The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-13

nifty and degradation heaped upon him,
which leads me to suppose that Dr.
MUdd's attempt at escape was not the
true grounds, upon which this act of
barbarity and inhumanity was based.
1t was hardly known throughout the
country as yet that we had been sent
to Dry Tortugas. The War Depart
ment, under whose sealed orders we
were sent to Dry Tortugas, knew of
the fact of our arrival, and so did its
chief detective, Gen. l.. c. Baker, who
must have started on his tour of the
western part of the country about the
same period as our departure from
Washington, from the fact that less
than month had passed away before
he had unearthed another conspiracy,
which was organizing to rescue our i'm
prisoned bodies from the authorities at
Dry Tortugas.
The country seemed to be infested
with conspiracies or, at least, the
heads of the different departments of
the government, breathed only poison
Gus vapors of combinations of persons
combining together in some unlawful
enterprise. Why was this SO? l will
answer it in very few words. They
were the conspirators themselves, con-
spring not only against the innocent
citizens of the republic, but against the
republic itself, creating a necessity for
the purpose of carrying out the natural
propensity of their own hearts To
cover up their own natures In the
transaction they stopped to deception
and caused to be stated that the season
for placing us In irons, etc, was
Mudd's attempt at escape.
ALLEGED RESCUE PLAN
That it was all false and was so from
the beginning I will endeavor to prove,
seen bN the following copy Of tele-
gram, which was forwarded to the
commanding officer of Dry Tortugas,
for his guidance and instruction; viz:
Louisville, Ky,
Angst II, IS 5, A. M.
Hon. r. T. Echart, Acting Assistant
Secretary of War:
I have important papers. l think
! the commanding officer of Dry Tortu-
gas should be put on guard against an
attempt to rescue the state prisoners in
his charge. A company is organizing.
I have all the facts from a reliable
source.
(Signed). L. c. BAKER,
Brig. Gen. Pro. Mar, War Dept.
| A true copy.
A. Genls Office, August II, 1865.
(Signed) E. D. TOWNSEND.
! Asst Adjt. Genl.
| News of this conspiracy organizing
not organized, was communicated to
each department commander, and soon
| all were in wild commotion, each en-
| deavoring to Guido the other in their
attempt to render abortive the object OF
that which had no existence beyond
their own designing minds.
| OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
| In quick succession communicate
from the different headquarters arriv-
ed at the post, copies of which I here
with append.
War Dept, A. CENTS Office,
Washington. August II, 1865.
Col c. Fl. Hamilton, ITO N. Y, VOL, or
| The Commanding Officer, Dry Tor
tugas, Fla.
Sir: l enclose herewith a. copy Of {
telegram from Brigadier General L. C
Baker, provost marshal of the War De
partment. The Secretary Of War di
reefs that besides taking effectua
measures against any attempt to res
cue prisoners you will place the fou
state prisoners-Arnold, Mudd, Spang
Ter and O'Laughlin-under such re
straint and within such limits insid
Fort jefferson as shall make abortiv
any attempt at escape or rescue. Yo1
will return by Lieutenant Carpenter
the bearer of this, full report of tn
measures you take under these instruc
tions Very respectfully,
(Signed) E. D. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant General
Headquarters Division of the Gulf,
New Orleans August 20, 1865.
Commanding Officer, Tortugas: