The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-03
ELY'S REDEEMER.
The Story of a Congressman Who Was Cap
tured by the Rebels at Bull Run.

The Story of Congressman Who Was Cap
tured by the Rebels at Bull Run.
| Centrala I'll Special.
1T was happy morning for the Hon. Alfred
Ely when Charles J. Faulkner walked into oul
| office at Libby" said Captain Warner, ex-quar
| termaster at Libby, this morning. Ely had
| exhausted the resources of an inventive mind te
| have his government get him out of the predic-
ament which had befallen him by reason of his
.enturesome trip to see the first battle of Bull
hun. The Lincoln administration, while
anxious and willing to return him to his people,
could not make general exchange of prisoners
without recognizing the seeding States
as belllgerent power, and, along with other
men who had met similar fate, the Yankee
congressman was forced TO remain our
prisoner. L we'll remember the morning
Faulkner arrived at Richmond. He had
been minister to the court of St. James, and
when the war broke out he came home was ar
rested aud cast into Northern prison. He was
afterwards allowed to proceed on his parole to
the South for the purpose of securing his ex-
change for Mr. Ely. He was exceedingly popu-
lar, and the Richmond people received him with
open arms When he made known the
terms OF his exchange the rebels at once
SAID: we Will give dozen Elys for you He
came over to the prison office and in the absence
OF General Winder l received him and he at
once revealed the nature of his business. | was
much pleased, not only because | was glad to
see him, but because l was glad to have Ely
set home. went out in the prison to hunt Ely,
and upon seeing him. said: Ely, your redeemer
has come | took him into the office and intro
duced them. OF course the meeting was mu-
Jually agreeable. Faulker had shot pouch con-
tanning 5000, ALL as / remeE1 Der. in gold dollars,
which had been intrusted to him by Northerners
to distribute to the most needy of the prisoners,
and Captain Gibbs, the prison commander,
turned it over to Ely to distribute. He. in com
pany with Lieutenant Booker. officer of the day.
went among the men and faithfully discharged
their duty.
1T so happened, however that certain car
penter, prisoner, thought Ely had not dealt
fairly with him; that be hadn't given him his
full share Of the money, and he got even with
the honest Yankee in a manner which shall re-
late.
Ely had done great deal of writing while in
the prison. and he wanted to take it along with
him in case he should ever he released He
therefore asked me to allow the carpenter to
make him trunk, and did So He seemed to
be afraid however, that we would not allow him
to take all, and he secretly induced the carpen-
ter to construct him false bottom in the chest
Afterwards he found there would be no trouble
in his taking anything he warNed And. fearful
lest we should discover his trick, he. without let
ting the carpenter know took out the fixture
After Faulkner came and Ely ex-
changed the carpenter thinking he had a
big thing, and srlartng for revenge bowed
the whole business. An officer was Gisptched in
hot haste after the departing congressman, who
was oveTtaken on the truce boat, and his trunk
turned up and hole bored into the bottom,
when, of course it was discovered that it was ali
right, and he was allowed to go on his way re-
jocipg."
Captain Warner now resides here. Ely, as all
remember, was congressman representing the
Rochester, N. Y. district and he, with some
others. went down from Washington to witness
the first Bull Run fight. While taking in the
sights he was himself taken in and cast into
Libby. He is still living, and resides in Roches-
ter, N. Y.