New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-31
LIBBY PRISoE-A "REMINISCENCES.
A THRILLING INcIDENT-DRAwING LOTS Fol
DEATH.

A THRILLING NCIDENT-DRAwING LOTS FOR
DEATH.
Col. Henry w. Sawyer, Who has lately been
appointed superintendent Of tho fesayng apparatus on
the NewJersey coast, passed through very peru
Gus adventure. He was among the Federal prisoners III
Libby Prison at the s shen tHe pH o
Rebel officers by OF our Western Generals MT saw
Yer was at that time Captain In tho LIST New Jersey
cavalry and was of the grade OF officers FROM whom
selections were TO be made for the victims 70 C0nied
kind hearted and agreeable man, and was re-
yared Inv Them with feelings OF gratitude and affection
on the morning in question this officer entered The
where the prisoners confined and told all the ON
GERS 10 walk ont into another room This order was
obeyed with particular aacrity the prisoners
daily expecting TO be exchanged and II was supposed
that the order had arrived and that they were about 10
exchange their prison quarters for home aud freedom
After they had all gathered Ia the room their connie
came In among Them and with very face took
paper Of his pocket and told them that he had very
melancholy duty perform the purport OF which would
In his hand which he had just received from the War
Department. lie then proceeded to read 20 the
immediate execution OF two OF their number
crate officers As the reader ceased, the looked at
each other with banched faces, and Silence ike death
prevailed for some minutes In the room. The Confed.
crate officer then suggested that perhaps the better way
would be TO place number OF slips of paper equal to the
be selected in box with the word death" written on
two them, and the rest bankthe two who drew the
fatal slips To be the doomed men This plan was adopted
and chaplain appointed 10 prepare the slips The
then commenced, the advancing and taking
out slip, and n 10 proved 10 be a blank. taking their
places In another part OF tho room. The
drawing had proceeded for some time, and
fully third of tho Officers had exchanged
gloomy looks OF apprehension for relieved aspect
they could not avoid showing, after from such
terrible peril before fatal death slip had been drawn
AT the end OF about this PERIOD however the first slip
drawn, and the name OF Captain Henry W Sawyer
OF the NewJersey Cavalry called out the
fortunate man. The captain was, OF course, deeply
Rgtaed but did not lose his sefpOshekaiOn. He imme
diaely began revolving In his mind plan for
ing least pOstpOning the immediate carrying out OF
the RanguInary edct OF the Rebel Government and by
the that he Joined by hts companion I'm msfo
tune who turned ont 10 be Captain Flynn OF an Indiana
regiment, he had resolved his The officer
In command, soon as the drawing was completed,
ordered the two men TO be taken out and mmedi.
ately executed. Capt Sawyer however, demanded as
request that civilized nation could refuse under such
circumstances that he should have permission TO write
his wife, inform her OF the terrible fate that awaited
him, and to have her come and bid him eternal
farewell Respite for day two was thus obtained,
and subsequently obtained an Interview with the
Rebel Secretary or War; and secured permission write
his wife, which lie Gid. His object Ia writing 20 her
principally for our Government 90 be made &C.
quaned with the prsdicGment IN which the officers
placed and to hostages aud threaten retaliation
should the order OF the Rebels be carried out IL
turned out precisely as Sawyer hoped and expected.
and promptly seized OF Gen Lee and OF some
other prominent Rebel and threatened TO hang them IL
the Union officers were executed. BY this the
lives OF the two doomed saved the Confed
crate Government did not dare 10 out their threats
After few months more confinement Capt Sawyer was
exchanged Capt Flynn, his companion In misfortune,
came out OF the ordeal with his hair white
turned gray by the mental suerings he endured Capt
Sawyer served through the war
Trenton State Gazette.