Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-24

EgS2EJhappened on my arrival at the
prison and during my incarceration there.
Arrived at the prison, as stated, under the
guard of two men, was at once taken to the
Office, where one of the men handed in the re-
port which Lieut.. l. had sent from Chapel
Point to Gen. Augur's headquarters and which
had been sent by him along with me to the
prison authorities. From the Office I was at
once taken to private room, where was
thoroughly searched by two men even down
to my stockings. For ono moment one Of these
men held IN his hand the shoe in the shank Of
which my dispatch was sewed. the contents of
which the US. Department of State would have
given much to know. But the dispatch was
as felt sure. in no danger of being discov-
cred This done l taken 10 a room in
which there was no one else and securely
locked in.
IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
Left alone L soon fell asleep, and as I was
| mentally and bodily exhausted by all that l had
! passed through Oh that longest and most extra
| ordinary day of my life slept soundly until
awakened by the sun shining broadly through
the grated window. Shortly afterward turn
Key came, who unlocked the door, and ma n
following him put on the bench a tin plate, on
which were half a loaf OF bread and a large
| hunk" of cold boiled bacon in which there
Was no 'streak of lean" discoverable-it was
all solid fat. There was neither knife nor fork
| and on my asking for them was grUtfly told that
| they we're not allowed" l then asked if l
could have n basin of water. soap and a towel
| and was informed that they were not furnished
to prisoners. The man went on to say that
the prisoners in the open rooms" were allowed
to make their additions at the hydrant down in
the yard. l asked what he meant by "open
rooms and he said the men confined in the
rooms which were not kept locked and who
were allowed to go down to the yard as neces-
sity required. 1t then flashed on me that Lieut.
LIS report had produced the effect which
he desired-that was an object OF unusual
| suspicion and had so been placed in room
alone, III quasi solitary confinement. With the
stone pitcher of water and my handkerchief
| scantily refreshed myself and proceeded to
break fast on the bread. ltwas quite impossible
to touch the lump of cold grease In the form Of
bacon.
UNDERGOING A "QUIZ."
Two hours later the door was again unlocked
and man entered. who politely enough babe
me good morning and took seat on the bench
beside me. The turnkey relocked the door and
went away, leaving US alone. We sat in con-
versatiOn tor a full half hour talking about all
sorts of things, he, by what he tried to make
appear mere trivial and casual questions, lead
ing me to talk of myself. the war, the army
and especially of my own corps, division
brigade and regiment and the service they had
seen. He had not spoken dozen words before
knew that he was an emissary of some sort
sent to sound or pump" me, and this to de-
termine what he could make me out to be
what manner OF man l was, &c. &C., and es-
pecially why was within the Union lines in
citizens clothes; whittier l was bound; what
object had in view; upon what errand / was
bent, &c, &c. At last. having seemingly
made up his mind as to one point, ne turned to
me with an expression and air of the deepest
confidence and said, Il supppoe there is no use
telling you that am detective" The man
then insisted, despite my protests, upon i'm
posing confidence, the substance of long
story, which he expected me to believe, being
that he was Nlrglnlan and a southern sympa-
thizer and had sought service as detective
because he was thus better able to help south
erners who were getting into tight scrapes
Then, turning suddenly to me he said: Now
l know that you are in a very deep hole and
want to help you. You just trust me; tell me
the whole thing; all about it, what you were
over here for; where you were going; what
scheme you were trying to work; for it Is plain
that man like you weren't sent over here on
no small job"
l replied that while thanked him for his
most magnanimous offer to aid me did not in
the least require it; that had nothing to tell
beyond what | had already stated that nv
whole story was. in nutshell, that was on
sick leave, with permission to 60 beyond sea- :"
and that my only way Of getting to Europe was
through the Union lines to New York, as all
our ports were closed by blockade.
WHAT HE THOUGHT OF HIM.
He assumed an air of being hurt and said: 81
see that you do not trust me. do not believe
me, perhaps. What do you think Of me2"
We'll" said, you have asked me a direct
question and shall have frank answer I
think you are a ID poor detective and a worse
Nrginian." Tho fellow actually broke out into
loud gufaw, and after laughing heartily for
several minutes. said as he rose up, "Well, I'm
ID If don't think that you are all right"
LITTLE EASIER
His whole manner changed at once and he
asked me il l wanted anything. | told him
that my money was deposited at the Office and
that l would give him an order for what
needed. That wished him to purchase a large
basin, soap and towels, pipes and tobacco for
me at once. This he did. On my asking if I
could buy something to eat he said: No; YOU
will have to take prison fare at least for the
present, though l know it's rough on YOU.
He ratified the doors and the turnkey let him
out saw him several times afterward, for 1
was still to stay in that room some time. At
last after several days the door was flung open
and a man had not seen before told me to
gather up my things and follow him. He took
me to another room, where / deposited NV
basin towels, DC, and was then taken up to
the garrett where l shouldered a mattress and
blanket, which brought down. In this room
there were several other prisoners and was
toiu tndt IL WAS an open room, winch meant
a certain scant degree OF liberty. Gen. Lee
had surrendered and the war was over but did
not know how much longer we were to be kept
there. At all events felt that my dangers
were all at length safely passed and had only
patiently to wait my liberation.
MEETING AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
Among the privileges of an "open room
was that of walking an hour every day at noon
IN the prison yard, which was surrounded by a
heavy twenty foot fence and thoroughly
guarded by soldiers. One day, walking there.
1 met the military commandant of the prison,
who turned out to have once been a prisoner
captured by my own regiment. He had received
kind treatment at our hands and was now
anxious to reciprocate. He treated me most
handsomely and gave orders that was to be
allowed to buy what / wanted. books, beef
steaks and coffee included. There was nothing
LEFT to be desired for prisoner of war. To
give the reader some idea Of the fearful and
suspicious state OF the public mind at that time
1 VIII give an incident or two. One day at the
had just been brought up from Savannah. He
told me that he had the day before sent to a
bank a small check ON New York for 500.
That he had as president of the Bank of the
Republic in New York, before the war; had
transactions with this bank to the extent of
millions of dollars but that they-never doubt
ing that the check would be paid-had refused
to cash it, and that as he could not eat the
prison fare he had gone without his dinner the
day before. l was glad to invite him to nv beef
steak and onions and otherwise to supply his
immediate needs. He said that the presiden
of the bank was his personal friend, but re-