The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-12-03

OF cried, and when brought into the presence OF
the Commandant, she saluted him with Halo
Captain! At your service, sir"
She was unarmed with the exception of small
poignard she carried in her bosom This she re-
fused to give up, and when the Commanaant
made jocular motion to take the weapon by
force, she stepped back, planting forward her
dainty foot, and flashed its blade against him. \,
We do not know how long she was detained at
the Castle, but while she remained, she was
treated by the Commandant more like guest
than prisoner. At first she was granted the
freedom of the Office, where she would sit all day
conversing and joking with the detectives and
reporters, whom she declared were "horrid set
for having carricatured her so badly in their
reports. ..E
IL am lady, gentlemen" she would say, ''and
dare any man to insult me-" And her delicate
fingers would tap her poignard significantly.
After time she was granted parole, and fire.
quently appeared upon the streets, followed by a
rabble of hooting boys wherever she went But
she did not mind in the least that species of
rough attention, but rather seemed to like it, if
not positively enjoy it.
Finally Miss Doctor Mary Walker was sent
North by flag of truce, but returned here after
the evacuation, and on the 4th of July, 1865
was the reader of the Declaration of Independence
on the occasion of the negro celebration of the
day on Capitol Square. She is at present, or was
recently, in London and Paris, making an exhi-
bition of herself She threatens a book on her
Confederate experience Gracious!
Another noted prisoner was Joseph G. Conner
but at what particular date he was committed at
the Castle we do not remember. He entered the
Confederacy at Wilmington, North Carolina, on
one of the blockade runners, and came on direct
to Richmond. AT the Passport Office he applied
for papers under the name of Stanton, but was
recognized by the clerk as Joseph g. Conner, OF
Baltimore, and arrested as Federal spy. Ere
quent and tedious examinations before Commits
sioner Baxter failed to produce any direct evi-
dence against him. But still his innocence was
not clear, and he lay many months in the Castle
The writer of these Recollections and Colonel
George P. Kane, with both of whom the prisoner
was acquainted being importuned by him, made
unsuccessful efforts to obtain his release. The
authorities were convinced that he was a spy, yet
they could not convict and hang him as such
without the evidence.
When Richmond fell, Conner among other
prisoners, escaped, and then it was he proclaimed
his true character and threw off his false one as
no longer needful. He was Federal spy, in the
employ of the secret service of the United States
Government.
Connor, at liberty among his Yankee friends
at once began his work of revenge, but those
against whom his wrath most burned had left the
city, and he turned his attention to citizens,
levying black in some instances, and seizing
property in others. For these and other crimes
he was apprehended by the military authorities
convicted before Judge McIntee's Court, and
served term in the Penitentiary He was re-
leased about one year ago, and disappeare d.
One of those whom we believe suffered impri-
sonment wrongfully was Captain Greenwall, a
young Englishman of the British service, who
like few others of his countrymen, prompted
by love of adventure, or a real desire to aid the
South, came over and landed at Charleston in
1868. Here he found employment i'll the corps
of Typographical Corps of Engineers, but falling
under the evil eye of suspicion was arrested and
forwarded to Castle Thunder. Here the writer
made his acquaintance, and found him intelli-
gent, ,and even learned toa degree only attained by
the higher classes of English society. He was
handsome as he was intelligent. He stated he
had served in the Crimean and India wars, but
unfortunately had nothing to support his profes-
sions save his own averments. long confne-
ment in the dreary Castle followed, varied only
by his frequent examinations before the authori-
ties Nothing was proven, and he was dis
charged. But his proud spirits were broken;
he was thousands of miles from home penniless,
and though his wants would, in measure, have
been supplied by entering the Confederate SER
vice, he had not the heart to aid in the defence
of Government that had so unjustly and cruel
" suspiconed his first honest intentions, and in
iured his name and honor. Many is the time
we have seen tears come into his fine eyes when
any allusion to the subject of his treatment was
made in his presence.
In his great need he found good friend in
the late A. Judson Crane, Of this city, who al
lowed him the use of room in his office for
bed-chamber, and supplied him with money.
He was strange young man, and there was
a mystery about him that he would not, and no
body else could, explain.
One day an English advertisement appeared
in one of the Richmond newspapers, calling for
information of Captain Greenwall, and warning
him, if that notice should reach his eye, to re-
turn to England Immediately, as a fortune
awaited him. Whether the notice was the gen.
uine emanation from his family, or whether it
was very clever ruse on his part, we never
learned; but Captain Greenwall disappeared from
his accustomed haunts, and we saw him no more.
We trust he is at home, happy and rich.
St Marie, the celebrated witness against John
III. Surratt, who is reported to have tracked
him in his wanderings over the world, encoun-
tering him in different quarters thereof, was an
inmate Of the Castle at some time during 1864,
but under an assumed name, we believe He
was appreheuded as Federal spy, inside the
Confederate Ines but in his case, too, unfortu-
nately, the necessary evidence to convict him
was not available, and the utmost the Confede
rate authorities could do was to send him out
through one of the blockade ports to Bermuda
He made his way thence to Canada, and his next