The National tribune., 1907-10-24

LEO. MARKBREIT.
at first as Sergeant-Major of the 2Sth
Ohio, and Immediately after the battle
at Carnifex Ferry was promoted for
bravery on the field to the rank of Sec
ond Lieutenant. He advanced rapidly
to the position of First Lieutenant, Ad-
jutant and Assistant Adjutant-Ge General,
with the rank of Captain. He served
under Gems. Moore, Crook, Roberts,
Cox and Averell, took part in the bat
tie of South Mountain and many other
engagements, and was always favor
ite with his superior officers and COM
rades Unfortunately in December, 1863,
his military career was brought to
sudden close by AverelPs so-called Sa-
lem raid into Confederate territory for
the purpose of destroying railroads,
bridges. etc, during which. Gel. Mark
brett was, captured and sent to Libby
Prison in Richmond. Now began the
Istory of his sufferingS thru which he
ATTAINED sad celebrity. After five months
of ordinary Imprisonment he and three
other victims were selected as hostages,
and placed in close confinement to pre-
vent the execution of four rebels who
were charged with recruiting within
the Union lines in Kentucky (Which
charge was of rather doubtful nature,
as that part of Kentucky could be con-
Isdered as disputed ground), and had
military court convened by Gen. Burn
side. The four hostages were placed in
/ a subterranean dungeon of the Libby
| Prison, where they had hardly room
enough to lie down at night. For
months they were living buried in this
hole, receiving only one meal a day,
and even this meal was insufficient to
appease their hunger, for it consisted
generally of only a handful of corn
meal with which the cobs had been
!. ground), little piece of rotten bacon
land rice or beans This food was not
enough for life and too much for abso-
lutte starvation. The unfortunate men
were soon reduced to skeletons, and
would doubtless have died If the ne
gros employed in the Libby Prison had
not from time to time smuggled in some
food to them. The rats which the pris-
oners killed with pieces of wood in
their dungeon were cooked for them
| by the kind-hearted negros and taken
| back to their cells. The sufferingS the
prisoners had to endure were beyond
all comprehension, and only when they
lwere transferred to Salisbury, N. c., did
a change for the better take place. From
Salisbury Col. Markbreit was taken to
Danville. Va, and from there back to
| the Libby till at last, on Feb. 5, 1865,
Col. Markbreit'S half-brother, F. Has
lsaurek, succeeded in having him liber
ated. He had been imprisoned for more
/
been injured by these sufferings to such
a degree that he never fully recovered.
The Winter following his release he
suffered from hemorrhage of the lungs.
and had to take a trip to Havana for
his health, but was afterward very deli
cate, and this was one of the reasons
lwhy Gen. Grant gave him a chance to
reside in temperate and uniform cii-
mate.
| Immediately after his release from
captivity Col. Marlkbreit was elected by
! his fellow-citiZenS in Cincinnati to
responsible Office, which he held for
two years. Cows. Cox and Hayes made
him co-member of their staff, with the
rank of Colonel. In April, 1859, he
was appointed United States Minister
| to Bolivia. During his stay there he
visited all parts of that country, and as
there are but few roads in it for vehi-
cleS he made extensive trips on horse
back to Cochabamba, Sucre. Potosi,
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, etc. The head
quarters of the United States Minister
were generally at the Capital. La Paz.
where he was an eyewitness to several
| bloody revolutions On such occasions
| he protected. often at the risk of his
| own life, the lives and property of the
members of the overthrown Govern
ments, who sought refuge with the
| United States Legation. In 1871 he
saved the life of Mariana Donate Mu-
| nOZ, the Prime Minister or the over
| thrown Government. President Malgare-
| io Munoz had fled to the house of the
United States Minister. and succeeded
in escaping from there to Peru Munoz
was especially odious to the victorious
| party and would have been torn to
pieces had he fallen into the hands Of
| the mob.
| After a successful termination of his
mission he went by way of Lima. Pam
anna Curacao and st. Thomas to Eu-
rope, visited England, France. Ger
many, Austria, Belgium and Holland,
and returned in January, 1875. to Gin
cinnat.
In March of the same year he be-
came a stockholder of the VolSsblatt
Company, of that city, and was elected
secretary and business manager of that
company. In 1879 he visited Old Mex
| ico, Havana and other cities south of
he United States. and in 1880 he made
| his third visit to Europe.
In February, 1882, he was appointed
| Treasurer of the United States at Gin
cinnati. which position he held until
| 1886, since which time he has been con-
brett was married July 10, 1887, to Miss
| Bertha Fiebach. He served as MEM
ber of the Board that built the new
water works for Cincinnati He is a
| member of the G. A. R.. and was elect
| I'D Commander of the Ohio Command
| cry, the Military Order of the LOYAL
| legion of the United States, in 1906.
He has been nominated by the Repub-