American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-07-10

Provost Marshal insisted, and find
ing him too ill and lacking strength,
made him carry a thirty-two pound
ball. He staggered under the weight
and was compelled by weakness to
put it down. He was then taken TO
the wharf, and with his legs tied to-
gether and his hands tied behind
him, a rope was placed around him
and he was thrown into the water
and then dragged. This was done
three or four times, he begging for
mercy most piteously. He was final
| ly jerked out of the water and or
dercd to return to bis ordinary work.
The roOr wretch crept off apparently
thankful for any escape from such
torments. Captain Joseph Ritten
house was officer of the day, and his
orders were carried out by Corporal
Spear.
During the latter part of last o.
tober | was placed i'll irons and COM
PEELED to work, with an armed senti-
mel over me. | did not know the
reason for this, for was unconscious
of having given offense, and had
conformed to every regulation.
was then closely confined and allow
ed to communicate with no one for
four months. The pretense for this,
| afterward learned, sprang from an
attempt of DIR. Mudd to escape.
Colonel st. George Leger Grenfel,
aged sixty-6ve Yeas, was taken sick
and went to the doctor to get excus-
ed from work. The doctor declined
to excuse him. He then applied to
the Provost Marshal, who said that
he could not excuse him if the doc
tor couldn't. Grenfel then tried to
work and failed. Then they took
him to the guard-house, tied him up
for half day, and then took him to
the wharf, tied his hands behind
him, tied bis legs together, and put
a rope around his waist. There
were three officers, heavily armed
who drove spectators from the wharf.
l could see and hear from my win
dow. The Colonel asked them If
they were going to throw him into
the water, and they answered, "yes."
He then jumped in, and because he
could not sink, they drew him out
and tied about forty pounds of iron
to his legs, and threw him into the
water again, and after he had sunk
, twice they pulled him out again, and
, then compelled him to go to work
The officers who had him in hand
were Lieut.. Robinson, Lieut.. Pike
and Capt. Geo. w. Crabb. assisted
, by Sergeant Michael Gleason and
J Assistant Military Store keeper, e
L. jackson, who tied the iron on his
5 legs. Captain Samuel PEBBLES tied
J up Grenfel for saying that ''he was
: capable of doing anything" Colone
: Grenfel was forced to scrub and DE-
r other mental work, when he proved
he was so i'll as to have refused tt
| eat his raticns for a week. All o
| officers hated Grenfel, on account O
/ a letter which appeared in a New
Y York paper, which they said Gren
: fel wrote, about tying up the prisone
Dunn-which letter was truthful, al
: others and myself were witnesses t.
q the details it related. One yer,
= stormy night, Grenfel, with fou
:, others, escaped in small boat, an,
: was evidently drowned near the fort
d His escape was discovered, but tn
4 storm was so severe, that it wa
: deemed too dangerous to pursue
g them. although steamer was at til
n wharf Grenfel frequently declared
Y his intention of running any risk t
V escape, rather than, to use his owl
e words, to be tortured to death a
d the fort" These are only two @
three instances of the many acts c
r cruelty practiced at the fort. DARN
|. my Imprisonment at Fort Jefferson
n l worked very hard at carpenterin
It and wood ornamental work, maxim
II great many fancy boxes, &C., GU
), of the peculiar wood found on til
is adjacent islands; the greater POI
< ton of this work was made for off
1t GERS. By my industry in that d
p. rection. L won some favor in thei
n eyes. l was released in March {
d the present year by Executive Glen
re ency.
r [Signedl EDMAN SPANGLER.