The New York herald., 1868-12-13
"REMINISCENCES OF FORT LAFAYETTE.
Part Of the History OF the Rebellion-Georgc
ID. Prentice Relates His Experience About
Getting Prisoners Released - Interviews
With Lincoln and Seward.

ID. Prentice Relates His Experience About
Getting Prisoners Released - Interviews
With Lincoln and Seward.
From the Louisville Courier Journal, Dec 81
There are hundreds OF thousands OF patriotic
American citizens who can feel no regret for the
burning OF Fort Lafayette, opposite the New York
the elements. 1t was an odious pile Though called
by great and glorious name, It was used through
became detestation. It was bastile. Hun
dreds OF the ebest men OF the nation were
loci Locked within sts gloomy and desolate walls
trial and without being allowed to know why they
were denied the right OF liberty No charges existed
learn II they or their friends Ia their behalf ap
peaed to the government to learn the OF their
immurement, there was no answer. The govern
ment was silent ana mysterious. The fort was
United States property; but have as little sorrow
for Its destruction as any good citizen eyer had for
Vernon, present to George washington should be
greatest Of the living Of liberty Fire has done
great many good things in the world-seldom SO
s hat Besa
the red element ...-.a.-- -. ~ saL.f<z
nays some peculiar "Reminiscences connected with
Fort lafayette. In 1851 three distinguished gentle
men, DR.. Wm NJ. Gwinn, who had served many
years with distinction In the Senate 0l the United
Sss Sssss p.4e Saa0nn aensy ssnSa n0 X d aa Sn ona I
lawyer IN ,.s ssisimo1s' ana 'A was p'S'sns Them
barked on q steamer for some point IN the East.
General Sumner was on board the same steamer.
them his prisoners He simply deigned to tell them
that he arrested them suspicion that they were in.
tending TO fight against the United Sates-a Suspicion
perfectly prepQsterQus in the case Of Dr. Gwinn who
Was an inlFn old man OF About seventy years.
When they demanded the ground OF his suspicion,
he only answered that he entertained 1t and was not
responsible for his suspicious. The three Victims
were conveyed to the federal governments, and Mr..
seward Secretary q Ststs ordered them, without
As one 0f the three prisoners was my near and
very dear relative fastened very to Washing.
ton to procure their release. had written and tee-
graped earnestly 70 the President for the release OF
Governor Morehead, Mr. Durrett and Others, but
when member OF my own family was victim OF
oppression and tyranny felt that should give my
personal presence TO the effort for deverance. /
arrived at the capital long after dark and called
a wts e M cors1 anS m grSsty
hougs ne ,s.t gently that he rather
Fort Lafayette prisoners, Gwinn, Benham and Brent
He inquired what were the charges against them.
or conrse j told him that didn't know, and sug-
gested whether Il wasn't more his business than
ours to know. He answered, "Well, don't know
about these things, but ! am disposed to do what
can for you, and Will give You letter TO Sewardn
took the letter and called at Mr.. Seward's ofce
the next morning. The distinguished Secretary
received me with his accustomed amenty, but
in regard to the matter in hand talked quite
automatically. 1t was about my first experience OF
regular diplomatists conversation | didn't much
! admire understand IT, Mr. Seward invited me to
take tea with him that evening. did. After tea re-
newed my application for the release Of my friends
and argued the matter as well as l could. He had
| only this reply to makc:-'l am considering the
matter and shall be very glad to see you at tea OF
breakfast or dinner eve'y day and we Will talk the
One evening, when ! had been about foul
request % { very strongly upon the secretary, ans @
! he said, "Cal at my onice tomorrow morning
sss sSe Psease ten Of ana w give
punctual to the minute "Fred, said he, addressing
his son, the Assistant Secretary gve Mr.. Prentice
| the document directed you to make out. The
Assistant Secretary placed il in my hands read it.
It was not an order for the discharge OF the victims.
it was only order that should have the privilege
| OF seeing them IN their prison when l pleased.
"Why, Mr. Seward, this is not what you promised
ss You sS to Sss York sna ak
with your friends and ascertain their
o,a and him I, and report to
that he certainly could not expect me to visit MY
friends In prison and enter into conversation with
do me the favor to go and see see them, m 'aini and
write write to TO-, me , as y you Ill Ike e. ! said yes
in e s @aS Is
Ny first three letters were unanswered In reply to
the fourth received despatch saying that my
plana:ion." OF course 4 considered that
despatch as implying discharge went i'm
mediatey with Dr. Gwinn's wife and daughters
to Fort Lafayette exhibited the order to the prison
ers and advised them to proceed to Washington
,e Go win said they told them
GO with them They were apprehensve OF deceit
and treacnery; "Go with u.s. SAID they, "or we
Washington called upon Secretary Seward in their
behalf He required that they should either take
certain obno xious oath or be rcmanded to prison.
asked them what they would do, and they agreed d
that as there were no charges against them as
they had committed no crime. they would sooner go
back TO their bastile than take any oath. All my
appeals to the secretary were OF no avail.
Then my appeal was to President Lincoln, certainly
kind-hearfed though in mans things sadly mis-
him he said, "a Will set your friends free. They may
United statesD asked hlm II he would grant them
permission TO go to Europe He replied tnat none OF
our people had the the right to go to Europe Without
could not give passports, but that my friends should
be just as free as he or any other under the gov
him to put this declaration In writing. He said, ''No
II Is a very delicate subject, and Seward viii be very
mad about 1t. VIII not touch pen 10 paper in
gard to it. Tell your friends what have told you,
and tell them further that shall he glad TO see
them" Al OF them believe, called upon MIN and
due under all the circumstances, is think quite
question.
In 1865 DR.. Gwlnn, who had not taken
and conld not have taken any part In the
war, went from this country 10 Mexico for his
own private purposes, whatever they were, and
have reason TO know that they were right and
proper. He went and took Others with him TO make
money; but on account OF the miserable condition
Of Mexican affairs they failed. Or. Gwinn came
back TO the United States in the full consciousness Of
right and the expectation OF safety. He had done
himself. But upon his arrival within the federal
lines. then Kept up Tor no useful or proper purpose,
he was snapped up upon not even pretext and
thrust into Fort Jackson, below New orleans. Seve-
raj OF his friends were throwninto Fort Jackson with
him. There they were kept for many months. They
were Kept incarcerated, but perhaps not very badly
used. went 10 Washington TO get them discharged
and succeeded although In opposition TO all tue
diplomatic efforts OF secretary seward In the oppo
site directions: and IN an interview that occasion
MIR. Seward had the very intense GOODNESS, fifty de-
grees below zero, the point OF the thermometer
where the mercury freezes to say TO my face that he
was the man who had discharged my three friends
quent liberty.
Mr.. Seward Is able, but he is faIthless. No trust
can be safely reposed In him. He seems genial
enough. but he is not Just and true. am glad that
he Is 70 retire from the government hoping only that
worse man will not succeed him. There are thou
sands worse and certainly more thousands better.
| am considerably afraid Thar the worse will have
to 90 the left hand IN the judgment day when the
sheep snail be divided from the goats. u. u. r.
How He MADE HIS MoSEY.-The following con-