The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-15

seen tea up Dy tner tnuInDS Del"eeh shO
sky and the earth until the joints of their
thumbs were nearly pulled from their SOCK
cts. some carried to the gulf stream bound
in cords and nearly drowned and others
tied UP in the guardhouse and dashed upon
their naked backs.
Many of these cruelties were inflicted be-
cause the victims had followed the example
set by some of the officers in charge of
them and had dared to become intoxicated.
There was another mode Of punishment APP
piled In many instances. Men were what
they termed nailed to the cross, or spread
eagle fashion, and others were tied with
their hands behind them to swinging limbs.
the tips of their toes barely touching the
earth. II these same cruelties were prae-
ticed in other portions of the army to the
same extent as was done at Dry Tortugas
the cause of so many deserving from the
service could easily be discerned. Had the
soldiers at that post the facilities Of de-
sorting there would have been but few of
the command left to do garrison duty.
Many left in small boats to make their
way from the scenes of torture across two
hundred miles of sea, preferring to risk
their lives upon the deep than to remain,
daily dunned to death by such brutal meas
ures enforced there. These particular cases
1 will hereafter refer to, it being my desire
| as far as possible to relate eacn thing in
| order as far memory can recall.
A short time after Colonel Grenfell's re-
moval TO other quarters case of smallpox
| broke out upon the island. The patient, in
| stead of being placed in remote corner of
the fort, there being many unoccupied case
mates available at the time, where the dis
ease would not endanger others, was
brought and placed midway between our
| quarters and those of Colonel Grenfell. We
| came in contact with it daily as we passed
] to and from our labor, Colonel Grenfell re-
| ceiving 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 quarters.
Colonel Grenfell obtained a large black
board and upon it in large letters inscribed
Smallpox Hospital" directing all persons
on the island to shunt it. This drew the at
tention of the officers, together with the
murmurings heard all over the island and
the patient was removed to another portion
of the fort. The action of the authorities
1
ourselves. but each man upon the island,
firmly believed that it was done for the
express purpose of inoculating US with this
| fearful and loathsome malady.
JOKE NOT APPRECIATED.
Colonel Grenfell was severely reprimand-
ed for his action and sternly commanded to
| take in the board and to be very careful in
his actions in the future. He was not in
1 n
the actions of the officers at the fort, re-
cording them in diary which he kept dur
ing his imprisonment, and which, learned,
| is now in the possession of Captain MacEl-
rath. Company L. Fifth United States Ar
tillery. AT this period sustenance was hor-
rible and of the most disgusting nature.
| We sustained ourselves from our own re-
sources. 1t was a godsend that we pos
sessed it, otherwise starvation would have
| stared us in the face.
| Colonel Grenfell's quarters were papered
over it's woodwork front inwardly with his
| daily rations of bread and meat, nail hav-
ing been placed through it to fasten 1t to
| the wall Soldiers were loudly complaining
| 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, etc.
| Many a ones hunger was relieved by us
from our own scant supply through which
| we gained their friendliness in some in
stances, but a general thing they were
kind. and sympathized with us In our mis-
| fortunes, and would have permitted us to
have escaped If in doing so they would not
have been compromised in the matter. They
complained bitterly of the distribution OF
the company fund, stating that the benefit
| therefrom was not received by them, but
used by the company officers themselves.
This was the general complaint among
them all during the first two years of our
incarceration. 1 make no assertion myself
or accusation in this matter, as 1 am en-
| tirely ignorant upon the subject and L give
but the statements of others In this special
instance.
RECRUITS WERE MALTREATED.
Never were lot Of recruits worse mall
treated. They were beaten, bruised and
manned by the harsh treatment and pun
ishment awarded. Inhumanity seemed to be
the ruling element, and barbarity and in
justice the only thoughts of those i'm power,
our rulers. Sunday morning would always
find twenty or thirty packing balls at the
| guardhouse In the boiling sun until some
| of them, exhausted and overcome by the
| heat, would fall in an almost lifeless con-
dition and lie there, no notice being taken
| of them until after the fact had been re-
ported to the officer of the day, when they
| would be picked up and conveyed to the
| hospital for medical treatment
A French Canadian died about month
after his arrival, superinduced from the
cruelties practiced upon him by the first
| sergeant of his company. receiving knocks
on the head, body and limbs from the butt
| end of the musket, used until nature gave
| way, and he was consigned to a premature
grave on the adjacent island of East Key.
The man who perpetrated this piece of
cruelty was afterwards, through examina-
| ton. made lieutenant in the United States
| army. This was not the only instance of
| his cruelty, as every soldier who was in the
| company can testify. He misused, with but
few exceptions. every man in the company
A private soldier of his company by the
name of Street came into the hospital one
| morning while 1 was there with the blood
streaming down his neck from a wound i'm
flicted at the hands OF this sergeant during
drill. I saw the man myself and received
my information directly from him. / can
| not remember the names of the many so i'll
! al l.,.t