Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-06
A LIE Exploded.
GEN. w. Il. Lee Explodes the SD eath'' by
Ballot story and CONFIRMS Mr..
JeH Davis's Statement.

The New Orleans Pioayune sometime ago
stated that General w. r. Lee, OF Boston,
had been held as a hostage for certain Con-
tederate officers charged with "piracy." Mr..
Jefferson Davis, in letter 10 the Ficayune
takes exception to this use of the word
'pirscy," say ing: During the war a persist
ent effort was made to misrepresent our cause
and its defenders by the use of Inappropriate
terms. Our privsteers we're called pirates,
our cruisers were called 'privateers,' and Ad-
miral Semmes, though regularly commits
stoned, was sometimes called a pirate by
Northern officials and writers. l find this
word even now, when time and reflection
should have corrected the misnomer, is used
in the paragraph copied in your paper. l
know nothing of the person referred to, but
the story of ballot having been drawn with
premature sentence OF death is refuted by
the sta stement of the course pursued by the
Confederate government on the question of
retaliation in the event OF the threat 10 execute
the officers and crew of the Lady JEFF Davis"
General William Raymond Lee, of Bos-
ton, having his attention called TO Mr.
Dsyis's statement, writes to the Boston Id
ustiser that the story about him ls fiction
90 far as the word death" is concerned, aud
be ia at loss TO understand how the story
in this form came to be circulated. He
gives the following narrative OF the circum
stances: On the 10th of November, 1861,
General Winder with his staff visited the
cheers prison snd read to the prisoners an
order from Benz amin, the Confederate States
secretary of war, directing the selection of
seven officers of highest rank to be held as
hostages for the officers and crew OF the
lstter-of. marque Lady Jeff DAVIS, who had
been convicted cf piracy in q United States
curt. Thoss selected were TO be confined in
a eell .,f tho f.nn,n,n1 isi! and n, ha Cd
1.-THE officers of the privateer we're executed
by the United States gOVerDmsnt. Sips Of
paper cOnr aiming The names CT all the officers
we're placed in a tin t1bacco box, and The
fsied names were drawn from the BOX, on
a command Of General Winder bv eI-
Congressman Ely, who was captured at
thr fret battle of Bull Run and ives
confned with the Union officers. General
Lee Ohen Colonel Lee was one OF the
elected" and the slip of paper. drawn from
the box designating him had on it only the
words Colonel Lee" The fate of the off
cers selected was not then determined, being
contingent upon the action Of the United
States authorities with regard to the con-
vcted people OF the Lady Jeff Davis This
slip of paper with his name upon it was
given to Colonel Lee, who indorsed upon the
bsck of i; that II was the ballot he drew in
the lottery of life and desth, and put in a
letter to his family, which was alIowed to be
forwarded on the 14Ih of November. The
officers designated as hostages were removed
10 the couuiy jail, where they were detained
about three months under rather disagree
able coniitions. A bout the middle OF Feb
fa2ry, 1862, the Confederate States govern
nent having received inform alton that the
Lady JEFF Davis people had been remsnded
"a prisoners of war, the hostages were trans
isred from the Jail TO the prison assigned TO
prisoners of war, and on the I'D OF that
uouth they were put on board a hag-of truce
bat 10 be Transferred TO United States
seamer in neutral waters.