The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-22

ON WHILE SHE PASSED OVER THE PAPER"
of good assistants, and gave several con-
certs. We were all on hand those nights
Every Jail window-seat that looked to-
ward the hail was crowded. Earnest faces
were pressing between the bars above and
below. Strains of stirring and of plaintive
music coming through the still air across
the starry night, with their thrilling asso-
cations of former times in other places,
touched our hearts with unwonted pow
er. We held our breath at her sweetest
strains, and we dared not show one an
other how deeply the music moved US.
When at last she sang Home, Sweet
Home" it was more than we could bear.
1t was harder than ever to sleep that
night in the dreary Jail, as We tried not
to think of home.
With all the occasional lights on it's
gloom, our life in prison was still gloomy
prison life. With all the soldierly treat
ment of their soldier prisoners by the
Southern officers Immediately over US, we
were subject to the caprices of their en-
listed men, volunteers, or conscripts,
sometimes coarse, ignorant, and even bru-
tai, in spirit and conduct, who were on
guard in charge of us, and even the Off
GERS themselves were at times compelled
to carry out orders from those above
them, which they could not but regret.
SEVERITY TO CONFEDERATE PRISONERS.
The Confederate prisoners on the floor
above us were even more severely dealt
with than ourselves. They were forbid
den to stand near the iron-barred Win
dows looking out onto the yard. One aft
ernoon we heard several shots in sue
cession and a subsequent commotion in
| the rooms above. In few minutes we
learned that one of the guard, concealed
in an outbuilding in the yard, had, with
out warning, fired at Confederate pris-
oners who were quietly looking out of
their windows, and killed two of them
within five minutes. The Sergeant of the
guard told us boastingly that that man
had killed two men in firing only three
shots. AS there had been no outbreak
| among the prisoners, but merely a care
less looking out of the window into the
Jail yard, we chafed Indignantly under
this cruel severity on the part of those
who were over US. When the bodies of
| those dead prisoners were brought from
the upper floor past our room doors, it
was hard for US to contain ourselves in
our helplessness.
SAVING A FELLow-PRIsoNER.
| A few days later, one of our fellow
officers, who had been severely wounded,
and had lain several weeks in the hos
| pital, had taken his seat in one of the
| windows looking toward the Town Hall,
| iii order to get a little fresh air on hot
afternoon. We had not been ordered
to keep back from the windows, but a
brutal sentry came up from OUTSIDE and
told the wounded Captain to get out of
his place or he would shoot him. Our
poor weak companion attempted to
comply with the sentry's demand But
one of our number sprang up into the
| window-seat, and, putting his body in
front of the Captain, said Indignantly:
| IF you want to shoot anybody, shoot
well man; don't be SO cowardly as to
shoot down a poor, sick, wounded officer.
Take well one, If you must shoot any
body. We shouldn't be in here as pris.
oners if We hadn't been willing to face
shooting. Shoot away, then, if you want
to-"
Instead of firing, the sentry lowered his
musket from his shoulder, and moved off
on his beat. The noise of the alteration
was heard by the Lieutenant on duty. BE
came in to inquire its cause. Learning
the facts, he put another man on that
sentry's beat, and said that we might
occupy the window-seats as we pleased.
These incidents were not composing to the
intense nature of q soldier prisoner, and
it was hard to keep an equable frame of
mind.
For while two of our naval officers
were held in irons in q separate room.
as hostages for two Confederate ofticers
held by our Government on a charge of
piracy. Two Of our army officers were
similarly shut away from their fellows.
because of an attempt to escape. Such
things increased and intensified our pris-
on-life trials.
| PASTORAL WORK IN PRISON.
Imprisonment did not shut me off from
opportunities of service as a Chaplain.
Every evening conducted prayers with
my companions In misfortune, before we
lay down to sleep. On Sundays I led in
service Of worehip In our officers quar-
ten. After . While our naval edicers