Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-11
NEW YEAR IN LIBBY
MAI. L. P. WILLIAMS TELLS A
STORY OF CAPTIVITY.
Scheming for a Dinner - January i,
1864, Ended With Great
Ball

Extending east anu west dioHS tiS SoNA
ern front of Judiciary Square. and parallel
ing the pension office building. is the United
States court house, or, as it Is popularity
known. the CITY hall. Directly in rear Of
the court house the City Hall Hospital was
located during the civil war 1t seems Mt
ting therefore, that number of members
of the G. A. R. are employed at the court
house today most of them filling positions
OF responsibility.
Lieutenant Colonel George F. Schayer
who performed meritorious service through
out the rebellion is the efficient, respected
and popular deputy recorder of deeds OF
the District of Columbia. the offices OF the
recorder being located in the northwest
portion of the ground floor of the building
Upstairs may be found Major l.. r. VIII
liams, the chief financial assistant to the
Clerk of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia. Major Williams. year ago.
was senior vice commander or the Depart
ment of the Potomac, G.. A. r., and he
would have been elevated to the command
of the department had not press of private
business made it necessary for him to de-
cline the election He has just returned to
this city from Indiana, where he went to
attend a reunion of his old regiment. the
73d Indiana.
Among the other G.. a. R. men who may
be found on duty at the city hall are Mr.
w r. Hutchinson, superintendent of the
building: Mr. William 7. Garrison, deputy
United States marshal for the District of
krouse and d. NJ. Goodacre, court criers;
Messrs. James Callam and John Callahan,
watchmen. and Mr.. Philip Sherwood, fire
man.
Major Williams Story.
Major Williams was for long time con-
fined in Libby prison. In conversation with
a Star reporter he gave his recollections of
hi ,,rts
oner. January /, 1864, as follows:
The long drawn-out cry of 10 o'clock!
Post No. 1-alIs wel1r by a prison guard
aroused hundreds of the prisoners, who
were uneasily slumbering on the floors OF
Libby. the night of December 81, 1853. and
notified them that the new year was in.
Quickly a general shout of Happy New
Year went up from that restless throng of
more than loo unhappy men. Immediate
" some one started singing The Star Span
gled Banner. and voice after voice Joined
in the strain, until the soul-stirring song
was rising from every room of that i'm
mense building and fioated out upon the
midnight air in one grand chorus of enthu-
siastic and patriotic voices in a way that
had not been heard in the city of Richmond
for many months and years
Then Aud Lang Syne was sung. in a
way that transported many homesick fell
low back to the days when he was a happy
and contented person, in time of peace
and pIenty-and awoke in him that tender
sentiment always inspired by that sweetest
of all Burns lays. After the singing had
died away a few bOiSterous fellows awOke
the echoes by cheers, yells and such a
mixture of unearthly sounds as would, have
made one believe that pandemonium had
arrived. instead Of new year. A caution
from the guards below soon ended this babel
and quiet once more reigned throughout the
prison.
A New Year Dinner.
Daylight, however, brought to their feet
this vast crowd who ,as soon as roll call
was over. began their meager preparations
for New Year dinner. Much scheming and
planning had been going on for several
days toward this important event. The few
prison rations furnished were but a poor
hope for a feast, and there was scarcely
money enough in the prison to make eX-
tensive purchases. with potatoes at so a
bushel, wheat bread 81 per loaf. sugar ST
per pound eggs 81 per dozen, and tea and
coffee not to be had at any price. poor
prospect for a square NEAL But in some
way quite a number of fairly good dinners
were gotten up. and those that had plenty
Invited their neighborS to dine with them.
SO that very few. If any went hungry.
THE afternoon was spent in visiting from
room to room and corner to corner, and
congratulations passed as freely any
whore else in the land, for each was
thankful that he was alive. Early in the
evening a grand ball was given in the
kitchen. The orchestra. consisting of a VIC
lin. banjo. bones and tambourine, made
fairly good music for the occasion. Two
young lieutenants had dressed themselves in
Ethiopian style. one a female, with rib
bOns and flowers. the other Il swell col
Ored beau. and they We're the attraction OF
the ball and opened it in fine style. The
lights for the room were poor tallow dips
that only served to make it little less
gloomy than utter darkness. 1t was an &C.
casiDn never To be forgotten by any one
who saw it, To witness several hundred
men dancing together as though they really
enjoyed il, although a majority of them
were young men. who had many occa-
sions graced fashionable ball rooms and
sported swallow tailed coats and the rest OF
the full dress paraphernalia, unusual
Yet here they We're jigging away with stall
wart men partners. Oh, to what base
uses We may come. 1t the only real
stag dance | ever took part in, and | never
had a disposition for another.
when the ball over. and the cry of
lights out was sounded. the noise and con-
fusion Of the previous night once more
reigned Every conceivable noise was made
Stamping, halloing and shouting amid a
deaft ming clatter of tinware, and good imi-
taUons of all the domestic animals, as well
as the deniZens of the forest. were heard
through the halls of Libby. The more quiet
and sedate among the prisoners soon con-
troileI the turbulent element. and in a few
minutes the usual quiet of the place had
been resumed. and the new year fairly be-
al de