Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-06-21

D. J. DEvANE { secretaries. i,.s...... .... .-..,
JEFFERSON DAVIS In PRISON. - =
federate President I'm the Casemate ut Fortres.
MOnrOe-Extract from the Diary of the Post
Surgeon-The Torture OF the. Prisoner-Opinionl
OF the Confederate Leader i'm Social and Politf
cal Anairs-Inside History OF the Confederacy-
Comments the Military Policy of the North
and the SOuth-Who were the Great Generals
From the New York World of Saturday 18th.
The story of the imprisonment of Jefferson Davis
written by the Surgeon of the post, who for the
first seven months of that imprisonment profes
sionally attended the fallen President of the Con
tederate States and dedicated to the Secretary OF
the Treasury appeals in no ordinary fashion to the
attention of all Americans. Without attempting
to-day, to review the work critically and content
ing ourselves with this simple statement of its
thOrship and of the circumstances under which
it appears-a statement which carries with it am
pie demonstration to every capable and candid
person of its authenticity and impartiality-we
proceed to lay before readers such copious ex-
tracts from the pages as will enable them to Judge
of its grave interest and value a.
THE PRISON LIPE OF JEFFERSON DAVIS BEGINS
MAY 81, 1865.--The procession into the fort was
under the immediate inspection of Major-General
Haleck and Charles A. Dana, then Assistant Sec
rotary of War; Colonel Pritchard of the Michigan
cavalry, who Immediately effected the capture, be-
ing the officer in command of the guard from the
vessel to the fort. First Major General Miles
holding the arm of Mr.. Davis, who was dressed in
suit of plain Confederate gray, with a gray
slouched hat-always thin, and now looking much
wasted and very haggard. Immediately after these
came Colonel Pritchard accompanying Mr.. Clay
with guard of soldiers in their rear. Thus they
passed through files of men in blue from the En-
gneers 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 easement No. two and Clay
into No. four, guards of soldiers being stationed
in the cells numbered one, three and five, upon
each side of them. They entered; the heavy doors
changed behind them, and in that clang was ruDg
the final knel of the terrible but now extinct re-
bellion.
Being ushered into his inner cell by General
Miles, and the two doors leading thereinto from
the guard-room being fastened, Mr.. Davis af-
and looking out 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 on his knees, and
within his cell this significant question:
(Which way does the embrasure face?'
The soldier was silent.
Mr.. Davis, raising his voice little, repeated the
inquiry.
But again dead silence, or only the measured
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. .......... .... s
:'Well," said Mr.. Davis, throwing his hands up
and breaking into bitter laugh, 90 wish my men
could have been taught your discipline u 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 his COM
panlOnS In the easement
His sole reading matter, a Bible and prayer
book, his only companions those two silent guards,
his only food the ordinary rations of bread and
beef served out to the soldiers of the garrison
thus passed the first day and night of the express
ident's confinement,
SEWARD AND STANTON DISGRACE AMER1cA--AN INvA-
.....4.s LID IN IRONS. g....... ...-.
On the morning of the Odd of May, yet bitter
er 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 enjoyed such
eminence. This morning Jefferson Dauis ,cas
It was while all the swarming camps of the arm
les OF the Potomac, the Tennessee and Georgia
over two hundred thousand bronzed and laurelled
veterans-were preparing for the Grand Review of
the next morning, in which, passing in endless
cSNSSCScAoA4
the conquering military power of the nation was
to lay down its arms at the feet of the Civil Au-
thority, that the fallowing scene was enacted at
Fort Monroe: ...l. ... ., s.t .... .....
Captain Jerome e. Titlow, of the Third Penn
sylvania ARTILLERY, entered the prisoners CELL fol-
lowed by the blacksmith of the fort and his assis-
tant, the latter carrying in his hands some heavy
and harshly-rattling shackles. As they entered.
Mr.. Davis was reclining on his bed feYerish and
weary after sleepless night the food placed near
to him the preceding day still lying untouched on
its tin plate near his bedside. -
''Well! said Mr.. Davis as they entered, slight
~ raising his head. F .... '....... :, : T..
81 have an unpleasant duty to perform, sir, !"
said Captain Iitlowf; and as he spoke the senior
blacksmith took the shackles from his assistant
Davis leaped instantly from his recumbent atti-
tude, q flush passing over his face for moment,
as death. = '.- o.b-71-e = - 20
He gasped for breath, clutching his throat with
the thin fingers of his right hand, and then re-
covering himself slowly, while his wasted figure
lowered up to its full height-now appearing to
swell with indignation and then to shrink With
terror, as he glanced from the captains face to
the shackles-he said slowly and with laboring
chest .slg- is -s#. . .'4.rT. :. -. $500.
my God You cannot have been sent to iron
me Il. ...... ia III IN o-',N-" = - ~ =
Such are my orders, SIR" replied the officer.
5eckonipg the blacksmith to approach, WHO step