Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-19
ATURDAY.... MARCH 10, 1898.
MILES.


1t is much TO be regretted that the
friends Of General Miles will insist upon
pushing the bill for the revival Of the
grade Of Acknowledgment IN the United
States army.
The time is inOpportune. If we are 10
have war, let General Miles so distin-
guish himself as to win the gratitude Of
the country, and then Congress will be
willing enough to honor him as he de-
serves.
II we are to have no war, he should be
satisfied with his present rank and emolu-
ments. Besides, a discussion Of General
Miiles's record inevitably recalls the dark
chapter in his life when he was the jail
er at Fort Monroe of President Davis.
The effort is being made to relieve him
from responsibility for putting irons upon
Mr.. Davis 10y showing that Mr.. Dana,
who was then Assistant Secretary Of
War. authorized IL. Possibly the idea Of
Stacking the prisoner originated with
Mr.. Dana; but if so, he found in General
Miles a plant instrument. Mr.. Dana's
orders were that Mr.. Davis Should be
shackled should that be necessary 10
render his Imprisonment more secure"
General niles was TO be the judge of the
necessity. At tina time Mr.. Davis was
confined in a casemate within a moated
fort. and a soldier was kept at his door
ali the time. For n considerable period,
indeed. two soldiers were kept in the
room with him! Mr.. Davis was emaciated
TO a frightful degree. and was very fee
BILE. and the presence OF the watch i'm the
cell added vastly to his misery and pre-
vented his sleeping.
The post surgeon, Craven, was n kind
hearted man. and ne did all he could to
lessen the prisoners sufferinGs, but his
efforts were not ~infrequently thwarted
by Miles. This fact DR.. Craven has left
on record in his book on the subject of
Mr.. Davls's imprisonment. As 10 Mr..
Davis's condition, Dir. Craven says he
was "a mere fascine of raw and tremu-
lous nerves. and was $50 emaciated that
his skin chafed against the bed Stats"
through his thin camp-mattress. The
shackles abradcd patches of skin
from the parts they touched, so
that the prisoner could not even
erect. For a considerable time
necessary changes of clothing were
denied him; he was not allowed TO smoke
or 10 have any reading matter. Nor was
he allowed to see any members of his
family, and finally DR.. Craven was for
hidden to converse with him, except upon
purely medical questions. To say tha
a man. an old man, in the condition that
DIR. Craven represented Mr.. Davis to be,
was in danger Of escaping is to argue an
absurdity.
The order Of Secretary-of-War Stanton,
directing that the irons be removed from
Mr.. Davis's ankles, was the first step in
the am~elioration Of the prisoners condi-
ton, and gradually, under the persistent
representations of DIR. Craven, changes
were made for the better. In September
he was removed from the damp casemate
to Carroll Hall. and was permitted to
read and smoke. and was granted one
hour Of open-air exercise per day.
This exercise was taken on the ram
parts and I'm the enforced companionship
Of General Miles. by November the
had become quite cold, and Mr..
suffered much from II. particularly
walking on the ramparts. In conse-
1uence OF Mr.. Davjs's representations TO
his effect. DR.. Craven, at his own ex-
pense. ordered for him a thick overcoat
and woollen undorclothes. This kind act
drew down upon the Doctors head the
.dlsapproval OF the authorities. and in a
dated November 10. 1865, he was
.reprimanded therefor by Captain A. V.
Hitchcock. the provost marshal OF the
post.
Assuming. II we choose. that Dana was
primarily responsible for the Stacking Of
The prisoner. General Miles is not thereby
acquitted OF i%ll-treatment Of him. Who
ever VIII read Or. Craven's diary or Mrs
memoir OF her husband win find
evleence the most complete and ~upopee-
Iionaoie OF Miles's prosecutions. And these
prosecutions continued not only while ,
was believed in the North that Mr.
DAVIS had something to do with tbe as
OF Mr.. Lincoln, but for
months and months after that most crneI
and unjust charge had been utterly ex. :
ploded. !
II Is unpleasant 10 recall these facts AZ
his time. after moro thar thirty years
ave passed, and when the interests of {
ne country might possibly be bet,or I