The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-06-26

you ask me to tell you how II feels.
to be hanged?" said Rev. J. 7. Mann.
| of Fitzgerald, Ca, who Is now IN Pen
sacOla for the first time since 1854, to
Journal reporter yesterday. WELL
1 suppose if there is anyone qualified
to do so it Is myself, as l spent four
minutes Of my career at the end OF
a hangsman's rope near your city DUR
ing the civil war. It occurred at Fort
Barrancas, where I was captured as q
Confederate spy, and but for the fact
that a sergeant ordered me cut down as
he thought the wrong man was being
. executed, I would not now be here
telling you Of the sensations a man
feels dangling at the end Of a rope"
As an Introductory it may be stat
ed that Rev. Mr.. Mann is a Baptist
minister and preached two sermons in
the city Sunday. His throat, how
ever, prevents his regularly filing q
pulpit and he is now travelling through
this section Of the state in the inter-
est Of some publications. He Is a
man Of slim build, rather taller than
the average. with iron gray beard and
I
His face pOrtrays- the characteristics
which made the southern soldier IA
mOus-bravery and darin'g-and 10
| the close observer ne is a perfect pic
! ture Of the grey-haiTed Vet. as he e
| portrayed in history, closely resem-
| bling StOnewall Jackson in the cut OF
his beard and the mould of his fea-
lures.
First Visit Since "a.
This is my first visit to your city
since the eventful year Of "a. and
intend going to Warrington and Fort
Barrancas, and look over the scenes
and see If there are any familiar
marks left. and I will also endeavOr
to locate the gentleman who secreted
me for three DAYS while the federals
were searching for me. He lived at
Warrington. bit his name has slipped
my memory. I hope ] will be able %
locate him, though il has been a long
time. and perhaps he has passed 10
the Great BevOnd.
But you asked me to tell You tha
sensations Of being hanged. Well, to
be truthful there are not enough adj
jectives in the unabridged 10 describe
the sensations. It is so wonderfully
painful that q person would have to
undergo the experience 10 realize to
the fullest extent all that is felt. But,
7 will tell Won as best 7 can how 2 felt
when the moose was around my neck,
but in order tO do So 7 will have to
detail a little civil war history, how
] came TO be a Confederate SPY. and
my subsequent capture at Fort Bar
rancas.
Enlisted as a Private.
while sriIl a boy ] enl sted as q
private IN Company G, Bogart Guards,
commanded by Captain George Meyhi
Of the Third Louisiana Battalion OF
Tigers ! received my baptism Oc
fire i'm July. 1862. In the Seven Day
Fight around Richmond, and sustained
a slight wound I'm the left hand. In
the battle If Manassas 7 was wounded
in the thigh, and this was how came
to be q spy. AS soon as ! was out II
the hospital 7 was placed in this ser
vice, with the rank of captain. Pro-
vided with an expired fUTlOUgh and a
military order Offering a $50 reward
for ny apprehension as a dcserter. I
presented myself at a federal camp
near Barrancas, and was welcomed
Mccarthy. here NY WbEK NeEdu, ana
made the acquaintance of a genial
sergeant Of company b. Seventh Yer
mont Volunteers. and a warm friend
ship grew up between us. } was nc
corded free access 10 the Pensacola
Navy Yard and he federal gu1boats,
and by keeping my eyes and ears ODen
soon possessed valuable information.
which l managed To communicate 20
! Gen. D. r. MaUry a. Mobile Among
other things ] learned that 10000 fed
I eral soldiers were to be landed az
/ Barrancas to make an overland attack
| on Mobile. and that a paymaster was
( shortly expected with funds for all
! troops in New Orleans and on the Mis-
| sissipDi river and the men on the
/ gUnbOat fleet.
| "a plan was devised BY General
| Maury to capture the paymaster. A
I plan was also devised BY CO.. PAGE
! Baker, now editOrin-chief Of he
/ Times-Democrat, which was 10 make
an attack from the open sea in the
/ dead Of night, taking his men there
| In boats from the peTdidO river. Col.
! Baker had nearly two hundred picked .
men for this service, which he was