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

snieves and robbers. They had q leader
ana they committed number of murders.
whenever new set of prisoners was adj
nisseo tEey would make it point TO rush
upon them, and by throwing blankets over
tnelr heads or knocking them down, wousd
oe anie to steal whatever valuables they
brought into prison with them. The men
who came in, knowing no one, would sup
pose that the whole prison were like these
raiders, and the result was there was no
security OF property. None of the prison.
ers had any properly to speak OF, but the
new arrivals always brought in something.
In April. 1864, however the Confederates
cap ured brigade at Plymouth. n. C.
consis ing of the One Hundred and First
and Gne Hundred and Third Pennsvlva-
mia, the Eighty-fifth New York. the SIX
tenth Connecticut and some other oreani.
cations. The most of these men had verer.
anized and had arrayed themselves in fine
clothes preparatory to going home TO see
their folks and sweethearts on their veteran
furlough. By the terms OF their capture
they were allowed 70 keep their personal
property and they formed fine quarry for
the raiders. As soon as they entered An
Jacksonville they were attacked and some
who offered resistance were killed. Others
were beaten over the head with clubs made
OF heavy pine knots, or cut with knives or
razors. The whole camp was in a state of
terror over these outrages. remember
one morning seeing three men who had
been killed the night before by the raiders.
Their threats were cut oy them and il at
last became SO common that almost anv
time during the day you would see a mob
in some part of the camp brought about by
these men.
Many attempts were made by the law
abiding soldiers of the prison to secure
order in their immediate vicinity. Each
squad or clan. as it were, had its own place.
but those squads nearest the dead line
finally resolved themselves into a lite or
ganization for mutual seIf-protection. l
belonged to one OF these companies, and
our part was the only portion of the prison
were any kind. of order prevailed. The
rest of the place was held by the raiders
and anarchy reigned. 1t got worse and
worse every day, and towards the latter
part of June Sergeant Leroy 1. Key, of
Company NJ of my battalion of the Six
teenth Illinois cavalry undertook the
organization of force OF regulators.
AhSiC "oS o HufhocI VI HIS oiu DdtlallOn III
prison, and the organization soon in
Guided fifty able-bodied boys who
had not succumbed to the pestitential
scurvy and other diseases of the camp.
This organization was made very quietly,
as the raiders were ready to crush out any
thing of the kind by the assassination of
the leader. 1t was kept so secret that they
got no mixing of it till the night of the I'd
of July. 1864, and then Key had 500 boys
organized who were armed with clubs
which were tied to their wrists with strings
These clubs were about the size of police
mans club. They were of pine, with knots
on the end OF them, and formed very
effective weapon. The raiders at this time
had their headquarters in big tent made
of blankets which they had robbed from
others. It was on the south side of the
prison, and was known as the round tent
As soon as they heard of it they sent three
roughs armed with knives and brass
knuckles to assault. Key, but Key had got
ten q revolver, which had been smuggled
in in one Of the Plymouth mems KNAPP
sacks, and he stood them off.
I'VE then saw that the conflict was i'm
minent, and that night was spent in pre-
pairing for it. Key went to see Wirz, the
head of the prison. He told MIN the con-
dition of affairs and Wirz agreed to sus-
pend for the next few days the order for
the artillery to open upon US without warn
ing in the event of our assembling inside
the stockade in any numbers for any pur-
nose except roll call. Wirz sanctioned Kev's