The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-28
WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY 1885,

| the column of prisoners duly formed, with
! guards on either hand, we marched onward
through the muddy streets for many squares.
! There were with US n number of sick, who were
| too weak to walk unasssted, and yet unwilling
| to be left behind. As no cOnveyances were pro-
| vided for them, we placed each of them between
| two friends, on whose shoulders they leaned,
| and they were thus able to totter the weary dis
| tance. A few had to be carried altogether by
| those who were themselves far from strong,
| but hope, and the exutation of liberty, made
| everyth possible. After we were seated in
| the cars, which were waiting at the depot, and
! had begun to glance around with happy faces
| in the dim morning light, some Richmond pa
| pers were procured. Looking over them we
| found the very interesting news that " a large
number of engine there's, bridge burners, muir
! derers robbers, and traitors will leave this
| morning for the United States. The Confeder-
/ acy may well congratulate itself on this good
riddance." The item was handed from one to
| another. and we recognized the names applied
with quiet joy. Our congratulations were not
| less fervid than theirs, but we could not help
| thinking that the riddance might have been
made long before.
| With the rising sun we glided out of Rich
mond, and. passing Notifications and rife-pits,
soon reached Petersburg. Then, with but short
| detention and no notable incidents, we contin-
ued on to City Point, on the James River,-the
| place of exchange. 1t was not far from noon
Gus and fascinating object on the American
| continent the "Stars and Stripes" which we
| had not seen before for IL months, floating in
| proud beauty over the truce-boat State of
Mane." 1t was glorious vision. Cheer after
cheer arose from the cars The guard ordered
| the noise stopped, but the command was un-
needed, and the officers did not try to enforce it.
The memories of that hour are indistinct
from their very brightness. l seem to see again
the great boat with its beautiful flag, the line
of Federal guards with their bright blue uni
forms, the gray-clad company for whom we
were to be exchanged, and who did not seem
nearly so glad as ourselves and my own tat
tered and starved companions, some 300 in
number. l hear once more the seemingly in
terminable reading of names, the checking of
| lists, the wranglng over trifes and at last the
Order-which needed no repetition-to go on
board. There was still sense of trembling and
apprehension until the boat actually pushed
Oft and We were on our way down the James.
Then our delight was bOundless. We had
awakened from hideous mig ght-mare dream to
find that all its shapes of horror and grinning
fiends had passed away and left us in the sun
light once more Our hearts kept time with
the glad thrashing of our wheels on the water,
and sang within us, knowing that each ponder
Gus stroke was placing a greater distance be-
tween us and our dreaded foes.
The hearty, cheerful welcome we met on
board was no small element in our pleasure.
We were hungry-no wonder after years
fasting-and we were fed, the only difficulty
being to avoid hurtful excess. With full
supply of provisions and large lineup of coffee
I am not sure that so good a cup of coffee has
been made since-I sat down and ate slowly, as
if could never have enough. Then wan
dered all over the boat, from the upper deck
and the cabin down to the hold, in the mere
wantOnness of liberty. To go about with no
guard watching me was as strange as it was
oil. ff,,f Nf fno
unchecked through door was great pleasure
l saw little Of the country through which we
passed, for the mind was too busy. No emotion
on earth has the same sweep and intensity as
the throbbing sensations thatrush through the
bosom of the liberated captive!
have no recollection whatever of the Lower
James, Of Fortress Monroe, of the Chesapeake.
In all my memoranda no word occurs of these
things. Whether the hours were spent in sleep
or waking, whether the mOnOtOny of happiness
obiterated memory, or nature, weakened by
disease and exhausted by too great multi
plicity of sensations, refused to receive new
impressions, / know not; but not until we
were near Washington can l again recall pass
ing events. Then we thronged to the vessels
side, and bent loving eyes upon the snowy front
of our beautiful Capitol. 1t seemed far more
grand and fitting emblem of our country's
power now than when l had first looked upon
it, an inexperienced boy, in the far-away OPEN
elapsed since that time. In those two years
the whole country had learned many lessons,
and to me they were an age!
'. Here brief controversy arose with the COM
mander of the truce-boat He had orders to
forward all the exchanged soldiers to the parole
camp at Annapolis and wished to send our
party with them. l demurred, feeling that it
was right for us to report at Washington, at
military headquarters. Gen. Mitchell, who sent
us forth upon our expedition, was dead. Our
leader, Andrews was no more How many of
our officers had fallen in the sanguinary battles
of the West we knew not possibly we had been
reported as dead and our places filled. This,
we afterwards learned, was actually the case.
The right place for US to report, in order that
everything might be put in proper shape, was
at Washington. and to the Secretary of War,
Hon. Edwin NJ Stanton, in person. Our case,
as the rebels had been showing to our cost for
the past year, was not that of ordinary prison.
ers of war, and we thought ourselves entitled
to claim the same distinction on Federal soil.
| therefore informed the commander that we
had urgent business with Secretary Stanton,
and must be sent to him. He was little in
credulous at first, but as soon as / gave my
reasons he gracefully yielded
Our reception in Washington was even more
cordial than it had been ON the truce-boat. We
were provided with most comfortable quarters,
and literally feaSted on the best the city af-
fOrded. Secretary Stanton asked us to go be-
fore Judge Advocate General Holt and there
give our deposition, that the full particulars of
what he was pleased to consider our extraOrdi-
nary adventures might be given to the world
on an unquestionable basis Our first visit to
Judge Holt was merely friendly at which
Maj.-G Hitchcock and Mr. j. c. Wetmore,
Ohio State Agent, were also present. We were
invited to come again on the morrow, when we
found a Justice of the Peace and a photographer
to take our testimony. l was questioned first,
and the examination covered all the outlines
of the story. All were sworn except Mason,
who was unable from illness to be present. The
result of the examination, together with Judge
Hollis comments upon it, were published in the
Army and Nary Gazette of that date.
Gen. Hitchcock then accompanied US in our
call upon Secretary Stanton, where we enjoyed
a most delightful interview. At its close he
brought out six medals, which had been pre-
pared according to recent Act of Congress aud
left TO his disposal. He said that they were
the first given to private soldiers in this war.
Jacob Parrot, the boy who had endured the
terrible beating, received, as he well deserved,
the first one.
Secretary Stanton next presented us 800
each from the secret service fund as pocket |
money, and gave orders for payment to us of all
arrearages and for refunding the full value of
the money and arms taken from us at our
capture. This was not all. He rendered u.s. |
each one. a commission in the Regular Army |