The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-15

can do with you and TO you Just as We
please" and, without further comment,
abruptly left our quarters.
If a subaltern officer could thus set |
aside the findings of an entire court OF
officers, also override the modified SEN
tence of the President of the United I
States, he possessed more real power |
over us than either and had it in mis- as
sumed power to ignore the findings OF
the court in it's entirety, and, if so de-
sired, could order us on sight to be
taken from our cell and executed in
like manner to others.
What a parody on justice! Unless
that long -drawn-out trial, with its
horrors attending for months, its find
ings to be thus ignored by subaltern
officer in the service of the United
States The time was fast approaching
when I, like unto the others, was to
be made again to feel the iron heel OF
the despot sent to over look and guard
us. 1t could be read in the eyes OF
each officer as he approached, could be
viewed in their many consultations af-
| ter and during a visit to our quarters
as they slyly gazed from one to the
other, after looking upon my I'M
shackled limbs as yet.
| AGAIN PUT IN IRONS.
On November II, 1865, Capt. George
w. Cradle, first lieutenant United
States Artillery, came into our quar-
tiers accompanied by the sergeant OF
guard, and in a very gentlemanly man
ner thus addressed me:
ARNOLD, l have very painful duty
to perform, but am forced, as you are
aware, to carry out and obey the orders
from my superiors. no matter now
grating against my feelings they may
be. l am ordered he continued, by
Gen. Bennett Fl. Hill to place you IN
irons, he having received orders to thar
effect from higher authority, as turn
ed over to him by Major Wentworth
just relieved in command of the post
l protested against it as violation
of the organic law of the land, both
civil and military, and also OF the sem
tence meted me by the military COM
mission. I informed him that l was
prisoner, it was true, but that no act
of my life had justly merited me to be
imprisoned, much less incarcerated and
weighted down by CALLING chains, and
cried out against such a shameful
abuse of power
He replied that he was grieved to
have to perform the duty, but that
there was no alternative left but to
strictly follow the order assigned him.
The sergeant of the guard was then or
dered to execute the command, and L
was ironed in like manner to the 9TH
ers We five constituted the chain
gang at Dry Tortugas. We were work
ed by ourselves, denied all intercourse
with everyone upon the desolate island,
our footsteps always accompanied by
an armed guard and forced, in this
condition, to perform the most mental
and degrading work upon the key.
From November II until December
IA my person and the others were drag
ged here and there, from morn until
night, working in degrading chains,
made in every instance that presented
itself to perform the filthiest jobs that
: the provost marshal could hunt up.
EMPLOYED AS CLERK.
Things continued thus until Deem
| Der IA, when the prisoner employed as
clerk to the commanding officer was
released from confinement by order
from the War Department. I was sent
for, desired to furnish specimen OF
my handwriting, which I did, and from
t that date was employed as clerk in the
| ad1utant's office. The noise arising
from the clanking chains upon my feet
. when walking about the office, sJor
grated upon the ears of tbs command
ing officer, who. in consequence there
Of in special post order, relieved me
from the irons indefinitely, but KEEP
the others still ironed and occupied al
labor, as before mentioned.
I had been in the office but a few
,, days when orders were issued which
separated me from my only compan
ions upon the island. l was trans
= ferred from my dungeon to the genera
guardhouse, denied communication o.
intercourse with the few with whom
. was individually imprisoned, forced Il
: | dwell amid the confusion and nolS
Astounding among numerous sentinels
:, This was of anything but a pleasan
- nature to my senses. 1 could not con
ceive why l had been relieved of suf
> fering of one kind to have anotfe
- heaped upon me of just as bad ma
l ture, and 1 determined, if possible, t.
have it corrected in some wayL
. commanding officer I requested to b.
= returned to my former place of con
{ finement, for, although dungeon, i
: was far preferable to the guardhous
where I was then confined that Their
, were no consequences attending tn
change of situation; that instead of be
= ing an amelioration of my condition
y found it an aggravation. My reques
,, was complied with and was agail
? placed in the dungeon with my com
panions, which fact had the tendenc
y to ruffle the disposition Of the post ad
Il 1utant by whose order i had been plac
, ed there (without the sanction o
u u knowledge of the commanding officer)
u as he remarked to, me afterwards
= stating that he placed me in the guard
:. house to prevent the contents Of com
= munication received at the office bein
l, divulged to the inmates of my quar-
- tiers.
Il TOGETHER ONCE MORE.
II From that time out we remained to
n gether. The orderly accompanied m
(, to and fro, from my cell to headquar
Y tiers, and to every point I required t
d visit. At retreat, or shutdown, we wer
: locked together within our dungeon
l. remaining until carried out to on
morning labors at sunrise.
e With the arrival of the Fifth Artil
=, | Iar1r al tho most the raglll9tiOnS whic