The Washington times., 1902-10-06


war records a few days ago
Gen. Louis Palma Di Ces-
nola happened across the name
of Lieutenant Colonel --, who was
fellow prisoner with him in Libby Prison
in 1854 and but for whose suspected be-
travail of certain plans of some magni-
tude himself and others would nave hp-
Grated themselves and captured the Con-
yederate capital with the cooperation oil
1s 600 non-commissioned officers and
men at Belle Isle. and regiment OF
cavalry under General Fitzpatrick on the
outside.
Seeing the name of this suspected
traitor brought afresh to his mino the
Libby episode, and has resurrected many
details of the affair which had almost
passed from his memory. Had 1t not
been for him-of this General Di Cesno-
la is firmly convinced-they would nave
been able to escape from Libby and TO
have liberated the prisoners on Belle
Isle and captured Richmond, which was
guarded at the time by an army Of mere
boys.
Traitor Driven. Abroad.
Colonel - was suspected by the
officers in Libby of having betrayed the
plans. and but for the Intervention OF
fellow officer. who advised getting proof
positive OF mis- guilt before taking sum-
mary action, would have been thrown
from a third story window on the night
the escape was frustrated. He subse-
ouently obtained his liberty, but was
never received back into the Northern
army. Either his conscience or the hu-
u,fYfatfon OF being avoided by his old
comrades in arms afterward drove him
to take up his residence in London,
where he prospered as the manager OF
the Hotel Langham.
Capture of General Di cesnola.
This hostelry was for years following
the war favorite meeting place OF
prominent Southern sympathizers who
happened to be abroad. He always
Stunned his former war comrades. On
one or two occasions they declined to
shake hands with him in his own hotel.
He is now dead.
Returning to the events which led up
to the cul de sac by which plans to
capture Richmond were frustrated and
to the personal role General Cesnola
PLAYED in the affair: He entered the
service of the United States in October.
1861, and was captured in Virginia in
June, 1863, at the cavalry engagement
at Aldie. He was marched mostly on
foot more than a hundred miles to
Staunton. and then by railroad to the
Confederate capital and confined in
Libby prison. He arrived in Richmond
late one afternoon and remained i'm
INJURED in the tobacco factory until
March, 1864.
Roughly Handled.
On his arrival in Libby he was sum-
moned before Commandant Thomas P.
Turner and thence into a spacious dark
hall, in corner of which Confederate
sergeant searched him through from
head to foot, in the toughest manner
everything he had and was angry be-
cause he could not find any greenbacks
on his person. He asked General di
Cesnola what he had done with his
money and If he had a watch. Di
Cesnola told him that a chivalric
Southerner had stolen his watch and
money during the march from Middle
burg to Staunton. He began to abuse
him. using profane language and de-
nying his veracity. Di Cesnola ex-
planned to him that perhaps the gentle
man only intended to borrow those
articles. So he was made a prisoner
and stripped of everything except his
spurs, which, being screwed into the
boots, could not be removed.
In the Commissary.
Di Cesnola remained in this deplor-
able condition, without a book to read
or a sheet of paper on which to write,
for over FIVE months, nursing his feel
ings during the days, using his boots
for a pillow during the nights, and
sleeping on the plank floor with neither
blanket nor overcoat. Dogs had Ger
tainly better sleeping accommodations
than the men had in Libby. His cell
mates were Gen. Neal Dow and Col.
Charles G. Davis. of the First Massa-
chusetts Cavalry.
In November, 1863, Di Cesnola was