be communicated to W. bysH spe
cial messenger, ihattbey may so 10 work q
once. They are only Ndyisesntbst ,esrtaii
Confederate escaped prisoners can be , em
ployed to start the ybsl for lbem' if thoi
people winljoin the play. They think
will takenths fancy OF their people, and the,
will take "a hand. The only fear y. the
will not be prepared forit and will he slr
prised and stupefedr without notice. fp1
need not fear, as they are of the swor
brotherhood Voorhees, is Ito be here o
Monday or Tuesday q and perhaps, Ben
! Woed: Indeed, see peppls from the Upi
ted States here daily, who come TO see ps
You must not fail to come, pdhring Jplcnt
of money. Indeed, you had best trapsfe
Your bank to Toronto, p we can BUY passe
10 the United States Which win. serve Oh
purposes, and two capital stump orat1tF,t
travel anywhefsi Cone here AZ a sood sp aIS ds 80
The proprietor and allthe people here ~
your friends, ] send thijsbyy him him. 10 bsst'
The Following Letter which appears I
! have been written BY Thompson to Clay, bs
1 Tut| IL ~ I. Il