The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-13

Many were suffering dreadfully from scurvy
AID chronic troubles.
The bread was disgusting TO look upon,
bsing a mixture Of -four. bugs, sticks ana
tirt. Meat. whose faint corld be traced
Dy its smell from one part Of the fort to the
other. In fact, rotten and to such an extent
that dogs ran from coming in contact with
II, was served.
10 vegetable diet was issued Of any de-
sciption. and the coffee. which should have
hesn good. as gooi Qislitv was issued,
vas maze into = slop bv those who had
chafge Of the cook house These articles
with but little variation. composed the diet
until the Fifth United stat. Artillery ar
rived and assumed command which was
in thn month Of November.
Ipto III" above date there was not an ar
iicl" Of food raised upon the island. The
iueat and -four that had been repeatedly
condemned by the inspector. the quarter
master still issued. not only TO prisoners.
but, IN many instances. to the garrison
tlur treatment during the STAY. Of Col
Hamilton az the 10th New York Nolin-
taers MAS - good MS could he expected
under such circumstances
TREATMENT ACCORDING TO CAPToRs.
In short time the 10th New York wac
relieved by the i8ist New York. under
whom We received far better treatment
no change occurring, however. in the ma
ture end kind Of food listed. IL still being
If the meanest ana coarsest nature. The
stay of this regiment WAS very short, and
they were relieved by the Eighty-second
United States Colored Infantry, under
whom the first change occurred, render
ing imprisonment almost ins,pport table.
Or. Samuel Mudd, upon the arrival Of the
Eighty-second Regiment. on Sept. 25
1895, made an attempt 10 escape, because.
az he afterNard informed me, he vas fearf III
hat his life would be sacrifCed under their
rule. Under the plea of the attempt Of
Mudd 20 escale, each Of us was placed
| III. L.. 4
around our ankles, and IN this degraded
condition We we're COMPELLED to daily per
form certain assigned labor
MARES NEST coSsPIRACIEs
Col George st. Leger Grcnfell, quite an
aged gentleman arrived AZ the fort shortly
after Muod's attempt to escape, under the
alleged charge Of conspiracy, and was
placed in tie sane dungeon with US, and the
same shameful indignity and degradation
heaped upon him; which leads me to sup
pose that DR. Nudd's attempt al escape var
not the true grounds upon which this act
Of barbaritv and inhumanity was based.
II was hardly known throughout the
| country as yet that We had been sent 10 Dry
| Tortugas The War Department, under
whoee sealed orders We we're sent TO Dry
Tortugas. knew of the fact Of our arrival
and so did it's chief detective, Gen. l.. {.
Raker, who must have started on his tour
of the western part OF The country about the
| same peIiod as our departure from Wash
ington, from the fact that less than a month
had passed away before he had arthed
another COM piracy. which vas organizing
TO rescue our imprisoned bodies from the
authorities at Dry Tor,ugas
The country setiled 10 he infested with
conspiraces. pr az least the heads Of the
different deparlm nts If the Government
breathed Only poisonous Napors of combs
nations Of persons combining together
in some unlawful enterprise.
THE TALES or RESCUE.
Why was this so? will answer it IT, A
very few words. They we're the CON
spirators themselves, conspirinp not only
against the innocent citizens of the Repub-
lie. but against the Republic itself. creating
necessity for the purpose Of carrying out
the natural propensity Of their own hearts
To cover up their own natures in the tra ns-
action they stopped to deception and
caused to be stated that the reason for
placing us in irons. &C, was Mudd's at
tempt at escape.
That il was all false and was 80 from the
beginning | will endeavor TO prove. using
their own weapons, as will be seen by the
following copy of telegram which was
forwarded 10 the commanding officer Of
Dry Tortusas, for his guidance and instruc-
ton, viz:
August II, 1885, o 4 VI
Hon. r Eekert, Acting Ass's'dn' Secretary
Ihave important papers Think the COM
handing oricer of Dry 1ortugas should he
put on guard against an attemIt to rescue
pany il orgnniang in New Orleans for that
purpose have all the fact from reliable
source
Signed l. BAEEn...
Brig Gen Pro Mar. War Dept
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ESCAPE.
News Of this conspiracy organizing, not
organized, was communicated 10 each de
vartment commander. and soon all we're in
wild commotion, each endcavorlng to out
do the other IN their attempt TO render
abortive the object of that which had no
existence beyond their own designing
minds.
In quick succession communications from
the different headquarters arrived M the
post, copies Of which | herewith append.
Wa Ellington, Auv II. isS5
Col e n. Hamilton. no.. NY Vol .! me
T"aTd"2b %MT, pf Go T%'i% l ,c f1
MSHrr.hs! p he Va Pep@r,msnt rhs score
uaI measures against any attempt 10 rescue
prisoners you VII place the four STATE pri,9nr-
ers rnoid Mud Sp2p na ana 9 .Lh TN,
inside Fort Jefferson a. shall make abortiye
any attempt At escape or r"scue, You will
ths ~ f rspo Of The Irr "s You S ,aE
under these instructions. Very respectfully.
your obedient servant. :,
Assistant Admtnnt G"naral
HEAperARIERs DIVISION OF IHt GrLr
NEw ORLEANS Aug 20 1885
Comndu..tg bHgtr, OriHDGs.
TIE inCioS,d trcgrGm l.. forwarded for
your inform ton You Nill AZ once tab,
| measures to prevent the aCComplis m"nt OF
such purpose MS the sururiS" Of your post
and the release OF The prisoners there. Re-
port by return OF tne bearer tie strcngtl,
of your garrison Very respectfully,
Your obedi mt servant.
fSigned1 y II SHERIDAN.
NJ or-Gcnorul
l'orv ~ Tci.'rnm
WAsHISoIoN, Aug H. l230P NJ
Mnjoy-f;on. r.. IL =. tGnby
L l. department l. Informed that an OPERA
ton l. on foot In New Orleans to 30 20 IT,.
Dry 1ortugns and 10y surprise or stratagcr,
sciz. mat place nnd rclrusc tue prisoners
there Imm"di ltclv rec, wing q Is telegram
plea 80 scnd a special M, ssor ger to notify .
commanders NJ hey West and Dry Tortugas
| any strntagcIn or surprise, and secure -
3 fety Of .ir commands You will also
| mo every EFFORT 20 defeat is object. You
will also noti' Z" division commander and
request l. &c o GRAFTON. ACknowt dye the
rec irt Of this tclc gram.
l~ignedl + VI. STANTON.
Secretary OF War.
Or'cill
lSigned p, II SHERIDAN,
NJ jor-Gcneral
DR. MUDDs ATTEMPT TO FLEE.
A instructed, Lieut.. Carrel ter, bearin z
these despa tChes arrived at Fort jefferson,
| Fla durii Y the month Of Septemf er while