The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-07-01

L
had plenty of food, but cou not eat with
my face so muffled up. True, there was a
small hole in the bag near my mouth, but l
could not reach that, as my hands were
wedged down by the iron. At last, two
kind-hearted soldiers took compassion on
me, and while one watched the other fed me.
On Saturday night a man came to me and,
after drawing the bag SO tight as to nearly
suffocate ne, said to the guard, DON'T let
him go to sleep, as we will carry him out
to hang him directly" l heard them go up
on the deck. when there was great rattling
of chains, and other noises aud while l was
trying to imagine what was going on. and
what they intended to Go, l was dragged
out by two men, who both pulled me at
times in opposite directions. We, however,
reached boat, in which l was placed and
were rowed short distance, l could not say
then where we stopped, for my face was
still covered. After leaving the boat / was
forced to walk some distance. with the
heavy irons still on my legs, | 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 a severe
blow on the top of the head, which stunned
and half threw me over, when | was pushed
into a small room, where | remained in an
unconscious condition for several hours. The
next morning some one came with bread
and coffee. | remained here for several
days, suffering torture from the bag or pad
Ged hood over my face. 1t was on Sunday
when it was removed and / was shaven. 1t
was then replaced. Some hours after, Gen.
Hartrauft came and read to me several
charges; that was engaged in a plot to as
sassinate the President, and the day follow
ing was carried into military court, and
~ InJ hof. oil #
manned but short time, when was return
ed 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 | replied
NO" and made my plea Of ''nor guilty"
They then wished to know if desired coun-
sci, and when / answered afirmatively,
Gen. Hunter, the president of the court, in
sisted that | should not be allowed counsel
He was, however, overruled, but it was sew
eral days before | was permitted legal aid,
the court in the meanwhile taking vidcnce
with closed doors. Ol every adjournment
of the court, if only for an hour, | was
turned to my cell, and the closely fitting
hood placed over my head. This continued
till June 10. 1865. when i was relieved
from the torture of the bag. but my hands
and limbs remained heavily manacled.
On one Sunday. while 1 was confined at
this place (the Washington ArsenaD, l
was visited by gentleman IF middle stat
ure, rather stout, with full beard and gold
framed sUectacleS. He noticed my mana
cles and padded head l afterwards learn
cd that he was Mr.. Stanton, the Secretary
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 was t. be hung
without trial, and the hood was preparatory
20 that act.
The Fl st time ever saw Mrs. Surratt
was in the Carroll Prison yard, on Capitol
Hill. | did not see her again until we were
taken in court the first day at the arsenal
My cell was oD the same corridor with hers,
and | had to pass it every time | was taken
into C, urt. frequently looked into her
cell. small room about four feet vide by
seven feet long. The only things in her cell
were an old mattress laid on the bricks
and ar army blanket l could see tn e irons
on her feet, as she was generally lying on
the mattress. ani was the last one brought
into court. She occupied seat in the court
near the prison door. The seat was twelve
inches high, aud the chains between the
irons on her feet were so sh rt that she al
ways 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 a steamboat, and arrived
the next day at Fortress Monroe. and was
thence taken TO the gun boat Florida. The
irons on my arms r. temporarily removed,
but Captain Dut:o", in charge of the guard,
ordered heavy Lille irons to be placed on
me, when General Dodd, chief officer in
charge, more humanely countermaned his
order, and had the irons again removed from
my arms. | was placed for security in the
lower hold of the vessel, and compelled to
descent to it by 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 lacerated feariully. The
hold where l was confined was close and
dirty, but after two or three days, ! was al
lowed on deck in the daytime, but was
closely guarded. | was allowed to speak to
no one of the crew. We arrived at Fort
Jefferson, on the Dry Tortugas, and were
handed over to Colonel Hamilton, command
ing, who placed me until next day in a case
mate. The next day l was brought before
Colonel H.. who informed me that be had
no more stringent orders concerning me than
other prisoners confined there.
managed to get along comfortably for
Whlle' though to some OF the prisoners the
officers were very cruel. One man by the
name Of Dunn. while helping in unloading
government transport. got hold of some
liquor and imbibed too freely for which he
was taken to the guard house and tied ND
to the window-frame by his thumbs for two
hours. General Hill then ordered Linn to be
taken down and be made to carry thirty
two pound ball, but as the hanging had de-
prived him of the use of his thumbs, he was
unable to obey. The officers, ,;bowever, put
two twenty-four pound balls in a knapsack,
and compelled him to carry them until the
sack gave away from the weight of the
iron. lie was then tied up by the wrists
and gagged in the mouth by the bayonet
from 8 P. M. till the next morning. He was
then taken down and thrown into the guard
house, but was so exhausted that he had to