The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-07-11
JEFFERSON DAVIS IN PRISON.
Scenes and Incidents Of the Life of
@ the eX-CGnfederate President
In the Casemate at
aa Fortress Monroe.
EXTRACTS FROM THE POET SUR.
aEoWS DIARY.

The story of the imprisonment of JET
PERSON DAVIS, written by the Surgeon o
The Post, who for the first seven months O
that imprisonment professionally attended
the fallen President of the Confederate
States, and dedicated to the Secretary o.
the Treasury, appeals in no ordinary fash
ion to the attention of all Americans
Without attempting today to review thu
work critically, and contenting ourselves
with this simple statement of its author
ship and of the circumstances under which
it appears-a statement which carries with
it ample demonstration TO every capable
and candidperson of its authenticity anG
impartiality-we proceed to lay before oul
readers such copious extracts from its pa
ges as will enable them to judge Gifts grave
interest and value:
THE PRISON LIFE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS BE
GINS.
May 81, 1965.-The procession into the
fort was under the immediate inspection oil
Maior-General Halleck and Charles A
Dana, then assistant secretary of war; Col
Pritchard, OF the Michigan cavalry, who
Immediately effected the capture, being the
officer in command of the guard from the
vessel to the fort First came Maior-Gen
/ Miles, holding the arm of Mr.. Davis, who
was dressed in suit of plain Confederate
gray, with gray slouched hat-always
thin, and now looking much wasted and
very haggard. Immediately after these
came Col. Pritchard, accompanying Mr..
Clay, with guard of soldiers in their rear
Thus they passed through files of men in
blue from the Engineers Landing to the
Water Battery Postern, and on arriving
at the casemate which had been fitted up
into cells for their incarceration, Mr.. Davis
was shown into casemate No. and Clay
into No. 4, guards of soldiers being sta
toned in the cells numbered J., and 5
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.
Being ushered into his inner cell by Gen.
Miles, and the two doors leading tbereinto
from the guardhouse being fastened, Mr..
Davis, after surveying the premises for
some moments, aud looking ont through
the embrasure with such thoughts passing
over his lined and expressive face as may
be imagined, suddenly seated himself in a
chair, placing both hands upon dis knees,
and asked one Of the soldiers pacing up
and down within his cell this significant
question /" Which way does the embrasura
facet"
The soldier was silent.
Dir Davis, raising his voice little, re-
peated the inquiry
But again dead silence, oronly the meas
ured footballs of the two pacing sentres
within, and the fainter echoes of the four
without. "a
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 silentas
the first, slight twitchng of the 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 bitter laugh,
" wish my men could have been taught
your discipline and then, rising from his
chair, he commenced pacing back and forth
before the embrasure, now looking at the
silent sentry across the moat, and anon at
the two silently pacing soldiers who were
his companions in the easement.
bis sole reading matter, q Bible and
prayer book, his only companions those
two silent guards, his only food the ordina-
~ ratlons of bread and beef served out to
the soldiers of the garrison-th9s passed
the first day and night of the x-Presidents
confinement.
SEWARD AND STANTON DISGRACE AMERICA
AN INVALID IN IRONS.
On the morning of the 23d of Nav, vet
olstarer trial was in store for the proud
splFlt-a trial severer, probably than has
ever IN modern times been inflicted upon |
any m one who had enjoyed such eminence.-
te's mofni19 Jefersoa Dacis gas
~ was while all the swsrming camps of
tne armies of the Potomac, the Tennessee
q ailu ueorgia-over two hundred thousand /
uronzea and laureled veterans-were pre-
paflos Tor the Grand Review of the next +
mora'ng' 10 which, passing in endless sue
cession before the mansion Of the President
1ae conquering military power of the nation
was y to lay down it's arms at The feet Of tba
.glgn Authority, that the following scene
was enacted at Fort Monroe: