The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-15
Copyright, 1872, BY The Sur PrinH,g and
Publishing Company
CHAPTER TX

During the inst year and n half the Dry
Tortugas was anything but paradise
There did not pass day but men could !,o
eeeh tied up by their thumbs. between the
sky and the earth, until the joints pr their
thumbs were nearly pulled from thew
sockets; some carried to the Gulf stream.
bound in cords and nearly drowned, and
others tied up in The guardhouse aud 4shed
upon their naked backs.
Many Of these orlielties war,, inflicted
because the victims had followed die ,N-
ample act by some Of the officers in cha,ee
Of them and Lad dared 10 become int oyi-
Gated. There was another mode II punish
ment applied in many instances Men vcro
what they termed nailed 10 the cross or
spreaG-eagle fashion, and others we're
tied with their hands behind them 10 swing
ing limbs, the tips Of their toes barely touch.
ing the earth.
IL these same cruet ias were practised IN
other portions Of the army To the same
extent as was done at Dry Tortugas the
Cauee Of 80 many desrri ions from The service
could easily be disc ,rned Had The soldiers
at that post the facilities of DESERVING here
would have been but few of the cor mand
lsft to do garrison duty
Many left in small boats TO make their
way from the scenes OF torture. across 200
miles of sea, preferring to risk their lives
upon Ne deep than to remain. daily 90 e
to death by such brutal measures enforced
there. These particular cases will here
after refer to, it being my desire, as far as
possible. to relate each thing in order. az
far az memory can recall
A short time after Col Grenfolrs removal
TO OF her QuartarS "A ,asp af sp,a ll,,x
out upon the island. The patient. instead
Of being placed in remote corner Of The
fort, there being many unoccupied case
mates available at the time, where the
disease would not endsnger others. was
brought and placed midway between our
quarters and those of Col Grenfel We
came in contact with it daily a., we passed
to and from our labor. Col. Grenfell rrcoiv-
ing the full benefit therefrom upon each
puff Of wind that passed. We failed to be-
come inoculated with the loathsome dis
ease. however.
Finding the patient still remaining in
close proximity to each Of our Quart ers.
Col Grenfell obtained a large blackboard
and upon It In large letters inscribed Small
pox Hospital" directing all persons on the
island TO shun it. This drew the attention
Of the officers. together with the nmrrnur-
ings heard all over the island, and the
patient was removed to another portion
of the fort. The action Of the authorities
In this affair was so pointed that not only
ourselves. but each man upon the island
firmly believed that it wa done for the
express purpose of inoculating us with
this fearful and losthsome mnsdy
col. GRENFELi.'s RECORD.
Col. Grenfell was severely renriinanded
for his action and sternly commanded
10 take In the board and to be very careful
In his actions in the future. He was not
In the least inundated, but strictly gar
nefed the actions Of the officers at the fort
recording them In a diary, which he kept
during his imprisonment and which. |
learned. is now In the Possession Of Cant
MacElrath. Company l., Fifth United States
Art illery
At this period sustenance was horrible
and OF the most disgusting nature. We
sustained ourselves from our own RESOURCES
II was a godsend that We Possessed il
otherwise starvation would have stared
us in the face.
Col. Grenfells quarters were rapered
over it's woodwork front inwardly with his
daily ratons of bread and meat. a nail
having been placed through it to fssten II
TO the wall. Soldiers were loudly COM
planning about their rations and the quality
issued Often when guarding Us they
requested something to eat, stating that
they were nearly starved; that they were
robbed Of their rations, DC.
Many n Cne's hllnRpr was relieved hv VI.