Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-07-10

Don't let him go to sleep, as we will
carry him out to hang him directly"
II heard them go up on the deck, when
there was great rattle of chains and
other noises; and while was trying
\ to imagine what was going on, and
what they'intended to do, was drag
fged out by. two men, who both
pulled me at times in'opposite dircc-
tions. We, however, reached boat,
In which was placed, and were
rowed short distance, / could not
4 say then where we stopped, for my
face was still covered. After leaving
the boat 1 was forced to walk some
distance with the heavy irons still on
my legs L was then suddenly
stopped and made to ascend three or
four flights of stairs, and as stood at
the top waiting, some one struck me
q severe blow on the top of the head,
Which stunned and half threw me
lover, when was pushed into small
room, where / remained in an uncon-
scious condition for several hours
The next morning some one came
with bread and coffee. / remained
here several days suffering torture
from the bag or padded hood over my
face. II was on Sunday when Il
was removed and / was shaven.-
1t was then replaced. Some
hours, after General Hartranft
came and read to me several charges;
that 1 was engaged in a plot to assas-
sinate the President, and the day fol-
lowing was carried into a military
court and still hooded before all its
members. / remained but short
time, when was returned to my cell
for another night and day, and then
again presented in this court. Mr..
Bingham, Assistant Judge Advocate,
read the charges against me, and
asked If / had any objection to the
court, and 1 replied, "No," and
made my plea of "Not guilty.
They then wished to know III desired
counsel, and when 1 answered AFR
matively, General Hunter, the Presi-
dent of the court, insisted that
should not be allowed counsel. He
was, however, overruled, but 1t was
several days before / was permitted
legal aid, the court in the meantime
taking evidence with closed DOORS
On every adjournment of the court,
if only for an hour, was returned to
my cell and the closely-fitting hood
placed over my head. This continued
till June 10, 1865, when was relieved
from the torture of the bag, but my
hands and limbs remained heavily
rnanacled. .,s. .,t..,.
On one Sunday, while I was con-
fined at this place 1.-THE Washington
ArsenaD, was visited by q gentle
man of middle stature, rather stout,
with full beard and gold framed spec
tacles. He noticed my manacles and
padded head. afterward learned
that he was Mr.. Stanton, the Secre-
tary of War. 1t is proper to state
that when the hood was placed on me,
Captain Munroe said it was by order
of the Secretary of War. MY first
thought was that 1 was to be hung
without trial, and the hood was pre-,
fparatory to that act.
The first time l ever saw Mrs. Sur
raft was In the Carroll prison yard, on
Capitol Hill. / did not see her again
until we were taken into court the first
day at the arsenal. My cell was on
the same corridor with hers, and ! had
to pass it every time was taken into
court. / frequently looked into her
cell, a small room about four feet wide
by seven feet hong. The only things
in her cell were an old mattress laid
on the bricks, and an army blanket.
could see the irons on her feet, as she
was generally lying on the mattress,
and was the last one brought into
court. She occupied a seat in court
near the prison door. The seat was
twelve inches high, and the chains
between the irons on her feet We're so
short that she always had to be as
sisted to her seat. She was so sick at
one time that the court was compelled
to adjourn. K, 5.,t,,....l ...--,.,.
On the 18th of July, about mid
might, / was conveyed to steamboat,
and arrived the next day at Fortress
Monroe, and was thence taken to the
lgunboat Florida. The irons on my
arms We're temporarily removed, but
Captain button, in charge of the
GUARD, ordered heavy Lille irons to
be placed on me, when General Dodd,
chief officer in charge, more humaney
countermanded his order and had the
irons removed from my arms. / was
placed for security i'm the lower hold
of the vessel, and compelled to de-
scend to IL by n ladder. The rounds
were far apart, and as the irons on
my feet Were chained but a few inches
apart, my legs were bruised and lac
Grated fearfully. The hold where
was confined was close and dirty, but
after two or three days i was allowed
on deck in the daytime, but was
closely guarded. was allowed to
speak to no one of the crew, We ar
rived at Fort Jefferson, on the Dry
Tortugas, and were handed over TO
Colonel Hamilton, commanding, who
placed me until the next day in case
mate. The next day 1 was brought
before Colonel H., who informed me
/ that he hdd no more stringent orders
concerning me than other prisoners
conf ned there.
managed to get along comfortably
for while, though to some of the
prisoners the officers were very cruel.
One man by the name of Dunn, while
helping in unloading n Government
transport, got hold of some liquor and
imbibed too freely, for which he was
taken to the guard-house and tied up
TO the window frame by his thumbs
for two hours. General Hill then or
dered him to be taken down and be
made 10 carry u thirty-twopound ball,
but as the hanging had deprived him
of the use of his thumbs, he was un-
able to obey. The officers, however,
lput two twenty-four pound balls in a
knapsacll, and compelled him to carry
them until the sack gave way from
the weight of the iron. He was then
taken down and thrown into the
guard-house, but was so exhausted
that he had to be removed to the hos
pital. 1t was decided to amputate
three of his fingers, but this was re-
considered He lost, however, the
use of his thumb and two fingers
This punishment was inflicted by Ma
jor Mcconnell, officer Of the day, and