Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-15
GEN. ROGER A. PRYOR.
VOW he WAS DEccYRD AND TAKEN
PRISONER BY THE FgpERALs
An Experiment in the Newspaper Busi-
ness that Cost Him Very Dearly
Indeed.

number OF letters bearing upon the capture
of bis father, General Roger A. Pryor,
which ho had collated aud published in
pamphlet form. lie introduced them, as
follows
recently. for answer to political opinion pro-
rounded d. G0Deral koger A. Pryor, paper In
.oa.h Carolina affirmed that General Pryor was
q lescricr IRON the Confederate army. The Ca
lumay was in ltself 80 Incredible and 10 contrary
3, ns notorious fact that ss might we'll DO left 10
prrish of It's own rcttennesA But stuce tue
railto oi the calunniatOT may surTivo the OK
ietoucc % those who wese cognizHnt OF No Trans
scaon in question, and may resume its infamous
WORK over he gTavyN have dcomed tt due 70 my
50 her and % his children 20 collect now the
sat.msats Of oye-Wiinesses and coutempors-
ngous accounts 81 mis- capture and detention az
prisoner ot war.
so.1e only of the evidence I havo gathered Is
appended bat it Is enough % exhibit tho iTuto
90 every candid and honorable mnd-ahu u u
for tbo good opinion Of such only that am So
wI1oox's LETTEE.
Then follows q letter OF General c. NJ.
Wilcox. or The Confederate states army,
a1-Ya,ing tho manner OF General tfyors
CAPTURE, 10 the course OF which he says
Tho charge oi dssortioo may be even at this
lsf. date ann0ying 20 himself and family, out IL
4. A. t.li- ono without foundation. l would never
rave -nalo any efforts 90 have him returned nor
,,oula General Ice have given MS consent hal
been q SUI l'Nitu "a sum
c-.1if ar wouid ~, have been released and pa
r,leI o. 20 10 hrs homo and there 10 remain
untl exchanged hnd he been deseIteI' LILO
caso Il too clrar 70 admit Of any diScusslon
The AFFIDAVIT Of Colonel Hollis o. Dudley,
the man whO captured General Pryor, is then
given. Then comes the following;
An EYEWITNESS.
CITY AND COUSrV or NEw YORK-sL
Marcus l. a. Hussoy, being duly sworn, says:
fngt De- resides ~ HeulO Park, ia the stats OF
Sew jersey. AMI is engaged IN business as
su sloclri1lu; tn1t IN November, lSo4' he was
captain commander OF the Tn.r.y-second regi-
l.eut Maine volunteers, ttat be was an eye
u.uess of the capture ~ HOgor A. Pryor by
Uoins %. Dudley. Of The kloventh New hamp-
splfe. in the latter part Of November, 1864, ana
tlat the following are the circumstances:
Conceal Pryor had crossed bis own Ine IN an
ever il q .lcaai from our SIDE as afterwards
fDs~ref In iho purpose OF exchanging news
ralers aua advanced some stance waving
rtwsrapor. The custom ~ ex hanging noTs-
pq0HT5 q general one, but 10 Was Determined
flrtIp To-, As Ihcroby the enemy gained lnioT-
motion of our movements, and orders were is-
rlr.l % arrest any man engaged IN H. 6cneTAl
Pryor advanced, waving his paper, 10 point
r.arlT fai1Uay between tho tNO lines. calling
f..- Iu words wiiic-1 wo distinctly heard, III you
eve not cowaT1s, como Out.'
wa. standing ga front Of our line all during
ilIs time and started % 70 out 10 moet 1eneral
lryOI. when Dudley said 10 me-, ou cannot
leave your post. 4 aill go and at once started
O.i, J remaining where Was -
Fsn soetng Dudley, Pryor advanced until,
when tney met be wa about two-thir distance
GerJss when Dudley came up hesrd frJor
cay, Where is your newspaper But be was
in moment seized by Dudley, and instantly
gave a signal . my men and they jumped INTO
llc trenches, and Immediately thousand Tiuus
s,ete brought 70 bear upon him. AT tue time he
was seizod / heard him cry cut several times,
A" "Ireachcry Trcachery!"
Indar these circumstances he was marched
intO our limos. As Ne dlaarmed him ho SAID 70
Us This is troachcyy, by Godl'
WAS Gent uuNof guard 70 l6Gllla W
the general IN cCmm9ul
Al tue time General Pryor cried "treacheryn ~
aid not know what he meant, but suo5eq quent-
lv learned that a Sergeant Reed. OF my COM
mand, hsd waived paper as an 0neT 70 e1-
change and my impression Is thet sergeant
I-eqis paper Was RAfei IN advance, and mus
Gencrsl Pryor was induced 20 come out and 70
advance 20 Our lire.
Rous.ance would have been instantly fatal 10
him. as he VAS covered by some OF the best
sergeant Reels paper was sent by me 10 the
Capitol 90 Augusta, Me-, as part OF mo war
archives and suppose 1! I'm i5 mere 9oT rssrv
SWorn 70 before me this 5th day OF May, 1883.
O. II. SANDHgs0N tssoall,
Notary Pubic, New \ 0rK county.
HOW HE WAS RELEASED.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Mey S, 1879.
