The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-08-21

So;ourn of SiG and @ Half Years
IN a Military Priso,-An Brent
tM History.
The old saying that "truth is
Granger than felton," was fully
verified last Tuesday on the ar
zeal of the steamboat Natoma,
far among her passengers was
Mr.. 81. II. Lee, formerly a citizen
At Madison, st. Francis County,
IN this State, but WHO has been
a prisoner, in close confinement,
far the past six years and a half.
90 close was his confinement that
he never was allowed the privilege
Of communication with the out
side world, not even his own fam
liz. who were in the greatest dis
tress at his sudden and mysteri-
Gus disappearance, and that, too,
at a time when their worst fears
were being realized. From a
short conversations had with Mr..
Lee. we learned the following
leading points connected with his
abduction and detention in a
loathsome prison in the State of
wisconsin, and in free America:
In November, 1862, Mr.. Lee went
to Memphis, then occupied by
Federal troops, for the pupose of
procuring supplies; he was arrest
ed and thrown into the Irving
Block, then occupied as a prison;
he remained the one night, and
that evening, with other prisoners,
was shipped on board the st.
Cloud ell route for Camp Douglas,
in Illinois. Arriving there, the
officer in charge of the camp in
ouired what were the charges
against Lee, and was told that he
was arrested for specializing in
Confederate money. The camp
officer declined to receive him, as
there was no law forbidding spec
ulation in money of any kind.
The lieutenant having Lee in Gus
toby SAID they would take him to
Rock Island then, as they would
take any one there. be was &C
companied by seven men as
guards, and they concluded to
have a grand spree before RETURN
ing to Memphis for active duty.
So they went to Milwaukee, Wis,
and were going to put Lee IN jail
for safe keeping, until they had
visited their friends aud finish
the spree laid for themselves. In
the meantime Lee had resolved
on escaping, in which determine
ton he was heartily joined and
assisted by one OF the guards hav
ing him in charge. Ihep made
their escape, but were pursued
and captured after few shots
had been exchanged. Mr.. Lee
was then imprisoned in the Mil
waukee Jail and there kept in close
confinement for two years and a
half withoutbeing broughtto trial.
At the end Of that time he was
taken out and sentenced without
trial) to four years imprisonment
in a branch of the State prison
located at Madison, in the State
of Wisconsin.
During the four long years OF
his confinement at Madison he
was not allowed to write to his
friends, never saw newspaper
or book of any kind, but was as
etfectually excluded from the
world as any living mau ever was
before. His health was good all
the time, but he came near freez
ing with the cold the first three
winters. The fourth he Jared
betSer. Tic time came at last for
his release, and with a heart full
Of thanks to God for the ,lreserya-
ton of his life, his first tho,aght
and purpose was to seek his wife
and child. lie went to Cincin- |
natl and there met with an old !
sehoolnlate, who told him of the
death of his wife--his child he knew
nothing OF. Could it be possibleg
He left there Immediately for
Memphis; arriving there he was
received as one risen from the
dead by his many friends, and
from one Of them he received the
joyful tidings that his wife and
daughter, now a grown young
lady, were not only living, but
well and doing we'll. Tears OF joy
were shed, and renewed thanks
to Almighty God for His protee-
ting care filled the heart Of the