Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-08-11
APRRIOUs ADVENTURE.
A Story OF the War-DraWing Lots
for Death.

Col. Henry Sawyer, who has lately
been appointed Superintendent of the
life-saving apparatus on the New Jer-
sey coast, once passed through a very
perilOus adventure. He was among
the Federal prisoners in Libby Prison
says the Trenton Gdzetfe) at the time
when tie Confederate Government
determined to retaliate in kind the eX-
ecutiOn of two rebel officers by one of
our Western Generals. Mr.. Sawyer
was at that time n Captain in the First
New Jersey Cavalry, and was of the
grade of officers from whom selections
were made for the victims of COnfed-
crate vengeance. The officer who was
in charge of the prisoners at that time
was kind hearted and agreeable man
and was regarded by them with feel
ings of gratitude and affection. On
the morning in question this officer
entered the room where the prisoners
were confined, and told all the officers
to walk out into another room.
This order was Obeyed with particu-
lar alacrity, as the prisoners were
daily expecting to be exchanged, and
it was supposed that the order had ar
rived and that they were about to eX-
change their prison quarters for home
and freedom. After they had all
gathered in the room, their eoun-
tenances lighted up with this agree
able hope, the officer came in among
them, and with a very grave face,
took, paper out of his pocket and
told them he had a very melancholy
duty to perform, the puTpOrt of which
would be better undeTst' Od by the
reading of the order he held in his
hand, which he had just received
from the War Department. He then
proceeded to read to the amazed and
Mortified group, an order for the imme-
diate execution of two of their num-
ber, in retaliation for the hanging of
two Confederate officers.
As the reader ceased, the men look
at each other with blanched faces,
and a silence like death prevailed for
some minutes in the room. The Con-
federate officer then suggested that
perhaps the better way would be to
place anumbeT of slips of paper, equal
TO the whole number of officers from
whom the victims were to be selected,
in box with the word death" writ
ten on two of them, and the rest blank
the two who drew the fatal
slips to be the doomed men. This
plan was adopted, and a chaplain was
appointed to prepare the slips. The
drawing then commenced, the men
advancing and taking out slip, and
if it proved blank taking their
places in another part of the room.
The drawing had proceeded for
some time, and fully third of the
officers had exchanged gloomy looks
of apprehension, for a relieved aspect
they could not avoid showing, after
escape from such terrible peril, be-
fore fatal death slip had been drawn.
At the end of about this period, how
ever, the first slip was drawn, and the
name of Captain Henry w. Sawyer,
of the First New Jersey Cavalry"
was called out as the unfortunate
man. The Captain was of course
deeply agitated, but he did not loose
his self possession. He Immediately
began revolving in his mind some
plan for averting, or at least pOstpO-
ming the immediate carrying out of
the sanguinary edict of the rebel gov
ernment, and by the time that he was
Joined by his companion in misfOr-
tune-whO turned out to be a Captain
Flynn, of an Indiana regiment-he
hid resolved upon his course. The
officers in command, as soon as the
drawing was completed, ordered the
two men to be taken out and imnedi-
ately executed.
Captain Sawyer, however, demand
ed, as request that no civilized ma
ton could refuse under such circum-
stances, that he should have permis-
sion to write to his wife to inform her
of the terrible fate that awaited him,
and to have her come on to bid him
an eternal farewell. Respite for day
or two was thus obtained, and Sawyer
subsequently obtained an interview
with the rebel Secretary of War, and
secured permission to write to his
wife which he did. His object in
writing to her was principally for our
Government to be made acquainted
with the predieament in which the
two officers were placed, aud to secure
hostages and threaten retaliation
should the order of the rebels be car
ried out.
II turned out precisely as Sawyer
hoped ami expected. Our Govern
ment was informed of the condition
of affairs, and promptly seized son
of Gen. Lee, and one of some other
prominent rebel, and threatened to
hang them if the Union officers We're
executed. By this means the two
doomed men were saved, as the Con-
federate Government did not dare to
carry out their threats. After a few
months more confinement Capt. Saw
yer was exchanged. Capt. Flynn,
mis- companion in misfortune, came
out of the ordeal with his hair as white
as snOw-turned gray by the mental
sufferings he endured. Capt. Sawyer
in week or two was as good rs new
and served through the war.