The National tribune., 1885-03-26
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
LIBBY PRISON.
Yankee" Writes Again-Captains Flynn and
Sawyer Drawn for Execution.

little farther up Carey street to the left beyond
Twenty-irst street, and dagonally across from
Libby Prison, was Castle Thunder" also a
large brick building filled with Spies deserters
disloyal citizens and all classes of offenders
This place presided over by Capt Alex
sndeT tall, fne-looking man. who was always
followed by a large Siberian bloodhound. The
three prisons formed an irregular triangle, and
SO close together that a stone could be thrown
from one to either of the others. On the long
line OF the triangle between Castle Thunder
and Castle Lightning the ground was vacant of
buildings and occupied by the encampment of
our guards. Up the river short distance from
Libby Prison WAS Belle Isle" where thou
sands of private soldiers were confined.
All the prisons were under the charge of Gen.
Winder, a stout, white-haired old man, who
swore pro usely, affected the proverbal swagger
and blust,r of the Southern aristOcrat, and de-
lighted in insulting every man in his power.
On one occasion he visited the hospital room of
Libby Prison, and coming TO the side o.; Capt
Gleason. a brave officer OF the 9TH Nd, who was
dying from prostration and want he asked
Capt. Gleason, what in HI he or any
Maryiauder wanted down there stealing mig
gCrsl" Gleason's eyes flashed fire as he replied,
that he had not come down there 10 steal ne
groes but 10 destroy from the face of the earth
such traitors and ungratefu wretches as he
and OtiIeIs who had been adopted and educated
aud fed and clothed by the Government almost
from their mothers breast. only TO be turned
loose TO destroy the power that had betriended
them. Nindcr cursed and fumed, and went
out in towering rage. Poor Gleason in afew
days had passed beyond his power and joined
the great encanlpment The father of Winder
commanded at Badensburg, August, 1914, when
the English, under Gen. Ross, captured Wash
ingtOn and burnt the Capitol.
When Gen. keyes made his famous black
berry raid up the Peninsula 10 capture Rich
mond and release the prisoners while lee was
sands confined there. We could hear his can
non roar they came nearer. and our hearts
beat with joy at the prospect of soon seeing the
glorious old flag again. We enjoyed hugely
seeing the old men aud boys, contrabands and
mules dragging the old cannon down TO protect
US from capture by the "d-d Yankees"
We never could understand why the army did
pofatGack. As we understood the case it could
easily have been captured. We knew of but
one bri gade of good troops in the city available
st that time for its defense. But kcyes came
and vanished like midsummers dream, and,
except a big scare at Richmond, couple of
Quartermasters and few stragglerS caught nap
ping in the tence-corners by the rebels after
his retreat, there was nobody hurt or m0lested,
and the army got good feast of black berries.
We soon returned TO our m0notonOus con-
dition again. The mild darrhea of the Sum
meT months now became dyscnteric and the
deaths were frequent. Later scorbutic dis
y
still later by pneumonia and rheumatic atlec-
tions. Our nine Cbaplains had gone, and ex-
cept in one instance, when the Rev. Bishop
McGill, of the Catholic Church. preached to US,
we had 10 religions services. Bishop McGill
won the respect of ali the prisoners, Protestant
and Catholic alike.
We were allowed to purchase the daily pa
pers and ear Y every morning large mahog-
any -colored son of Ham, named Ben, would
come into prison, and, not being able to read,
would ask the first prisoner he met to read the
headings for him. SO that he could announce
his papers. That being done, he would start
OH, vt the top of his voice, with Great news
in the mornin' papers. Great news Great
news from de East Great news from de West!
Another big battle i''-and there would be a
rush to secure papers. By the time he would
be sold out we would often discover that the
wag of prisoner had played Us practical joke
by imposing upon poor Ben in reading off he3d-
ings that did not appear i'll the papers. Ben
was general favorite, and was of some interest
TO Us until suspected and forbidden coming.
The papers were the E1ds'iRer, Enquirer and
Hhfg The latter was considered most reliable,
because thought TO be most conservative. The
other two were rivals and Administration and
anti-Adminis;raton in tone though all equally
bitter against the Yankee Government. One
of them, ! remember, one day contained a long
editorial demanding that the prisoners be sent
up the James River and shot, and be made into
phosphate anu useu 10 raise provisions Tor the
support OF the armies instead of being fed TO
keep provisions beyond the reach of their own
citizens. In the same edition was violent
srraignment of jeff Davis, in which he was
spoken of as 1.-THE One-eyed son of Kentucky
horse thief" Thus you see it was not all har-
mOny among themselves, except in one thing
hating and abusing the "d-d Yankees" The
papers would speak of the South as distinct
race of people from the North, and claim they
belonged TO the Latin branch of the human
family, while the Yankee was an Anglo-Saxon;
when ii was notorious fact that one of the
editors was descendant of New England stock
and the other as Irish as the Hill of Heath"
The first news we received from the battle of
Gettysburg through the papers was sad blow
TO US. The dispatch read thus: "a terrible
battle near Gettysburg. Our army completely
victorious Forty thousand prisoners captured
The enemy in full retreat. Heavy losses on
both sides" This was sent from the front after
the first days battle, and when they had cap
tured some 1000 prisoners, and when the Eley-
enth Corps had fallen back to Cemetery Ridge
% 1t Was long time before we learned the real
truth from that engagement, as the papers
came very irregularly for "a while.
After the battle Of Gettysburg very exciting
incident occurred. We were all anticipating
resumption of exchange from our having cap
tured SO many prisoners, as we thought the
obstruction was owing to an uDwillingness HpOn
the part Of the rebels to any fair arrangement
and that now owing TO their reverses they
would be disposed TO yield So one day Dick
Turner came up to the door and called for all
Captains In the prison TO come down below
There was rush of all Of that rank and few
Lieutenants besides, who desired to be ex-
changed-as all supposed was TO be the case
and the rest were lett lamenting their bad luck
In not holding Captains commission. also
Yet there was doubt about the matter, and a
feverish anxiety existed TO know what it meant
This was not lessened when Chaplain Brown
was called and as the venerable old man de-
ecended the stairs expressions Of fear and sus-
picion were to be heard on all sides The
suspense was broken at last by the Teappear-
snce of the Captains, pale and angered, as they
assembled the stairs into the rooms again. The
story was soon told. They had been drawn
mp ia line, and an order read TO them directing
that two Of their number be drawn by lot to be
executed, IN retaliation for two of similar rank
executed by Gen. Burnside in Kentucky.
Chaplain Brown, Of the 9th Md, had been Sc
lected TO draw the two names from the hat and
the names of Capt. Flynn, of the 51st Ind and
Capt Sawyer, Of the lst y. J, Cav, were drawn.
We saw them led over to Castle Thunder
Flynn, tall, handsome, dark haired, manly
soldier. slightly pale, but quiet and deter
mined; Sawyer, muscular, sandy haired
blonde, nervous and excited. Both men had
splendid records as soldiers, and no fears were
ielt that they would disgrace themselves.
Flynn was said by his companions 10 be
man of extraordinary nerve. Sawyer had
killed Cant CiilV Of a South Iarnlina raJi