Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-13

When Gen John Morgan, the famous
Confederate raider, visited Libby prison
early iu OF, he said There is no under.
taking IN the world that you have not men
IN this prison qualified for. that's why 1t is
strange that more OF you fellows don't try
TO get away"
in Libby prison. at the time of NIoigau's
visit. there were about fourteen hundred
officers, from beardlcss second lieutCnants
in their teens TO grizzled leaders of bugadcs
and divisions. These men came not only
from every state and territory iu our own
land bui they represented the armies of
nearly every European nation We had
lawyers doctors clergymen, college pro-
fcssors engineers, editors, and every variety
Of skilled mechanic Among the latter was
Captain Cooper. of Connecticut, who had
learned the trade of tailor iu his youth and
who was conducting a large clothing store
at Hartford when patriotism dominated
profit and sent him into the army.
Where every man felt sick and mean
to use au expression common at the time.
only the very sick and helpless were sent TO
the prison hospital, the eastern ground
doorr0om otLibby. Doctor Sabal the Con-
federate surgeon In charge of the prison
hospital. was as generous and sympathetic
as DE was handsome and able and that Is
saying much. This gentleman kept the
hospital FULL and the fact that it was much
warmer than the other quarters made 10 a
desirable place
There IS one aiIment which at the front
or in prison "o,d soldiers" can assume
without immediate fear of detection, and
that is rheumatism. Rheumatism of the
affected character has kept many man, with
more cunning than courage, out of the range
of the euemys rifles I was myself in hos
pital recovering from typhoid pneumonia.
when Captain Cooper was brought down
from the lower east room. Rheumatism iu
the legs bad SO crippled the captain that he
could hardly crawl, but his arms appeared
TO Doe all right The nurses In the hospital
were detailed Union soldiers who had been
confined boz the Pember,ou building a ware
house lower down and across the street from
Libby. Captain Cooper proved TO be jolly
good fellow but it was noticed that when
the Confederate authorities were not about,
his rheumatism did not seem to interfere
with agile locomotion. Where Cooper got
his needles and thread I cannot imagine,
but he had those coveted appliances, and he
used them TO repair the damages iu the old
uniforms of his comrades
One day while Cooper was sitting cross.
legged on his cot repairing the rents in Cap.
taiu B0haunaus trousers la Touche, the
prison adiuiant came IN and watched the
flying needle with unusual interest ia
T0uchg was q stout man. whose thick neck
and fgr.d face bespoke a love for good liv-
bachelor and no end of a gallant as we
afyerwarl learned
see here captain called out Adiutaut
ia rouche after he had watched Cooper for
some time are you O. regular tailor''
That i- my trade replied Cooper.
Think you could make me q lulldrcss
uniform it 4 furnished you the matcrial-3". ".
was the next question.
'N-s if & had your measure and plate
90 go by.
"Dh we have no plates. but ! can give
sou the details J. know all about 'em
Then the Confederate sdjuaut went on 60
say that he had secured all the materials
but that tailoring had become so expensive .
in the Confederate capital as 90 preclude the .
making up Of the clothes
You see continued la Touche. there
is 10 be ball at the state house IN two
weeks. and ii ! could have the suit made mp
at a rea-Cua5.- price 10 time for that event
itwould take @ great load of my mind "
Confederate money had deprecated very
much at this time. SO that the price of arti-
c.es ordinarily plentiful were fabulous
knowing this the cautious Yankee asked.
VIVA, would you have To- pay Richmond .
tailor tor making uch a uniform
about 90. blurted out ia Touche
It j guaranteed you satisfaction and
charged one ball. would you give me the
job"
Gladly atdthe delighted adiuant and
che c0n,u.. was closed Ia T0uche must
have though. lae Transaction irregular for
there was mucH secrecy iu his manner when
the next day he came iu alone carrying "a
large bundle n which was the maleria, to
DE made up.
Cooper examined the goods and after
LakIug his customer. measure |the gusto-
mcr brought "a tape line with h'm|. when
La Iouche turned .l leave Cooper called
out
y don want deposit adtuaut because
I.m afraid you'll clear au. and not come
back g9 my shop for the goods but. as you
know a8ra.w9rkug man needs more and
better feed tHau one wh0.7 doing nothing
> . I'd You ..N.N aNN IAE nav" I....N ON HU.
count from time 20 time .t would give me
nerve tor .aa work"
La luuaHe took the hint and left sI1a As
there wen. ro dangerous cases in the hos.
pilai at chin .me the visits of Dr. Sabal and
his assistant were confined t0 the morning
and evening on such occasions Cooper
had his work hid a.dlenawayuuder his blanket.
aud his rheumatism was invariably No
better sir
With nothing TO read and only the old
home or the present situation 20 think OF.
timc hung bike an evercrushing weight ON
the hands OF .he prisoners But AS soon as
Cooper started Boa 90 work iu the hospital
every man who could crawl from his blanket
gathered about to watch
Every day soon after noon, ia Touche
danced silently into the hospital 90 be
fitted and 90 zee how the work of art was .
progressing At each visit he grew more
delighted .Tll have it ready the day bee
fore the BALL said Cooper
The nigh. before this creation iu gray.
blue and gold was completed-it had already
been paid f0r-Captain Singer, of the Thirty
third Ohio who had about recovered from