Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-02-22

Jacques and others. There was nat
urally much disappointment among
those left behind, but many who
were thus disappointed had their
wishes gratified a little later, the
last Of August, when an order came
to send six hundred Confederate
officers to Morris Island, and there
to be placed under fire, in retalia-
tion for a like number Of Federal
officers that had been sent to the
quarter vacated by the batch ex-
changed, 1.-THE Confederate Gov,
ernment thought by this means to
bring about an exchange for off
GERS much needed the scheme sig.
nally failed.
The excitement ran high in the
prison until the list was made out
of those who were to 60, for no one
doubted bat that an exchange would
be as speedily effected in this in.
stance as in the former one.
Therefore, it was happy crowd
Of Confederate officers that marched
aboard the little steamer Crescent
City one afternoon, for visions Of
liberty once more fitted before their
eyes, Among those who made up
the party we're men who have filed
prominent places in State and ma
tional government. Thore was Ma
ior Jas. 3. MeCreary ofthe Twelfth
Kentucky Cavalry, John Morgan's
gan's command, who became Gov.
eruor Of Kentucky, aud represent
cd his district in Congress for many
years; Lieutenant Crisp. Who made
a national reputation as Democratic
Speaker Of The House Of Relresen.
tatives; Hillary Herbert, late Sec
rotary Of the Navy; Colonel Van
Manning, who became Governor
Of Arkansas. and others OF little
less prominence in their respective
States.
The drst damper upon our exu.
berant spirits was received when va
! descended in the hold OF the vessel
aud saw tlio provisions made ioI
/ FOR our accommodation. Tiers Of
shelves or platforms bad been or.
ranged go close together that II 4
man crawled in on bis stomach hC
would have TO cragI out before hc
could turn on bis back The pas.
eage ways leading around these tiers
Of shelves were not side enough fol
two men to pass, aud it 'vaa there
fore compulsory to remain in your
shelf until it became necessary t
crawl out to turn over
Six hundred men we're thus crowd
cd into the hold Of small river
steamer with not sufficient capaci
| ty to accommodate ono hundred
properly. Even now when | think
Of tho frightful scenes | witnessed
on that boat IL makea me ahudder
/ Shortly after leaving the Della
ware Breakwatcr next morning IN
der convoy Of the war ship Eutaw
there we're six hundred very Bici
men in that sitting hold, withou
a particle Of ventilation or . mouth
| full Of water. The horrors Of tn,
British prison ahips in New Yorl
harbor during tho Revolution, o
which We have read so much in his
tory, could not have exceeded thost
We endured for three long weeks
Some one had blundered; some on
Of the many incompetent and worth
less officials with which both Gov
ernments were cursed, for no gov
eminent could have sanctioned suel
treatment to helpless prisoners wer
ii possible to avoid it, and Their
certainly could DO no other excus
| in this instance.
UNsoLDIERLY GUARDS.
To make matters worse GU
guards we're composed Of q com
pany OF hundred-day men from al
Ohio regiment. We had had
taste OF their brutality at Fort Del
eware, and not many days befor
our departure one of this miserabl
gang (tor they were not soldiers
had murdered one OF our comrade
in cold blood, and now he wore tn
stripes of a corporal on his sleeves
In running down the South Car