The sun., 1902-12-14

Told Him-Pri,ate Soidiers. as Well as
Copyright, 1902. BY The sun Printing ard
Publishing Company
CHAPTER VIII
In a short time a damp and unhealthy
dungeon was placed in readiness To receive
us, through which but little air could p"no-
tratc. and on Oct ~ Col c. 81 Ieger Gren-
feu. Mudd Spar gler, l. .ughlin and ny-ef
we're removed to these selected quarters
and herded together like 80 many cattle
The doors for the first few days we're
always kept closed, with an armed sentinel
walking to and fro from his seat. closely
guarding against any approach to our
quarters.
Soon leg irons were introduced, and each
ironed with the exception of myself, they
remaining on me, because was engaged
In writing for some of the officers at post
headquarters
Wher the instructions contained in Gen.
Newton's communication Of Sept. 3 had
been looked into, the ringleaders Of the plot
ferreted out and placed in irons, the COM
manding officer, to prove how willingly
the duty Of his superior, and likewise II
himself, had been performed, penned the
following communication to the War De-
partment.
HF\DQr ARrFES.
foRI JtfftE~pN. FLA
OCToPEE 20, 1855 '
Brrrst Li.m -Col samuel BrCck Assistant
AdJutGpt-Ggnordi
COLONEL have the honor to report that
when ! relieved Major willis r. craig. ldl-t
New York Volunteers. of the command of this
post he failed to turn over to me any particu-
lar order or Instructions relative 20 TIA" con-
fnement of State prisoners at this post and
to-day. for the first time, learned from Brig.
Gen Newton. commanding Department Of
Middle Florida, that instructions had
been sent to the commanding officer of
this post to keep them in close connn" m"ut
when not at work When this post was
visited by Msjor-Gen. Foster, command
ing Department of Florida. on the 18th
day of this month. he gave mo instructions
o put them in close confinement, and | have
accordingly fitted up dungeon to carry out
his inst ruction~, but had never until this day
known anything in re gard 10 the orders from
the War Department ] am sir. very re-
-pectfully. your obedient servant.
Sig ed GEO WENTWORTH
Major Eighty second United states Colored
Infantry, commanding.
What mind among those may windings
can uneaTt1l tIle cause OF All 'ier" S'fitl
machinat ions? Everything connected
far as To the cause assigned for the placing
Of us in irons il concerned has been re-
futed by their own correspondence.
We were closely confined, when not at
work. in this damp and ill-ventilated dun
geon, prepared by Major George T.. Went
worth for our reception-forced TO labor
daily, heavily ironed about our feet, our
n l.,
guard Oblack), denied intercourse with
every one upon the island and locked within
our gloomy dungeon at sundown
CAPToRs CHANGED FOR THE WORSE.
This continued unchanged until the ar
rival Of the Fifth Artillery. Brig. Gen.
Bennett H. Hill, commanding. The rahons
issued at this time were putrid, unfit
to eat, and during these three months of
confinement | lived upon cup Of slop
coffee and the dry, hard crust Of bread.
This is no exaggeration, as many others
can testify 20 it's truthfulnesS.
Coffee was brought over to our quarters in
dirty. greasy bucket, alway- with grease
swimming upon its surface; bread, rotten
flsh and meat all mixed together and thus
we were forced To live for months until
starvation nearly stared VIZ in the face,
When the Fifth Artillery arrived and we
looked upon the faces Of men Of our own
color and race, we felt greater security
for our lives We did not think it possible
that worse men could bo found upon the
face Of the earth than most Of the officers
connected with the Eighty--econd United
States Coored Infantry; but We soon found
that we had traded of the witch for the
devil
A. for the enlisted men, or private sol
dicrs both white and black, must say that
We were treated by them with the utmost
kindness and cons liberation, which shall
ever be remembered with the most grate-
full feelings.
II was but short period before the
hatred of the officers Of the Fifth Artillery
became visible and felt in more instances
than one Their arrival dated from about
Nov. ~, when Gen. Hill assumed command
Of the post.
Frequent vsitations were made by them
To our quarters without a word h"ing spoken
or a question propounded, they looking
upon us as If we were wild beasts and con-
cocting some plan to dcgrad" and further
torture us.
WE CAN DO WIN lor As WE PLEASE. "
First Lieut.. William Van Reed ad dutant
being officer Of the day, OIaughlin deter
mined 10 ask him the cause of his being
placed In irons. O'Laughln stated TO him
il was not ia conformity with the findings
OF the court; thai, sentence did not call for
such inhuman treatment at the hands of his
iailers; that he had conformed 20 every re-
auirement since a prisoner in IN" hands Of
the Government, never violating any rule
governing the command and firmly pro-
testing against such barbarou- treatment
Lieut.. Van Reed walked up and down
our quarters. in his insignia Of rank, and
replied
"Sir, your sentence il nothing We can
do with you and to you lust a. w. please. "
and, without further comment, abruptly
left our quarters
II a subaltern officer could thus set aside
the findings Of an cntir" court If officer,
also override the modified sentence of the
President Of the United States he p"N-"sS"d
more real power over IA than either and
had II in his assumed power To ignore the