~. Ro7cT 4. Pryor, Jr.:
Dear Sir,-ln response 10 your REQUEST 70 fur
ui.u yOu some of ths particulars Of your fathers
imprisonment. and the efforts used by me 70 IN
ouce the Government % release MIN, send the
i1sI 5eep warm friend OF your fathers bo-
fore the war haying known him back IN the
.ses ana when he was N Congress. Ny nrSt
iatlrmRuon of his capture Was from seeing no
Ice Of % iu the newspapers. AZ once letefmihed
OIL. Use every effort 10 secure his exchange or pa
Iole. / ascertained. upon inquiry, mat no WSs
iu strict confinement al Fort Lafayette. ap-
plioI o. Governor DIX. Of New ! ork. for Pornnls-
eloQ 10 soc him, bus it WAS refused. FINDING
u.At Mr stanton. the Secretary cf War. was un-
aIfsrahly opposed 20 releasing General Pryor, 1
determined. in conjunction VITA Othcr OF your
fathers friends, including Colonel JOnn ".
forn-y q Philadelphia. 70 apply directly 70 the
President. / asCeusincd the facts connected
with MS capture. and upon stating them 10 Ar.
0-eeiey. he gave me letter to Nj. Lincoln ad-
sising- General PryOrs release and stating that
% lsd b-sen captured under peculiar circuin-
stancos which did not warrant the Government
in detainlng him any longer. l explained TO
a'r ftnroiu the circumstances under Whlcn your
father was cspturcsi. how ho was induced 20 sf-
prOach the Federal line by an oIer 10 e1cnange
BcWspapcrs add WAS, UNDER these circumstance
tasen prisoner. ! thOugnt such an act was en-
tirely untustiaalie and amounted 70 litile less
than ueschery on the part OF his csptors
SIR. Lincoln WIS also seen by Colonel FOrney.
10 30 happened that Just at that time Attorney
General Sl-aC1 was exceedingly anxious 20 pro-
cure The rpleaae OF a friend OF his who hdd been
caf,u-rd by the ConfederGtes and an attempt
rss made % induce the President 20 agree that
General Pryor should be exchanged for this gen.
fIeuan. Mr.. Lincoln. aftor ascortaininS an the
falIa. ilfl an ofiitf Qilc1ilhE A1lohtA bAihts
she commander at Fort Lafayette, 70 deliver
General Pryor into my custody and ordered me
90 report o. hi - tagether with Colonel torney.
armed with TINS order ] visited Fort Lafayette
ana f0und General Pryor in strict confinement
io the cssonsts with other prisoners. he was
delivered up 10 me By Colonel Burhs. and was
within e fcw days parolou ~ that he might so 10
hs family until arrangements were maoe WIN
fns CON federuta Government "a O. his exchange,
hat within snort time thereafter Leo surren-
oe~od aud The War was over
Ihtvo now IN my possession q letter written
by vour fathor % SIR. r. NJ. 4. Hunter, asking
liu % use his (Buntersl efforts 10 accomplish
lfs exchange. The letter was sont 70 me TO be
rcat 10 8r. Hunter, but could md no means OK
reaching him. Your father WAS III confinement
in fort lafayette tor several months and was
held re q prisoner Of war and treated a. such.
Very respectfully, WAsHiSGrOS MCLEAN.
coNqENPoRANEOUs CONFEDERATE ACCOUNTS.
A .nuu1bcr Of conten nporaneous accounts
sfc thea giyen-viz., sspectAl dls patch 70 the
World dated November .. 1864; the ac-
-surts from the Richmond Examiner OF
november 80, 1854, and the Petersburg ES-
iress Of November y. 1864; specials 10 The
Ienla about tie capture, aud letters from
General Pryor 10 prison at Fort Lafayette
written 10 bis wife.
Following = are the sccousts Of the Examiner
tD4 tbr Express:
il1chiaoId Examiner, November %. iSIAl
CAPTURE OF ROGER A. PRYOR.
We regret o. know that the rumor Of this gem |
Eerls0 csgaVre is true. For sOIao utno past
go, Convention botween the armies sanctioned
oCily exchange Of papers on certain portions OF |
tle huee between single soldiers from each slde |
On h0nons morning 10 left his horse ana arnls |
and Rcai Jgt mo DO middle OF the space De- |
t~cel .oe p.c.el ines ar this purpose, waving |
~ 4euoi le pgpert 70 be exchanged. lie Uas /
roooguize1 By soue Yankee officers. and they |
eesilA on siatsnr man with papers, ana Two or |
ttro'- -f.isors followed at tItle distance. lhe 1
MT eppisd eith General Pryor and the others /
r4-l.Q o.. hisn and dragged him into oloir lines |
} ir- .a slsg our soldiers may expect whenever |
tLr- Roy Cpon the honor Of the Yankees
SC lOIbi No cAptors thought they had obUiD-
81 q Eps4def, II prize. sDd We fear that General |
5r9or vii bs IN trostod fof there are lew /
against whom the anEee Daton entertSins /
in0re mc0u spite aud malice. We styie nm /
Nenerai % courtesy. for it IS soll known ths' he
Il. G8G has Tor tWo years been. a private ana /
f.gU4ri y-esllistsd colder. serving 10 INC tahAs
of tne Confederate cavalry as such, having no /
yuutc importance. no authority. consequence.
~ privilege ti-&n any otner regulariy-euiipteol
Confederate Bsdaief. la tho 0rst days Of NE war /
b. n "a ri which - ff0ct- 1