The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-08-05
Libby Prison-A Reminis.
NQnnA.

Libby Prison-A Reminis- |
Cence.
A rHRILLISG tvcIpENT ~-nGAwiSa js,rs
FOR DEATH.
Col, Henry w; Sawyer, who has /,
lately been appointed Saperinten-
dent Of tho life saving apparatus on !
the New Jersey coast, once passed |
through very pcrilous adventure
He was among the Federal prisoners |
in Libby Prison at tho time when
the Confederate Government deter.
mined to retaliate in kind the execu.
ton of two Rebel officers by one of
our Western Generals. Mr.. Sawyer
was at that time o Captain in the LIST
New Jersey Cavalry, and was Of the
grade of officers from whom solec-
tions were to be made for the victims
to Confederate vengeance. The off,
Ger who was in charge Of the prison
ers at that time, was o kind-hearted
and agreeable man, and was regard
cd by them with feelings OF graft
tude and affection. On the morning
in question this officer entered tho
room where the prisoners were COM
fined, and told all the officers to walk
out into another room. this order
was obeyed with peculiar alacrity, as
tho prisoners were daily expecting
to be exchanged, and 1t was supposed
that tho order had arrived, and that
they were about to exchange their
prison quarters for homo and free
dom. After they had all gathered il
tho room, their countenances lighted
up with this agreeable hope, the off,
Ger came in among them, and with a
very grave face took paper out of
his pocket and told them that he had
very melancholy duty to perform,
the purport Of which would be better
understood by the reading of the
order he held in his hand, which he
had just received from the Wsr De-
partment. He then proceeded to
read to the amazed and Mortified
group an order for the immediate ex-
ecution of two of their number, in
retaliation tor the hanging of two
Confederate officers. As the reader
ceased, the men looked at each other
with blanched faces, and a silence like
death prevailed for some minutes in
the room. The Confederate officer
then suggested that perhaps the bet.
ter way would be place q number of
slips of paper equal to the whole
number of officers from whom the
victims were to be selected, in box,
with the word +" death" written ON
two of them, and the rest blank-the
two who drew the fatal slips to be
tho doomed men. This plan was
adopted, and a chaplain was appoint
ed to prepare the slips. The draw
ing then commenced, the men ad.
vancing and taking out slip, and,
if it proved to be blank, taking
their places in another part of the
room. The drawing had proceeded
for some time, and fully third of
the officers had exchanged gloomy
looks of apprehension for a relieved
aspect they could not avoid showing,
after escape from such terrible peril,
before fatal slip had been drawn
At the end of about this period, how.
ever, the first slip was drawn, and
tho name of capt. Henry w. Saw
yer, of the LIST New Jersey Cavalry"
was called out as the unfortunate
man. The captain was, of course,
deeply agitated, but did not lose his
selt-possession. He at once began re.
volving in his mind plan for avert
ing, or at least postponing the immc.
date carrying out OF the sanguinary
edict of the Rebel Government, and
by the time that he was Joined by
his companion in misfortune, who
turned out to be Captain Flynn Of
an Indiana regiment, he had resolved
upon his course. The officer in com.
mand, as soon as the drawing was
completed, ordered the two mon to
be taken out and Immediately exc.
cuted. Capt. Sawyer, however, dc.
manded, as request that no civil.
lied nation could refuse under such
circumstances, that he should have
permission to write to his wife, to in
form her of the terrible fate that
awaited him, and to have her come
on and bid him IN eternal farewell
Respite for a day or two was thus
obtained, aud Sawyer subsequently
obtained an interview with the Reb-
Of Secretary of War, and secured
permission to write to his wife, which
no did. His object in writing to her
was principally for our Government
to be made acquainted with the pre-.
dicament in which the officers were
placed, and to secure hostages and
Threaten retaliation should the order
of the Rebels becarried out. It turn
cd out precisely as Sawyer hoped
and expected. Our Government was
informed of the condition of affairs,
and promptly seized a son of Gen.
Lee and one of some other promi-
nent Rebel, and threatened to hang
them it the Union officers were exc.
cuted. By this means the lives of
the two doomed men were saved, as
the Confederate Government did not
dare to carry out their threats. AT.
ter few months more confinement,
Capt. Sawyer was exchanged. Capt.
Flynn, his companion in misfortune,
came out of the ordeal with his hair
as white as snow; turned gray by
the mental sufferings he endured
Capt. Sawyer served through the
war.-[Trenton State Gazette.
Our in California, a correspondent
says, it is much the fashion to speak
of immense plantations in an affeec-
ted belittling style. This is regard
ed as sort oflocal joke. The Cali
fornian invites an Eastern visitor,
"Come down to San Mataeo and
spend week with me-" "Have you
aranchc thore2" EYES, alittle place"
What do you call a little place 2"
"Well, 10000 acres"-or 10000, or
10000, as the case may be. Every
body seems to have a little place.