Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-18

! iarla generated in that cii1nate lie. d2ppliS,
| we lived through Il all. and am permit
| ted to give to the world at large some
| linking OF the many wrongs. fortunes and
| sufrerings inflicted upon US during the
| It,ioa OF nearly four long years OF exile.
I In the month Of October. 1867. the fever
| having exhausted itself and finally
stamped cut. and with it. TO q great eS-
tent. the harsh and rigorous measures
manner of our Imprisonment. some OF the
! privileges which VIC had taken during its
prevalence We're curtailed. but for the
most part the others were not counter
1 manded by the officer in command.
/ The officers who garr.soned the fort at
/ this time. with the exception Of two, fell
1 victims 10 the disease. a lieutenant re-
| covered alone through the kind care and
| watchful nursing and attention Of Colo
| ne! Grenfeil, who remained with him day
! and night, adnlinist ering to his slight
! est want. The officers who died of the
/ disease were coffined and borne to their
! last resting place by the prisoners of the
! post no respect being shown by the
| other officers Even wives were carried
| in like manner to the grave, the husband
/ remaining in his quarters.
| Everything went on smoothly after the
] fever until the month Of December, 1867.
! when there arrived upon the island a
| notary public purporting to be from the
| State OF Florida. His business at first
| was unknown. as Il frequently happened
| that strangers came into our midst on a
visit 10 the commanding officer His
business however. was soon made known
to US We were ordered separately to ms
presence. and found ne was one OF the
commissioners appointed by the congress
sonal committee to investigate into the
particulars connected with the assaslna-
ton OF President Lincoln.
Letters were shown US as coming from
BENJAMIN r Butler. authorizing the no
tary 20 obtain our voluntary statements.
etc we were forced into his presence
did not so voluntaT ily-a ccompahied by
an armed guard. When was sent for by
him and seated he handed me his creden-
tails TO peruse. which I carefully did I
returned them to him, stating that knew
nothing concerning the business he was
upon; that a statement Of all the facts
that I knew of had been placed in the
hands Of the government upon my arrest,
AMI that the government was perfectly
conversant with all the knowledge that
I possessed. and, from my trial, knew
more than T. or any one else did sup
posed to, be connected herewith. and re-
fused to make any further statement
a TALK WITH NOTARY.
I informed him that he was stranger
to me: that he might be as base as those
who had already dealt with me; that l
did not trust him nor any other man.
etc. stating that burnt child dreaded
the fire He told me to consider 1t, and
was dismissed and sent TO my quarters.
After conversing with my roomnates over
the matter we each arrived at the con-
clusion that it could do 10 harm to us.
nor the living nor the dead, and con-
cludcd to conform to his request
called. however, upon the command
ing officer, Major George P. Andrews.
and stated my situation to him. | told
him that I was prisoner under his
charge. and, as such, demanded his pro-
lection He told me that | should nave
it. and. thus feeling safe, gave state
nlent Of similar purport as that first
made.
During its writing the notary held out
several inducements to cause not only
myself, but the others, to swear falsely,
stating that if we could implicate any
others we would be released from our
Imprisonment and carried TO Washington
as witnesses His advent was about the
tirae of the attempted impeachment OF
Andrew johnson. President of the United
States and his visit alone was 10 attempt
to cause us TO falsely impiicate Andrew
johnson in the assassination.
There was a great deal of unpleasant
ness pervadng our interviews, and high
words followed when he wished me TO
amend my signature to an affidavit drawn
UP by himself Throughout my state
,nent he attempted to place his construc-
ton upon il, and obliterated my writings,
until finally I requested 10 be Informed
Whether he came to write my statement
himself or did he come TO obtain mine.
I refused TO sign my name to his affidavit
as drawn up by himself stating that it
inferred that Of which | knew nothing.
He handed it to Major Andrews, who was
seated in the room, to read. The Major
could not see it in the same light that
l did. stating that it was all correct,
etc
Seeing that neither justice nor protec-
ton would be given me, I stated that I
would not sign it. and If he was not
satisfied / would destroy that which /
had written and end the interview: that 1
asked alone for my rights and protec-
ton in them from the commanding Off
Ger.
A THREAT TO SHOOT.
Major Andrews Immediately rose up
and spoke thus:
Sir l will take you out on the parade
grounds and shoot YOU.
I replied: Il am your prisoner. Major;
you certainly can DO with me as you
-
authority to shoot me, all that is lett
me- sir, I suppose. is to stand it.'
/ was not shot, however. neither did
sign my name TO the affidavit, but wrote
out one that suited my way OF thinking.
also wrote my own statement Without
the notary's assistance. ard i'll the end
complied with his request, giving my
statement.
was quite i'll before I had completed
1t, and was annoyed by this man until
he nearly worried me to death, the sur
geon repeatedly cautioning him not TO
visit me in my low condition. He came
in spite of all these things. Colonel Gren-
se!l writing my expressions down for me.
my condition being such that l was I'M
able to raise my head from my pillow.
The same was likewise done to the others.
and he left the post much disappointed.
as I afterwards learned from some OF
my friends in Key West
After he had left the pest we were in
formed through reliable authority that he
was armed with the power in case we
refused TO furnish him our statements
to place us in solitary confinement.
and to be fed upon bread and water,
whereas by his papers exhibited to Us
he was to obtain our voluntary state
mentS. There was nothing voluntary Upon
our part throuahou the whole affair.
but force in every INSTANCE was used and
threats made. besides the Inducements
held out to swear falsely in the premises,
OLD COMMANDER RETURNS.
Our condition from this time on remain
ed unchanged until March, 1855, when
Major Andrews was relieved Of command
If the post. Brevet Major --. Col
onel George St. Leger Grenfell's inveter-
ate enemy. was ordered back 10 the fort
and assumed Command. AT the same