Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-16

Boarded City of Petersburg.
1.-The next morning the whole crowd of us
boarded the steamer City of Petersburg,
and from that 'palatial and fast-going
craft as the notices to travellers would
mention, we were retransferred to an ex-
cursion barge belonging to the late Brad
Adams. but then doing service as govern
ment transport.
I'VE arrived at Fort Monroe and were
amazed at seeing all the flags half-masted.
Some one said that President Lincoln was
dead, but a civilian on the boat said: L
judge not 1t is probably Mr. Seward who
is dead / heard he had met with a fatal
accident while taking a carriage ride.
I'VE soon, however. learned the lament
able fact of the occasion for the flags being
at half-mast. A Union officer made some
remarks to me which l inferred were in
tended to ascertain our sentiments concern
ing the assassination. but he was dsap-
pointed If he expected to hear any words of
approval of the crime. The fact is. the
news produced severe shock to all of the
crowd that l was with.
We'll from Font Monroe we steamed up
the Potomac, and on Sunday morning.
April Is. forty years ago. landed at the
18th street wharf. We were all paroled
prisoners. Altogether including Wash
ington men, there were about hundred
and fifty dejected-looking individuals We
were entirely without guard and didn't
know exactly what to do until Pope Young
land 1 don't know whether 1 have yet en-
tirely forgiven the DOCTOR suggested, as
we had been treated nicely, we had better
go up and report to the provost marshal.
Reported to Provost Marshal.
$50 off we started all by ourselves. The
city was in mourning from one end to the
other for the martyr Lincoln and tokens
of the peoples sorrow met every glance of
the eye. Our procession to the provost
marshal was not enlivening one. Up
7th street we went to Pennsylvania avenue;
up the avenue on the south side to 14th
street to some buildings just north of where
the Colorado building now stands, and DR..
Young reported to the provost marshal our
arrival in Washington.
1.-The authorities at this Office didn't seem
to know what to do with US. We were a
sort of elephant on their hands but they
sent word to Secretary Stanton, and he
soon found out how to dispose of us, for, to
our surprise, there marched into the yard
adjacent to the building where he had re-
ported a soldier in sky-blue uniform.
He was member of the Invalid Corps, and
soon he had a strong guard with him. The
men were ordered to load their guns, and
they marched again along the avenue
and through street to the Soldiers Rest
at the Baltimore and Ohio depot. Along
the route l saw John Young. the coach
maker who l knew very well, and sang out
to him to notify my father that l was in
town.
diers' Rest We were started again for some
place None of us knew where, but it
afterward proved to be Alexandria. Our
Invalid guard were rather loggy, | suppose,
from too much rations and too little work.
and We stopped several times to rest.
Saw Congregation Coming.
Il recollect that once we were halted just
as the congregation was coming out of DR..
Holmead's church, at the corner of Sth and
D streets southwest. The church people
looked us all over but made no comments
and after slow march we reached Alex
andrla and were taken to the Washington
street cotton factory We were kept there
for three weeks with Gen. Grants parole in
our pocket.
THE officers who were with US were To-
Gated in the upper part of the building, and
the rumor got around among us they were
going to be shot. thought this would be
a rather just retrfbution for the particular
officer who steered us up to the provost
marshals Office instead of allowing US to go
home and get square meal on that Sunday
morning. .'H9~.
I'VE afterward learned that the long
headed Secretary of War, Stanton. had
done wise thing in sending back to a
prison. paroled as we were. The populace
here, justly incenSed at the terrible crime
of the assassination of the President and ex-
cited as it was. might have made serious
attack upon us, and Mr.. Stanton probably
prevented serious consequences. Some, in
fact many of these old fellows, are dead,
but there also many of them who, with
their families and friends will remember
wildly that memorable Sunday morning
forty years ago when we Johnny rebs
came marching home