The National tribune., 1888-03-29
THE NATIONAL TRBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY M

heprisOn would form groups in the yard in the
evening, and in the widest glee openly con-
gratulate each other on the prospect of their
speedy release by St0neWall Jackson's men
when he should reach Washington, l felt, for
obvious reasons, that I'd rather not be released
by that sort of a crowd. This feeling was es-
pecially exhibited after the news of Gen. Popes
disaster at the second battle of Bull Run that
occurred while l was locked up there But l
am getting over these three weeks in in the o.
?. Gas we called it for short-a little prema-
turely.
l do not intend to amplify or elaborate to
any very great extent this part of the nara
tive. To me it has always been personally
AN EXCEEDINGLY DIsAGREEABLE REmEM-
BRANCE,
and I shall only follow my own feelings in cut
ting it short. l viii say right here that very
few if any of my most intimate friends, and
not even my family, excepting my fathers
folks, knew of this three weeks experience un-
til recently. Certainly never from my lips,
because have never talked to any one on the
subject and probably out of respect to my feel
ings those of my friends who were eognizant of
the affair refrained from mentioning it TO me.
The old building has been remodeed out Of
all semblance to its former shape, and is now
block of handsome residences; one of which is
occupied by Justice Field Of the Supreme
| Court.
Very few of the tourists who visit Washing
ton are aware that within rife-shot of the
| Capitol stands lin greatly altered shape, Of
couTse) one of the most historic buildings
about the city. a gOod-sized book might be
printed about the Old Capitol, and yet not one
half the secrets the old walls could tell would
have been told. It was within these walls that
John c. Calhoun, in dreadful agony Of mind
and body, breathed his last on earth, and it is
said that his last words were not those of peace
and happiness. 1t seems a little odd that the
same brick and mortar hid from the outside
world the last dreadful agony OF the arch-tend
/ Wirz IL is to-day an open question whether
the first GAR Post of Washington was not
organized over the same bier and in the same
dungeon that contained the body Of WirZ after
execution, in the year Of the assassination of
Lincoln and during the Presidency Of Mr. An
drew Johnson.
But all this has nothing to do with my story.
As / have previously said ! spent my first
night alone in prison on the only cot the lit
tie ballroom contained / had thrown myself
upon il when I realized that Capt. Woods had
closed and locked the door on me after pO-
lite goodnight, without undressing myself /
admit that l broke down completely and cried
myself to sleep l was simply broken hearted
when l recalled my previous dangerous serv-
ices for the Government, and could not under
| stand why I should be SO ruthlessly and heart
/ Iassly treated by the Secretary Of War. 1t was
my sensitive feelings that were SO cruelty hurt
IN THE MORNING
I wakened, q hardened, stubborn, and if had
/ been given the least chance, / should have
shown myself an ugly, vindictive man. 1t
/ seemed as if the boy in my nature had parted
/ from mC with those bitter tears and when l
[ reused myself it was with determination to
1 do something-I didn't know exactly what
bat it was anything but surrender, or to beg
1 for my liberty.
/ The unlocking of the doors and the tramp
/ ing OF feet along the Railways, with the voices
/ Of the attendants in loud, boisteTous conversa-
/ ton with the inmates of the other part Of the
/ Hotel de o. G. p, were the sounds that first
/ awakened me TO this new life, as it were. As !
/ had not Uudressed l was out before the crowd
| got around, and enjoyed the opportunity of
I surveying my surroundings in quietness. AS
have tried to explain, my room was right at
/ the head Of the hall stairs, on the l. part Of
/ the building, facing on A street north. The
/ only window the room contained looked north,
/ and as there was in those days no buildings at
ALL at least of any SIZE in that part of the city,
| my view extended away across the country to
/ the Deaf and Dumb Asylum on the northern
hills. In the low foreground were the numer-
Gus trains Of the B. & o. Z. f. that were con-
/ stantly going and coming out the tracks in full
/ view. This sight Of loaded cars speeding away
( TO the North, to home and liberty, was not,
! you may be assured, exactly the thing calcu-
| lated to make the close prisoner who saw them
from his window feel any better contented
| with his prison. Ny first thoughts at this sight
were that ! should quietly leap down the short
! distance from the windoW onto the pavement
below, rs it was but one story above the walk
from where I thought 1 might quietly glide
over the open commons and catch q train.
There were no bars to the windows, and the
sash was not even fastened down. because OF
the necessity for ventilation so that ] was able
to stick my head clearly outside, but | was
/ paTaly2ed to discover on the first inspection
that down on the pavement below my window
/ every inch was being closely patr0lled by a
double guard Of armed sentries, while the com.
mons a little distance or were occupied as the
camp for the outside guard. / also observed
very soon after my arrival that there was an
inside guard pacing up and down the hallway
in front Of cur open doors. The outside senti.
nels did not allow any one except their OWL
officers on the pavement orstreet in their front
so that communication in any shape or form
was out Of the question. / am telling you al
this because | did entertain plan for an es
cape in the days 1 was there, the execution o
which was happily frustrated by a messenger
from the Secretary Of War bringing me "pa
| IOlc that admitted Of a safer exit.
The back stairway led out onto the porch o
| the i that opened into the yard. COmmu
uicating with this wooden porch at one enc
was the front hall, which led through the cen
8 LeI o. tAC mann DuliGlDg Out on 10 FllSt oJFeC
to the west. it was modelled precisely on tht
same o!d-fasEioued plan Of a large farm
house or country hotel. A main build
ing, divided in the center by a hal
which opened onto the big back porch
As il TO further complete the comparison witt
the country tavern, found on getting down
stairs that first morning that the porch wa
provided with number Of wash bowls AM
long towels on rollers, at which the guests wer
expected TO make their morning toilets assiste
by the usual scraggy old comb, attached 10
yard OF string, tied to each post Of the porch
that contained Of course a lookinggass, whcl
distorted ones face so that / imagined at th
first sight Of myself that single night j
jail had made me look like a horrible oil
murderer.
MEALS WERE SERVED
, by the propretors of course, but l was polite
l informed by an officer, in answer to som
question about the rules and regulations Of tn
house, that those who preferred it could selec
S a caterer and have special meals served iron
the outside. l concluded TO be prisoner o
p the European plan, and joined a mess Of tw
| or three other hail-fclows well met, to whom
S was introduced by the officer. There were n
Z restrictions placed on my intercourse with thi
s mess, though we were informed that the tri
Z would not be allowed to have any commnicG
t tion with prisoners in the other part Of th
= house