Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-07-04
Prison Life of Ex-President Davis,

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We surrender much of our space this week
to copious extracts from a new work, JUS
from the press of Carleton, of New York, en-
titled ".The Prison Life of Jefferson Davis
BY Brevet Lieutenant Colonel ]. C. Craven
II. D., late Surgeon of United States Volun
teers, and physician fthe prisoner during hi
confinement in Fortress Monroe, from May
23d, 1865, up to December 23d, 1865"
Heartily dove endorse the Richmond WhiS
in declaring that no man who has a soul car
read these revelations from the dungeon with.
out feeling his blood boil-but the prevailing
emotion will bo one Of pride that the noble
victim bears himself so worthily of the peo
pie whom, even in his sufferings, he represents
and of the cause for which he has been com
PEELED to endure SO much.
DR.. Craven's bsok will 60 all over the
world, and will descend to posterity, embalm
ing in perpetual infamy the memories of the
men who have committed or permitted the
cruelties here depicted. Better for HallecS.
Miles, Stanton and others, that they had never
been born, or that milStones had been hung
around their necks and they cast into the sea
than that heir names should be associated
with these transactions. Imagine for mo
ment what only one generation hence will
be thought of Jefferson Davis, and what of
his jailors
DR.. Craven has rendercda great service to
Justice, humanity and truth, now and hereaf
ter, by his disclosure of the dreadful secrets
of Mr.. Davis prison house.
THE PRISON LIFE OF MR.. DAVIS BEGINS
May 81, 1865.
The procession into the fort was under the
immediate inspection of Major-General Ha-
leck and Charles A. Dana, then Assistant Sec
retary of War: Pritchard, of the Michigan
cavalry, who Immediately, effected the CAP
ture, being the officer in command of the
guard from the vessel to the fcrt. First came
Major. General Miles holding the arm of Mr..
Davis, who was dressed in suit of plain Con-
federate gray, with a gray slouched hat-al
ways thin and now looking much wasted and
very haggard. Immediately after these cam
Colonel Pritchard accompanying MIR. Clay,
with guard of soldiers in their rear. Thu
they passed through files Of men in blue from
the Engineers Landing to the Water Batter.
Postern; and on arriving at the casemat@
which had been fitted up into cells for theis
Mr.. Davis was shown int
easement No. 2 and Clay into No. 4, guard
of soldiers being stationed in the cells num-
bered l. 3, and 5, upon each side of them
They entered the heavy doors changed be-
hind them, and in that clang was rung the
final knell Of the terrible, but now extinct re
bellion.
Being ushered intD his inner cell by Ger
eral Miles, and the two doors leading there
into from the guardroom being fastened, Mr.
Davis, alier surveying the premises for some
moments, and looking out through the embra
sure with such thoughts passing over his lined
and expressive face as may be imagined, sud-
denly seated himself in chair, placing both
hands on his knees, and asked one of the SOL
iiers pacing up and down within. his cell thi.
significant question (which way does the
elnbrasure face 2"
The soldier was silent.
Mr.. Davis, raising his voice q little, repeat
ed the inquiry.
But again dead silence, or only the mea-
sured footfalls of the two pacing sentres
within, and the fainter echoes the four with
out.
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
tie first, Slight twitching on his eyes only
intimatirg that he had heard the question:
but was forbidden TO speak.
"Well," said Mr.. Davis, throwing his hands
m and breaking into bitter laugh. Z" wish
my men could have been taught your disci-
pine p' and then, rising from his chair, be
commenced pacing back and forth before the
cmbrasure, now looking at the silent sentry
across the moat, and anon at the two silently
pacing soldiers who were his companions in
the easement.
His sole reading.rnattcr, Bible and pray
erbook, his only companions, those two silent
guards, his only food, the ordinary rations OF
bread and beef served out to the soldiers Of
the carrison-thus passed the first day and
night of the ex Presidents confinement.
SEWARD AND STANTON DISGRACE AMERIcA-AN
INVALID IN IRONS.
On the morning Of the 23d of May, yet
bitterer trial was in store for The proud spirit
"a trial severer, probably, than has ever in
modern times been inflicted upon any one who
had cnjoved such eminence. This morning
Jefferson Davis was shackled.
Ii was while all the swarming camps OF tbs
armies of the Potomac, the Tennessee and
Georcia-ovcr two hundred thousand hEonz
ed and laurelled veterans-werc preparing
for the Grand Review Of the next morning,
in which, passing in endless succession before
the mansion of the President, the conqaering
military power OF the nation was to lay down
lis arms at the feet of the Civil Authority.
that the following scene was enacted at Fort
Monroe: ..; -, MI.
CAPTAIN Jerome Z. Titlow, of the Third
Pennsylvania Artillery, entered the prisoners
cell, followed by the blacksmith ST the tort
and his assistant, the latter carrying in his
hands some heavy and harshly y.rattling sbackls
AS they entered, Mr.. Davis was reclining on
his bed, feverish and weary after a slecpless
night, The food placed near to him the preccd-
ing day still lying untouched on its tin plate
near his bedside.
aWell!1 said Mr.. Davis, as they entered,
slightly raising his head.
81 have an unpleasant duty TO perform,
sirn said Captain Titlow; ard as he spoke
the senior blacksmith took the shacklcs from
his assistant.
Davis leaped instantly from his recumbent
attitude, a flush passing over his face for a
moment. and then his countenance growing
liyid and rigid as death.