The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-19

fronted with it. and naturally were led
To inquire why of all quarters this
alone was boarded up.
ASKED FOR ACCUSERS.
As no cause had been assigned for
this unlooked-for and sudden display
of hatred of the provost marshal, We
applied to the commanding officer to be
informed as to what offense we had
committed to Justify such action and
whether he was acting upon secret in
formation, and, if so, We desired to be
confronted with our accusers, knowing
that We had neither infringed upon the
rules governing nor contemplated any
unlawful undertaking.
We were informed that We were not
accused of anything, but that the ru-
NOR was current of the contemplated
escape of some of the prisoners, and
that the boards were placed UP to pre-
vent prisoners from crossing the guard
house shed to the corridor beyond.
thence into the Enclosure of the fort. A
Dor excuse was better than none. I'M
mediately below our quarters was sta
toned the whole guard and two SEN
tinels guarded all exists from the fort,
who had full view at all times Of our
immediate quarters, with would have
rendered it impossible for anyone to
have crossed over. Even had it been
possible to have eluded the vigilance of
the sentinels at this point, they would
have been forced to have come in direct
contact with the entire guard as they
descended the steps leading to the
groundwork of the Enclosure OF the
| fort.
Finding that we could not accomplish
having the boards removed, we became
resigned to the new order OF things
never afterward asking any questions
relative to it. This continued until
! few days before our departure from
the island. When it became known that
! Dr. Mudd had been pardoned and the
Fifth Artillery had been relieved
! Spangler requested that the portion OF
the fence directly in front of our quar-
/ tiers be removed, so that we could OBJ
tain light and proper ventilation to oul
room, the side walls Of which Were
hung with deep masses of slime anc
spongy substance, created through eX-
IRENE dampness.
I
/ The provost marshal said that he
would consult General Hill, then com
manding, in regard to his request Ht
did so, and the following day the OBJ
struction was removed. Very soon at
terward we received the news of oul
pardons, when we became callous tt
all Surroundings, feeling that theil
tenure of persecution and intense ha
tired which had existed for four years
was drawing to close. Before the de
parture Of the Fifth Artillery we re
ceived a telegram notifying us OF ou
pardon Wherupon we received the con
gratulations of each officer of the post
whether real of fictitious it is beyond
my power to state.
On March 20, 1869, having received
my release from their custody by vir
tue of the official pardon granted b,
Andrew Johnson, president OF tn
United States, issued in our RESPECTIVE
cases, we departed from the fort, trans
portation alone being furnished as ia
as Key West, Fla. The government
had deported us far from our homes t.
a strange land and had discharged u
with no means at command to return
Had it not been for my father, VIII
came for me, I would have been lief
penniless among strangers, Withou
means to reach my home or to pur
chase subsistence to alleviate hunger
Like justice followed my footsteps from
it's beginning to its end.
THE OFFICIAL PARDON.
Armed with the official authorit,
which restored me again to the Worl
a. free man, a pardon granted by tn
United States government, copy o
which is herewith appended, to wit:
Andrew Johnson,
President of the United States o
To all to whom these presents sha
come, greeting:
Whereas, On the Both day, of June, i
the year 1855, one Samuel B. Arnol
was, by the judgment of a militar
commission, convened and holden i
the City of Washington, declared guilt
of the specification wherein he wa
charged in the words and figures fol
lowing, to wit: And in further prose
cution of said conspiracy the said Sam
uel Arnold did, within the military de
partment and the military lines afore
said, on or before the 9Th day of Marcel
A. D. 1865, and on divers others day
and times between that day and tn
18th day of April, A. D. 1865, combine
conspire with and aid, counsel, abe
comfort and support the said job
Wilkes Booth, Lewis Payne, George
Atzerodt, Michael O'Laughlin and thei
confedrates in said unlawful, murder
Gus and traitorous conspiracy and tn
execution thereof as aforesaid; and
Whereas, The sentence imposed b
said military commission upon the sal
Samuel Arnold was that he be inlpri:
oned at hard labor for life, and the cor
finement under such sentence was d
!; rected to be had in the military prise
at Dry Tortugas, Fla, and the sal
Samuel Arnold has been for more tina
!. three years and six months, and no
u.s. suffering the inf1iction of such ser
! tence; and
ROOM FOR UNCERTAINTY.
Whereas, The evidence adduce
against said Arnold before the sal
military commission leaves room for Ill
certainty as to the true measure ar
nature of the completely of the sa