The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-02-27

A Rcminiscence of His Prison
Life by n Union Officer
Now n Resident of
West Va.

Disabled by injuries received IN
the field in 1864 | was, in 1865, in
command for brief time of Fort
Warren in Boston Harbor, the sec
ond fertilization of Importance on
our Atlantic sea board Fifteen hun
dred or two Thousand prisoners were
confined there, mostly Confederate
officers. In advance of the arrival
of Mr.. Stephens and Judge Reagan,
rooms were prepared by order of
General Dix, who came ON from New
York to see that his instructions
were carried out in regard to these
prisoners. The rooms were very Sc
cure, the guard duty strict, the sen
tries numerous, one remaining in
Mr.. Stephens room all the time To
Judge Reagan, man of superb ply
sique, these restrictions might have
been trihing; to me they would have
been onerous; to Mr.. Stephens, with
his exceedingly nervous constitution,
it was simply torture. My post sur
geon at that time, Major Joel Seav-
erns,a noble, kind hearted gentleman,
reported to me that Mr.. Stephens
would die from the confinement, as
he had taken his bed and given up
all hope. DIR. Seaverns made strong
report to me of his danger and l
endorsed it and forwarded it to Gen.
Grant through the official channels.
About this time Senator Henry Will
son, of Massachusetts,, who had serv-
ed with Mr.. Stephens in Congress,
visited the fort and went in to call
on him, and going soon after to
Washington, helped the matter on.
Later orders came enabling me to
take care of him in my own way.
The sentries were removed, doors
unlocked, and he came and went as
he chose, visited our quarter, had
his meals from our table, but was
requested to abstain from converse
ton with the other prisoners, and
to stay inside the fort I'll give
you my parole" said he, but that
was declined; and from that time on
he was different man, cheerful, full
of interesting conversation and en-
joying all that went on Dressed in
an obsolete suit of black broad cloth,
a broad brimmed felt hat, his little
hands in thread gloves, with cane
and meerschaum pipe he patrolled
the sunny side of the parade ground
or sat in an easy chair at the door
of our quarters, or walked the ram
parts with me. In these walks we
discussed many things, politics, re-
ligion and minor matters. AT first
courteous foes, we talked ourselves
into friendship, and he gave me new
light on the Southern view of our
war, but more on the sweetness and
truth of his own character. We talk
ed of religion; and Herschel v John
son, dear friend of his, being a
member of the church to which
belonged, made another tie between
us. My wife and baby daughter
were great favorites with him, and
he told me in Washington, years
after, that he never enjoyed a sum-
mer at a watering place more than
he did the one he spent with us all
at Fort Warren, after he added,
"you got me out of that place" mean
ing his close confinement.
Senator Kenna, when in Congress
as Representative, every time he
came home, brought most kindly
messages from the old statesman
One day Senator Kenna regularly
sat down on me, and insisted upor
my going to Washington to see Mr.
Stephens, and little later going
North made point and stopped
in the city long enough to call OF
him. When l entered his room
where he sat in his wheeled chair
, he held out both hands to me anC
, said, "at last! at lastr' and his eyes
were moist as he looked at me atfec
tionately in the face. We talked
long, dined together, and smoked {
peaceful pipe; and as l came away
he sent his photograph, "the last
shall ever have TAKEN" to the "deal
little girl" he remembered so well
Gen. Scruggs, of Tennessee, at on'
time Minister to Guatemala, l think
: came in and his introduction was
"Mr. Scruggs, this gentleman saved
my life," and ON my demurring tt
such remark he said, "Yes, yes
you did; for l should have died i
! you had not taken me out of tina
ROOM" He had told me before tina
he knew of Senator Wilson's efforts
in his behalf Before l left he sale
he should never come to Washington
again, but promised to come to tn
"Old Salt" again if he possibl,
could, as he knew all about it il
4 1888, and gave me from memory
bill of fare-yes, good bill of far
that poor Miss Betty Benson, VIII
sleeps under the snow in the ole
graveyard on the slope before me
prepared in some of the busy day
of her faithful, useful life. One o
the last letters that Mr.. Stephen
! ever wrote, about three weeks befor
I his death, was to the little girl O
1865, in acknowledgement off Christ
mas card, on which was painted som
of the same flowers she used to pas
through the bars of his windows ant
= which were to him, as he says, elk
the breath of Heaven.-Col. Apple
ton in Monroe County, ". Vd.,
Watchmdn.
e ROSedaIe.
RosEDALE, PA. Feb. 15.-The rive
z is again clear of ice. No damag
d done by the breakup.