The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-12-08
FROM BULL RUN TO LIBBY.
A "Reminiscences OF the Noted
Confederate Prison..
What it Cost a Congressman to See the
First Fight of the War.

at was a happy morning for Alfred
Ely when Charles j. Faulkner walked
into u office at Libby" said Captain
Warner, the former Quartermaster at
Libby Prison, to a Chicago Herald
correspondent at Centralia, III. "Ely
had exhausted the vast resources of an
inventive mind to have his govern
ment get him out of the predicament
which had befallen him by reason of
his venturesome trip to see the first
battle Of Ball Run. The Lincoln Ad-
minstration, while anxious and willing
to return him to his people, could not
make a general exchange Of prisoners
"a contamination repeatedly sought
for by Ely without recognizing the
seeding states a bclligerent power,
and, along with other men who had
met a similar fate, he was forced to
remain u prisoner. II we'll remem-
Der the morning Faulkner arrived at
Richmond. He, as you know, had
been Minister to the Court of St.
James's, and when the war broke out
he came home and was arrested and
cast into a Northern prison. He was
afterward allowed to proceed on his
parole to the South for tine purpose of
bringing about his exchange with Ely.
The people in Richmond received him
with open arms. He was exceedingly
popular and when he made known the
terms of his exchange the authorities,
said they would give a half dozen Elys
for him. He came to the prison Of
flee and in the absence of General
Winder 1 received him, and he at once
made known his business. I was
much pleased. not only because of
Fauikner's return, but because l was
glad to see Ely return to his home. I
at once went to hunt Ely, and finding
him, 1 said: Ely, your redeemer has
come I took him into the office and
there introduced them. OF course the
meeting was mutually agreeable. Some
Northern people had intrusted to
Faulkner a sum of money (s2OO) in
gold dollars to be distributed among
the most needy prisoners. The money
Captain Gibbs, the prison commander,
turned over to Ely. who, in company
with Lieutenant Booker. officer of the
day, went among the men and faith
GULLY discharged their duty. 1t so
happened that a certain Carpenter
Thought Ely had not dealt fairly with
MIN in the distribution of the money,
and he got even with him in a manner
which l shall now. relate. Ely had
done a great deal of writing while a
prisoner. and he wanted to take all of
his papers along with him should he
ever be released. He therefore asked
me to allow tho carpenter to make
him a trunk in which to pack his
effects. 1 did so. but Ely imagined
that we would not allow him to take
all, SO he prevailed on the carpenter to
construct a secret receptacle in the
bottom Of the box. Afterward he
found out that there would be no
trouble in his taking anything he
wanted. and, for fear we would dis
cover his trick. he tore out the fixture
without telling the carpenter what he
had done. After Faulkner came n
Ely was exchanged the carpenter
b!owed the whole business to an officer.
and a man was sent out in hot haste
to capture both Ely and his trunk.
He went aboard the truce boat and
bored a big hole in the bottom Of the
box. but Of course it was a false alarm.
and the distinguished ex-prisoner was
allowed TO proceed on his way rejoic-
ing" Captain Warner, who related
the above. 10Y resides here. He is
favorally mentioned in Ely's book on
Libby Prison rs being kind to Union
prisoners. Ely, rs all remember, was
the Congressman from the Rochester,
y. y. district, who went down to see
the sights ut Bull Run fight. and was
taken prisoner and taken to Libby.
lie is now residing at Rochester,
n. y.
Wonders OF WATER.
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