The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-19
THE FILBUSTERS.

cutter MahoniEg to GARDENERS Island, 10 capture
the remnant of the Cuban flibustertng eXpedt-
tion existing there. Captain Webster com
manding the Mahoning, the deputy-marshals,
and a dozen marines, were received on Landing
by several of the leading Cubans. Colonel
Ryan and Lieutenant Crevier were not to be
found. Captain Webster proposed n surrender,
and offered to guarantee an exemption from
imprisonment. Ten accepted his terms. The
rest refused. News of this was sent to Marshal
Barlow, and he forwarded twenty-four more
marines, who arrived at the island on Friday
morning, under command of Lieutenant Breeze.
-. The UnaTmed Cubans, ON seeing this acces-
sion OF strength, concluded to surrender, but
not as captves, and to the number OF one Pun
dred and twenty-four, were taken on Saturday
evening to Fort Lafayette, Here they were
temporarily confined in fiee different classmates,
but on complaining of the heat were admitted
into the open courtyard. The men are well edu-
Gated and well bred. They assert that they might
easily have oyerpowered the few marines had
they so desired, and certainly would not have sur
rendered had they suspected On imprisonment
Captain HARRISON formerly of Company d, 1st
New York Volunteers, is regarded by the pri-
soners as their present leader. 1t is asserted
that in sending the men to Fort Lafayette, Bar
low neglected to provide them with rations and
that the sparse supply of the small garrison at
Fort Hamilton opposite has barely sufficed to
sustain life among them.
The Mahoning reached Geltson's Landing
Fort Hamilton, shortly after o'clock Saturday
afternoon. Without any unnecessary delay the
captves were embarked on board small boats,
and taken into the Bastile. They did not forget,
before they were taken from the Mahonng to
thank in the most cordial terms the gallant
Captain Webster and his subordinates for their
uniform Kindness and courteous department.
IN THE BAsTILE.
As the frail boats, with their cargo of human
freight, sped over the waters of the Lower bay
the unfortunate captives stared with apprehen-
sion at the dismal dingv pile which was to be
their prison, and perhaps their tomb. AS each
stroke OF the oar brought them nearer to their
prison-house, they saw more and more distinctly
the forms of the armed soldiery, the iron
barred loop-holes of the filthy dungeons, and,
above all, the wiry figure of the generalissimo
in command. One by one they climbed the rot
ten, dilapidated steps, and at length found them
selves face to face with the outer walls of the
dungeon.
'MY GOD WHAT A PLACE!"
eXclaimedsOne of the number as he caught q
glimpse of fallen walls, the ruins, the bricks,
and mortar which were strewn in every direc-
tion, the burned timber and the dirty cells
within. Despair was pictured upon every mans
cOuntenance as he looked upon the dismal den
They had surrendered on condition that they
should be liberated as soon as they reached New
York. An officer of the United States had
pledged them n safe conduct. How had that
promise been kept? Forward march !" was
given, and the prisoners, single fle began their
tramp to the grave.
DRIVEN IN AT THE POINT OF THE BAYoNEF.
The uncouth soldiery of the United States
drove the prisoners at the point of the bayonet
into dungeons which even rats had long ago for
sallen. Without regard to- rank, they were
packed like sardines into the five small cells to
| the left of the entrance, an average of thirty
men to a cell. And such cells!
ANDERsoNvILLE IN THE SHADE.
The noisome cells of Fort Lafayette defy Ill
description. And how those poor souls who for
| hours were packed in such q hell can be eX-
| pected to come out alive, is more than your re-
| porter can imagine. The General in command
| is young STRIPPING, about twenty years of age,
| q year from West Point, and the first time that
he has had duty of any Importance to perform.
| That the commanding officer should have as
| signed so delicate and responsible task to one
| so young could very well be accounted for in
| the fact that no other older officer would take
| the place. An older officer would never have
| dreamed of holding human beings in such a
| place for a second But Generalissimo Second
| Lieutenant Allyn Capron thought he would
| spread himself just once, and accordingly had
| these poor fellows locked up until
THE ARRIVAL OF GENERAL voGDEs,
who made his appearance towards dusk, and
ordered their immediate liberation from the
dungeons. When they stepped out from these
swine pens they rushed into the open air like sc
many madmen, and, as the weather was intol
erable, they made rush for the cistern for water
| to quench their thirst, and such water! Lieu
tenant-colonel Discrolrs dog Dixie, who can dc
almost anything that his master tells him to do
| refused point blank to approach within q foot oi
1t. And yet the prisoners drank two and three
mugfuls before their thirst could be satisfied
| Towards nightfall, supper, consisting of coffee
and Bread was sent over from Fort Hamilton
Three hours afterwards, the only noise that was
heard was the measured step of the solitary sen.
tinel as he paced his post The eaptives slept
upon the hard flags of the courtyard, with. nc
other shelter than the starry heavens above
| them.
| SUNDAY MORNING.
At sunrise yesterday morning their breakfast,
which again consisted of bread and coffee, was
served. After they had concluded that beggarly
meal, they were ordered to fall into line and
answer roll call. That terrible man, the Gene
ralissimo, after the call had been concluded,
| announced that one man was missing, and, in
order to ascertain who that lucky dog was, he
| would forthwith lock every man of them up.
| The guard was formed, and the culprits were
| marched to their dungeons, GA being thrust into
one dungeon, 3o into another dungeon, and the
| rest into little cell. The Generalissimo then
| with drawn sabre in one hand, cooked Colts
| siX-shooter in the other and a spy-glass visible
| from the southeast corner of his southwestern
| coat tail pocket, ran to the para pets and began
| to level his instrument in every direction. AT
| length the Generalissimo descended, and began
| to tramp around the ruins of the Fort. Then
| hearing tie prisoners clamorng for water, he
i ran to tire door of their dungeons (standing at
| respectable distance however, and told the sem
tinel to shoot the first man that dared raise
| mutiny. Utterly exhausted, the great man now
| gently sQuatted beneath the shade Of huge
beam on the pier and awaited the coming out
| of the prisoner. Then the missing man ,oaS
found never to have been missing. The Gene
| ralissimo shortly after this began to overflow
| tered a wCll-drected kick to one of the French
| company. His threats to shoot were without
| number. The terrible man frightened every
| body. Tic rest of the day was spent IN trying
| to sleep.
THE PRISONERS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.