The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-07-17
PUTTING IRONS ON Mr.. DAVIS.

Aprop1S to the recent discussion regarding
the brutal treatment of Jefferson Davis, ex.
President of the Confrdcracy ny Genera
Miles, the following letter ot Dr. W. f. brand
tu the baltimore sun, throws interesting
light on the subject,
AicsSrS. Editors; Under the heading Put.
ting Irons on Mr.. Davis in the Sun of July
ii there is given Il letter of Capt. Jerome b.
Titlow' officer Of the day upon the day
when Mr. Davis was ironed. and under
whose command the work was done" This
letter proves that the disgrace on the United
States Army of which it treats was the per
sonal act "f its present chief officer.
Captain Titlow writes: General Miles
called me to headquarters and told me that
he had authority I" place MIR. Davis in irons
and exhibited to me 4 personal letter from
"Stanton which evidently was in re
ply to Il communication from General Miles.
you consider the safeguarding of the prisoner
To require it, you may place him in irons at
your discretion.
Having this qualified permission, General
Miles entered upon course of cruelty which
no gentleman will ever cOndonc even on the
plea of lack of discretion"
The word of Captain Titlow needs no corr
tirmation yet feel prompted to hear tsstf,
mony to the same effect.
When the stringency of his Imprisonment
had been relax ed MIR. navis asked me to
dayhrcak when the steamboat reach the for
resS. The gate WAS not opened; hut the
officer of the day having come out, | ask ed
him to give me entry. He politely wrote me
asked: "Whcre are you going:" Unanswered:
ITO see Mr. Davis" Whercupon he store
thS paper in two. threw il at my feet and
without Il word left me. l waited outside
until aguntire. | found Mr.. Davis with Mrs.
Davis, little Winnie and servants, COM
fortably housed as could have been desired
under the circumstances. The condition of
tbs place of his torture had not been changed.
The room was of good size; in front was a
covered way paved with brick. behind it a
plankcd passage. 1t was divided by an iron
grating reaching to the ceiling; door giving
entrance to the inner room was closed with
chains and locks. Here the helpless man WAS
taken to he manacled, was thrown down
to the ground with violence and held there
while irons were rivetcd to his ankles" In
this room there was Il cot, but not the
slightest screen for the privacy common
scilsc nf dccercy would exact; THE safeguard
ing Of ti;c prisoner required that his every
motion should he under the eye of n sentinel
kindly surgeon who wrote not long after
peace was restored states that, falling ON
this cot. the tcttcred man exclaimed; Shame,
shame
asked Mr.. navis with regard to the
emotion attributed 10 him. He answered:
''Shamc'. ! iut no shame on my own account
but did for what had once hecn my country.
This confess: attempted to seize a muskct.
resisting with the hope that | might he
killed.
The safeguarding OF the prisoner being Sc
cured. could not the soacc of sleep be granted
to Il sick man: All the night long, and every
night, Il sentinel trampcd on the rcsounding
passage and on the brick pavement, where
from time to time squad marched. In the
outer room were soldiers who, of course, held
their peace the night long, In the inner room
was a sentinel, whose charge it was to keep
his eye fixed on the prisoner. This was more
than one man could stand long: therefore.
with the rattling of the locked chains and the
Changing of the iron door, exchange was often
made. Mr.. Davis had lost the sight of one
eve and the other was in Il state of painful
iptl1 IN 4f1r tiaf ,st
that throughout the room 81, one the brightest
light THAT laEips would give: Everyone
must have felt the influence of fixed gaze,
said to Mr.. Davis Il should think that the
having unc staring at you all the time was
calculated to craze you" His answer WAS
Il had no doubt that this was "a deliberate
purpose and set my mind earnestly to de-
feat the aim
Is not this result OF his "discrction' enough
TO show tn: bent OF General Miles?
When, after Il lapse of year. MIR. Davis
was allowed to receive visitors. the chaplain
of the fortress who had received his appoint
ment from MIR. Davis. called to see him. He
WAS received with these plain words: Key
crend sir: il YOU come here as Others come
my door is open to you. But do not wish
to see you as ~ Clergyman"
Mr.. Davis. these are hard words"
lis there not sufficient cause: When
was supposed to he drawing nigh to death
received Holy Communion at your hands
bcSgcl you to let see Won again Goon
Twelve months have passed since thcn, and
| never till now have you como near me-
The disc"mtitrd minister ofmcrcy answered
Sir, yot, 90 not know the circumstances
under which have been placed
But did know, said MIR. Davis to me
"a chaplain has rights with which Il com.
mandant cannot interfere. He has the right
of access to anyone needing his spiritual aid
lad nc insisted on his rights he might have
lost his position here: hut his claim would
have been upheld by the nation"
| may remark here that Mr.. Davis always
believed in a Scnue of Justice and mercy on the
part Of the people. Permission to visit
/ The sick prisoner had been refused Al
| least one other clergyman had The same tx
| pcricncc. The Rev. MIR. kcrfoot, chaplain ri
Il Western regiment which had been sent Ii
| Fortress Monroe, asked leave to minister t.
| MIR Davis and was reused. This MIR. Davi.
| never knew.
And now General Miles may testify in hi.
| own behalf. When the captive was allowed
| the benefit of exercise in the open air he was
| with his iailcr. walking on the ramparts wher
| he bluntly asked to what was due the harsh
| treatment he had received, and the answer
given was: The orders | received were
| stringent and l chose ointerprct them in the
Scvcrcst manner"
These may not he the precise words. but
| think they were. and their meaning was toe
| deeply burned into my memory to he ever
| forgotten.
| General Miles must have shown ability. a.
| well as courage, else he could never have riser
| from civil life to the high military rank ht
| holds; but there cannot III attributed to him
| the INSTINCTS Of d true soldier.
| w. +. BRAND.
! Fmmorton, Md. July 8, 1903,