Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-15
MR.. DAVIS In PRISON.
SOMETHING OF HIS LIFE WHILE CON-
FINED AT FORTRESS MONROE.
"Reminiscences OF n Residont-Ncvcr In
Dungeon--Entcrprising Newspaper
Men" The Immortal j. NJ
Tho HygeIa.
rcorrcspopdence Of the Richmond DIspatch.l

correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatchl
FonTRrss MoNRoF. VA, Dec. i, 1899.
The recent death 81 Mr.. Jefferson DAVIS
and the profound SORROW the event has oc-
casioned throughout che entire Souih re-
calls 20 my mind many incidents OF ms So
iourn here n quarter Oh century ago. ~
was n gloomy period i'm our country,s histo-
~. for while the war was virtually over
Mr.. Lincoln had been assassinafeh' anu
sectional feeling was Gercr and bitter on
both sides of the line. when Mr.. DaNiS
was captured by the Union cavalry he was
brought here for confinement, and one 2l
the casemates was selected az oeing o9In
suitable and secure. IL had been used as
quarters bv one OF the officers Of the post,
az that the statement more or lct5 current
throughout the South that ne was conhheu
in q dungeon had no foundation III iact.
The same casemates are occupied TO-DAY
by an officer of the ARTILLERY school. ana
have been IN constant use as officers quar-
ters since they were vacated by Mr.. Davls'
THE DUNGEON STORY.
ORIGINATED with the guards on duty at mo
main entrance to the Fort. There ore thou,
sends of visitors here every year, ana
among the first questions asked -, mere
was MIR. DAVIS contnedt' Tho boys on
guard pointed out the location for time
but finally got tired Of Il and fell into tho
habit OF referring them 70 the euard-houSe,
where the prisoners were confined, as tho
place of his confinement. have heard
them make this statement several Urn =
myself during tho twenty-Odd years l have
been stationed here.
Mr Davis occupied the casemate wheh
he was first confined for about SIX months.
Complaints were then made that tne camp
ness was iniuring his health. when rooms
were selected on the second floor OF Car
roll Hall. a large brick building IN the
northwest corner OF the Fort, where he re-
NAMED until he was released and carried
TO Richmond for trial in 1851.
DAILY LIFT.
It was here first met Mr. Davis-De--
cember II, 1853. His room was large ana
we'll ventilated. with porch IL front nnd
n hail on the side. 1t WAS furnished "'th
an army coat table, CHAIRS DC. ana about
IA comfortable ~ those of an Impccunlou3
second lieutenant of to-day. Tho officer
Of the guard occupied an adjoining rootn'
where he was on duty constantly, accom-
panied by a corporal aud two or three
men, while sen,Inels were postedl Inc hhll'
on the porch iu front, and on the ramparts
upon which the building touches. IL was
the custom al that time for MIR. DAVIS %
take daily walk on tine ranparts every
afternoon when the weather was suitable
He was always accompanied by tho oihcer
corporal and file OF men at distance OK
fifteen or twenty PAGES. There was no re-
striction as 10 conversation, but the sub
ice, OF the late uupleasauines was, ~
mutual consent, not touched upon.
FREEDOM or THE FORr.
This course Of treatment was continued
for about SIX months when an ordcr was
received from the War Department grant
ING Mr.. Davis the freedom u thc Fort.
This was hailed with delight, both by the
prisoner and the officers who had charge
of him, as the duty was an onerous one.
Shortly after this Ms. DAVIS joined her
husband, bringing with her Their niue
daughter Winnie. a bright and attractive
child of two or three years. Rooms were
fitted up for Their accommodation IN Z.
comfortable manner. where Mr.. DAVIS ana
his wife received such of their friends ~
could obtain permission 70 VISIT them.
Among these. Rev. DR.. Minrigerode. OF
Richmond. his friend and former pastor;
was a frequent and welcome guest. hInu
friends throughout the South kept them
well supplied with everything necessary,
and the last year of his confinement here
was entirely devoid OF hardships or sur
violence.
A PASS REQUIRED.
General Nelson A. Miles commanded the
department while Mr.. DAVIS WAS eouhned
hero. and 1t required a pass signed by that
centleman-a thing not readily granted
to get Inside the Fort which had also 10 ne
produced before making an exit. mere
was quite "a number OF ne~spaper-meh no.
verlng around who were always met 10y
the sentry with fixed bayonet when they
attempted to gam Abundance. and the d.
vices they resorted 70 IN order TO get news
for their papers were many aud various
Occasionally they found visitor from
whom they could extract few crumus OF
comfort as TO the health and general ap-
pearance of the distinguished prisoner. but
they were few and tar between.
THE IMMORTAL ). y"
One day their hearts were made glad by
the arrival of queer specimen OF human-
tv who announced himself ~ tho lmmor-
tai j. n" Some Of the bows knew him pv
reputation. as q cOnsu innate bore TO news
paper Offices, and at once proceeded TO
utilize him, He was alfred III a shabby
suit of shiny black, not unlike the late j..
4. Sothern when arravcd for the " Crushed
Tragedian." and wore his hair well down
on bis shoulders. From the pockets or
his lone cOat-tmls he produced pair OF
handouts in which he claimed he hau
suffered for the cause. BY some means ne
lad secured permission 10 visit Dir. DAVIS
and the bovs at once bc9Ought him to III
1
upon which they were exceedingly ANXIOUS
for information. This the visitor readily
agreed TO DO, and departed on us mssion.
He was absent about All hour and reported
a very pleasant visit. lie was cOurteOu-iy
received by Mr.. Davis and might have
really got some Of his views had he not
stated that he proposed 10 publish them.
At this MIR. Davis rclap-ed into silence ana
soon frOZe his visitor Cu,.
EXIT OF NEwsPsrrE-MEN.
A day or two later the boys We're con-
Quoted to General Mlles's Headquarters by
way of the water battery. whore they had d
LONG and interesting interview with that
officer. What took place WAS not pub
li-hcd. aud number OF tncm who had
coioIed UP the immortal }. Ms report too
highly found pressing business calling
them home. Tho HerdN and Associated
Press agent were the only two who held
their ground until his final release inl5C1.
/ When this event occurred there was
swarm of newspaper-mcn on hand 10 ac-
company him TO Richmond; among others
MI. George Alfred Townsend, then a mere
stripping scarcely out Of his teens.
VISITING THE FORT.
For many years the two sets of quarters
occupied bv Mr.. Davis during his contine-
mont here were not considered desirable.
Hundreds of visitors from the Hyseia
Hotel would call 10 see them, ask all man
ner of questions. and in many cases ask to
20 through and inspect them. This y
gradually dying out, but the custom still
obtains, especially curing the summer sea-
son, when the hotel is filled with guests
from the South.
/ called once upon the distinguished
gentleman, after his family had joined him,
with some Baltimore friends. We were
cordially received, although total strangers,
aud spent some time III pleasant conycrs a.
ton. They had mutual friends IN Balii-
more and the conversation was chiefly con-
fined TO this topic. His manner reminded
me somewhat OF Mr.. Lincoln IN his serious
moods, whom | had met almost daily
during the past three years.
IMPROVEMENTS.
A number OF improvements are now N
progress here. The Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad have completed their main line
from Chesapeake City to the Point. and
are now putting in switch for the depot.
Ii has been slow process. as II IS built on
| piles the entire distance except at the point
where the track crosses the main road 10
Hampton Mr. George Booker, who don't
know how much longer ne Will be permit
al 20 hold on 10 fba nost-ofhgp l. mt =