The National tribune., 1900-11-08
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
PRISONERS AT, FORT lHATTERAS.
"reminiscences Of an Assistant Provost
Marshal. D

"
"reminiscences of an Assistant Provost
| Marshal.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the in
teresting narrative by Prof Dewes in your
paper, notice some inaccuracies which l
beg leave to correct; also, would like to
add a few "reminiscences.
The Professor says: George Balm, of
Norfolk, Va, was sentenced to the Dry
Tortugas, at hard labor, with ball-and-
chain"
| Now, George NJ. Balm was not SEN
fenced to the Dry Tortugas, but to Fort
Hatteras, n. G. He was not sentenced to
ball-and-chain, but to hard labor only. At
the fort he was in charge of Lieut.. Ham
lin, Assistant Provost-Marshal for the
District of Hatteras. Soon thereafter
Hamlin was transferred to the Commits
sary Department, and l was appointed to
succeed him by the Provost Marshal at
| New Berne, N. c., and then l became
Bains custodian. The charge against Balm
was the refusal to reveal where the con-
cealed deposits were. He never had q
chain attached to him while in my charge.
Neither was he required to perform much
labor. We once sent a squad of men to
Ocnacoke Inlet, to bring a few brick from
a lighthouse which the rebs had destroyed.
We intended to build an oven that we
might have some fresh bread. l set Mr.
Balm to work cleaning the brick. The sec
Ond day, think, he sent for me, and COM
planned that the work was too hard for
him, and that it made his wrists swell,
which was true. l said, Mr.. Balm, you
are sentenced to hard labor, but all |
want of you is to make a show of labor;
if you clean but four brick in day, L will
be satisfied" He replied, Lieutenant, |
thank YOU" L believe that that was the
only labor | ever ordered him to perform,
except what he did in his own quarters
and for his own benefit. And yet l hear
he has posed as great sufferer at Hat
teras.
My prisoners were all treated with uni
form kindness; all had the regular army
ration, and they were quartered in por
ton of the guard-house. L visited them
and talked with them when l had time,
and discussed the outcome of the war
with them. Balm said their cause was
just; that God would fight their battles,
and that they could not be conquered. /
replied that we also believed our cause
was just, and that the armies of the North
would yet conquer them, although they
made no boastful claim to divine assist
ance.
There also came into my charge at this
time Miss Ellen Roam, of Norfolk, Va.
She was sentenced to Fort Hatteras for
passing our lines and refusing to reveal
the name of the officer who permitted her
to pass. She never weakened in the least
in her determination to not reveal the iden-
tity of the one who assisted her. She was
afterward released. We did the best we
could for her at the fort. The Provost
Marshal's quarters, plain but clean, were
vacated for her use, and the services of
my servant, Jack" were always at her
command. After her release l received a
kind letter from her, thanking me for the
kindness and courtesy shown her, and stat
ing that if through the fortunes of war l
should ever fall into Confederate hands q
letter TO certain persons in Charleston
would insure me kind treatment. She was
perfect lady and a strong rebel.
had two other prisoners, the Rev. DR..
Armstrong, of Norfolk, sentenced for dis
loyalty. he refused to allow prayers to be
offered in his church for the President of
the United States; and John 81. Lester, of
Richmond. Balm and Armstrong were fine
types of the old Virginia gentleman-the
one keen and sagacious, the other quiet
and philosophical
Lester | could hardly fathom. He was
plausible, crafty and deep and fine speci-
men of physical manhood. With technical
training he would have made a frst-class
General. His home was in Brooklyn, n.
Y. He went to Richmond before the war
as manufacturer of planning machines,
and after hostilities commenced / think
his plant was turned into i manufactory
of arms for the Confederate Government.
Whether this was done voluntarily on Les
ter's part is but q surmise. He was the
only prisoner to whom l attached a ball |
and-chain, and then only after a severe
reprimand by the Commanding Officer. |
When arrested by Butler, while passing
through our lines, Lester was supposed to
be on his way to Europe in the interest |
of the Confederate Government, and to
negotiate the sale of q large amount of
which he had stored in Charles |
ton. Some letters passed between him and
a certain Northern Senator in regard to |
saving the tobacco for him, with no
definite result as far as l know. When |
arrested Lester had a brief examination, |
and was sent to Washington, where he |
had an interview with Secretary Seward, |
who told him it was better for him and |
better for the Government that he should |
go to prison. Butler sent him to Fort |
Hatteras, with ball-and-chain. He was at |
last released on giving two bonds of $780, |
600 each for good behavior. After the
war he brought suit against Gen. Butler |
to recover large amount of gold which |
he alleged was taken from Mrs. Lester
by the General. The suit was instituted |
in New York, and Lester was beaten. /
have not heard of him since.
All these prisoners, mentally, were far
above the average, and if there is one of |
them yet alive | would like to grasp his
hand and bid him Godspeed as he ascends
into the valley.-JAMEs MCKAY, Grand
Rapids, Mich.