The Republican journal., 1869-07-08

aid, the court in the meanwhile taking evi-
dence with closed doors On every adjourn
mcnt 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 manacled.
On one Sunday, while | was confined at
this place (the Washington ArsenaD, L was
visited by a gentleman Of middle stature,
rather stout, with full beard and gold-flame,
spcctacles He noticed my manacles and
padded head. | afterwards learned that he
was Mr.. Stanton, the Secretary Of War. 1t
is proper to state that when the hood was
placed on me, Capt. Munroe said it was by
order of the Secretary Of War. My first
thought was that | was to be hung without
trial. and the hood was preparatory to that
act.
The first time that | ever saw Mrs. Surratt
was in the Carroll Prison yard, on Capital
Hill | did not see her again until we were
taken into court the first day at the arsenal.
Nv 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 long. The only thing in her cell was an
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 oc-
cupied seat in court near the prison door.
The seat was twelve inches high, and the
chains between the irons on her feet were so
short that she always had to be assisted to her
seat She was so sick at one time that the
court was compelled to adjourn.
On the 18th of July, about midnight, | was
conveyed to steamboat, and arrived the
next day at Fortress Monroe, and was thence
taken to the gunboat Florida.
/ managed to get along comfortably for a
while, though to some OF the prisoners the
officers were very cruel.
During the latter part OF last October was
placed in irons and compelled to work with
an armed sentinel over me. | did not know
the reason for this, eor | was unconscious of
having given offense, and had cont;ormed 10
every regulation. | was then closely conlin-
ed and allowed to communicate with no one for
four months. The prctcncc for this, | after
wards learned, sprang from an attempt of Dr.
Mudd to escape.
Col. St. George Leger Grenfel aged 90
years, was taken sick and went to the Doctor
to get excused from work. The Doctor de-
clined to excuse him. lie then applied to the
Provost Marshal, who said that he could not
excuse him if the Doctor couldn't Grenfel
then tried to work and failed. They then
took him to the guard house, tied him up for
half a day. and then took him TO the wharf.
tied his hands behind him, tied his legs to-
gether, and put a rope around his waist.
There We're three officers, heavily armed,
who drove spectators from the wharf, could
see and hear from my window. 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 in
TO the water again.an after he had sunk
twice they pulled him out again, and then
compelled him to 90 to work The officers
who had him in hand were Lieutenant Robin
son, Lieutenant Pike and Captain George W.
Crabb, assisted by Sergent Michael Gleason
and Assistant Military Storckcepcr &. L.
Jackson, who tied the iron on his legs. Cap
tain Samuel PEBBLES tied up Grenfel for say
ing that she was capable of doing anything"
Colonel Grenfel was forced to scrub and do
other menial work when he proved he was so
i'll as to have refused to eat his rations for a
week. All of the officers hated Grcnfel on
account Of a letter which appeared in a New
York paper, which they said Grenfel wrote,
about tying up the prisoner Dunn-which LET
ter was truthful, as others and myself were
witnesses to the details related One very
stormy night Grenfel, with four others, cscap-
ed in a small boat and was evidently drown
ed near the fort. His escape was discovered
but the storm was so severe that it was deem
ed too dangerous to pursue them. although a
steamer was at the wharf Grcnte frequent
ly declared his intention of running any risk
to escape, rather than, to use his own words,
Ito be tortured to death at the fort These
are only two or three instances Of the many
acts of cruelty practiced at the fort. During
my Imprisonment at Fort Jefferson | worked
very hard at carpentering and wood orna-
menal work, making a great many fancy
boxes, &c, out of the peculiar wood found on
the adjacent island; the greater portion of
this work was made for officers BY my in
dustrv in that direction won some favor
in their eyes. ! was released in March the
present year by executive clemency.
(>igned) EDMAN SrAN"LIN.