The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1885-10-08
JEFF. DAVIS IN PRISON.
Charles S. Tripler's Story of His Pleasant
Life at Fort Monroe.


Life at Fort Monroe.
From the San Francisco Alta.
was in 1865 First Lieutenant in
the Twelfth United States Infantry,
and in the absence Of my Captain,
commanded E Company of the First
Battalion of that regiment. Early in
October I was orderedt to Fort Monroe,
and reported for duty to Gen. N. A.
Miles. My rank as Lieutenant sub
iected me to detail as officer of the
guard, as such I had for the twenty
5our hours OF my detail immediate
charge of our distinguished prisoner,
my orders being motto allowhim out
Of my sight during my tour of duty"
Mr.. Davis was confined to a room in
Carroll Hall, which was designed as
quarters for Lieutenants, who are en-
titled to two rooms only, so all the
rooms, except the mess hall and IL
brary, are in suites of two rooms each.
The doorways were all grated with
iron, and a sentry walked before each
on pile of cocoa mating some four
inches thick. The officer of the guard
was not allowed to leave the room
unless relieved by the officer of
the day, nor to sleep at all
during his twenty-four hours of
duty. The grated windows were lock-
ed, the keys being in the custody OF the
officer of the day. AS was the custom
on my first day of duty as officer of
the guard l was introduced by my
predecessor to Mr.. Davis, thus: "Mr.
Davis, Mr.. Tripler of the Twelfth. Mr..
Davis said: care you Stuart Trip
ler?" 1 said: eyes, sir" He then
said he remembered my grandmother
Mrs. Hunt) and had very pleasant
recollections of my father Sturgeon
Iripler of the army. We had that
first day no further conversation I'M
til the time came for his daily walk
around the parapet. At that tine
the officer of the day came accompan-
led by two negro prisoners, unlocked
the door, when Mr. Davis, dressed in
snuffcolored clothes, with a Raglan
o%vercoat and a soft, h~igh-crowned,
black felthat, stepped into my room.
Gen. Miles entered at this time with
the daily papers, which were placed on
q table in Mr.. DIS room. The prison
erS commenced at once to clean up the
room, and we left in the following Or
der: Mr.. Davis and officers of the
guard, ten PAGES behind two sentries,
a couple of PAGES behind them the Of
ficer of the day, and lastly, some dis
tance off, Gen. Miles strolled along
reading.
We took our time, and Mr.. Davis,
by his instructive and most enter
tanning conversation, rendered this a
most delightful duty. He seemed to
know everything. He had the unusu-
al faculty of drawing ayoungman out
and making him show his best side.
We would sometimes stop abreast of
the water battery, infront ofthe COM
handing officers quarters, andrecline
on the crest of the works, where he
would relate pleasant stories of the
old army, ask after common friends,
and often give me points in my pro-
fession which were invaluable. To
show how small a matter he would
notice and speak of, there were a
number Of trees growing along one of
the fronts of easements which bore
clusters of white berries. Mr.. Da-
Wis said: "Lieut. Tripler, 1 saw
you riding q nicelooking horse the
other day, but it is out of condition.
Those berries you see there are one of
the best condition medicines [ know
Of, and you can find them all over the
South; remember that; it's worth
knowing" On our return DIR. Cooper's
servant came in with Mr.. Davis
lunch. All his meals were supplied
from DR.. Cooper's table, and Mrs.
Cooper was a notable housewife, and
the markets of Fort Monroe were
well supplied; you may be sure Mr..
Davis did not suffer. The only re-
quest he ever made me during the
time I was stationed there was
to bring him a few apples each
time I came on guard, which I
did. I rather think he asked
for the sake of letting me think I
was doing him a favor in return for
his exceeding kindness to my grand
mother when he was secretary of war.
He could make a request in such a way
that you felt he had conferred a favor
youin preferring it.
G. G. Clay was confined in the rooms
directly beneath Mr.. Davis, but had
Mrs. Clay with him, and was not
guarded as Mr.. Davis was. Mrs. Clay
used to send sometimes a pitcher of
punch to Mr.. Davis. My orders not
forbidding it, the pitcher was always
passed in, Mr.. Davis wassupplied with
good cigars by his friends. I know
they were good, because Mr.. Davis re-
marked that smokers are ~gregarious
and l can't enjoy a cigar alone" and
offered me onenearly every night, after
he had assumed his most satanic
looking night robes-he wore a rec
flannel nightgown, cap and drawers.
He was never annoyed, insulted, or
worried during his stay. Gen. Miles
coldly civil, and others Officially
], perhaps, and as was natural,
was more kindly disposed, but I never
exceeded my Instructions. IthinkM Mr..
will himself give the lie to the
exaggerated accounts of his sufferings.
Imprisonment is not pleasant under
the mostfavorable circumstances, and
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