The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-17

actions and agreed TO lake charge of the
prisoners whom Key should arrest The
"hole prison in the meantime had become
aware that something was going on. but
tney old not know what ii was. A great
many thought that there was fight be-
tween the Notnothings and the foreigners.
ana consequently the sympathies of the
camp we're not with US. The most of these
robbers were. by the way, foreigners.
We formed on the morning of the Sd of
July, and moved up to the round tent to
attack the raiders. They were ready for
US, and In a short time there was some club
prsctice there that would have put to the
plush the contests of Donnybrook fair. We
made II rule to hit with a club every man
VINO did not belong to our squad that came
near us, and We finally routed the raiders
and arrested lbs of them. wirz, though
ne had given permission for Us to make
the arrest. did not take moments chance
on as. He had his guards in the rifie-pits
surrounding the prison armed with mus
kefs and hand grenades. and the nineteen
pieces OF artillery were loaded and the gum
ners stood beside them with the lanyards
In their hands. He was afraid to
open the gates to issue the rations to the
prisoners that night, owing to the commo-
ton, and the result was that we got no food
till the next day, and then the mush was
all spoiled. We were then being fed upon
mush. and the days of corn bread were
played out. This mush was shoveled into
the wagons that were used to carry the
dead out of the prison at night. and by
standing in the sun all day maggots were
bred in it and il was unit for eating.
We go' nothing to eat until the next day,
which was the 4th of July.
Key. in the meantime, had given the
prisoners over to Wirz, and toward the
evening of the 4th Wirz sent word that he
could not hold for him so many prisoners.
and he must pick out the worst and he
would send the rest back into prison.
Key then went in and selected the worst
for trial. He lectured the rest and turned
them back into the stockade. In the
meantime the rest of the prisoners had
learned what we were doing, and they
we're all with us. They learned that some
of the raiders were to be sent back, and
they formed line on each side of the
gate where they were to come in. Nearly
every man in these two lines had suffered
ready for VENGEANCE. E.cn man had a
club, ana the Confederate officers who en-
joved the spectacle of seeing the Yankees
clubbing each other. let only one man in at
time Every one had 10 run this gaunt-
let. and ali received serious heatings. One
man was killed. He was a sailor, and he
had secreted knife in his boot. He cut
his way along until he came to man who
had rail- He dropped this on his head.
The sailor fell, and he was beaten so that
the bad food and air finally killed him."
key now formed court-martial con-
sisting of thirteen sergeants selected from
the newest prisoners, in order that they
might be free from prejudice. don't know
where any of these men now are except
the Rev. T. j. Sheppard. of Kenton, O.,
who is now a prominent Methodist clergy
man there. He was last wear chaplain
and chief of the Ohio G. A. R. The Judge
advocate was member of the Third Mis-
souri, cavalry, and his name was Dick Nc
Cullough. The raiders were defended by
a shyster lawyer from New York and were
given fair trial. We had some fair law
yers in the prison and upon the court-mar-
tial. The sentence however, was that six
of the worst prisoners were guilty of MUIR
der and should be hanged. This sentence
was submitted to General ]. H. Winder,
the rebel commisary general. He consid-
cred it day or so and finally confirmed 1t
II had acted as sergeant of my COM
pany in arrestiny the raiders. and / sup.