The Washington herald., 1908-01-12

OF very bad cornbread. some niger beans
or rice, and a bit Of bacon not bigger
than your hand, the whole ration weigh
ing not more than three-fourths OF a
pound. After several weeks of this diet
We were reduced TO skeletons, and the
fearful pangs of hunger forced US 70
catch and eat the rats which sWarmed in
our cell The negro who cleaned out the
cell IN the morning was sometimes good
enough To roast for Us that awful game
In this cell and this manner I passed
two and a half months, less a few days
when I was so I'll I had TO be taken 10
the hospital
Were Not to BE Hanged.
After we had been in the cell eighteen
days we casually learned one morning
through our negro that we probably
would not be hanged-that the execution
Of the Confederate officers had been de-
layed. and the prison officials believed that
the order to execute them would be rcvok-
ed, since the North knew that we were be
Ing held as hostages for their lives. Up
10 this time none of us had considered
his life worth a rush. Later, when we
were taken from our cell and transported
in cattle vans to the penitentiary at
Salisbury, \. c., we realized fully for the
first time that In all probability we would
not meet death like the lowest criminals
This thought made us so happy that We
almost forgot about our sufferings,
and even looked with tolerance on the
murderers and thieves who were our
prison companions. At this prison we
- d
air, which seemed sweeter to me than it
ever-did before or has since"
il was on January IL. 1850, that Capt.
Frey was exchanged for Capt Gordon.
Seventeen years later. when the former
returned 10 this country as the first Swiss
Ambassador. Capt Gordon was residing
in Washington. where he was a news
paper correspondent. and the two men
met and became good friends. A Wash
ingtOn newspaper at the time published
their pictures under the legend, Paired
for Life" Capt Gordon died in 1888.
Returns to Switzerland.
After his release Capt Frey Tejoined his
regiment, served with it till the end Of
the war, then bade his comrades good
by and went back to Switzerland. He
plunged into public affairs like his
father and grandfather before him. lie
became editor of the Basler Nachrich-
ten lBasle News), a prominent liberal
newspaper; was advanced to the rank
Of colonel and commander Of an army
corps; was sent TO America as Ambas-
sadOr. where he remained from 1882 to
1887, became a member OF the national
council and then the federal council
al.
was elected president OF the COnfedera-
tiou. To-day despite his Hearty sew
euty years, he is filling the responsible
post of head of the international bu-
reau of teleEraphs. During the forty
years that he has served his country
he has brought about many reforms.
notably in the army and the education
al system Indeed since his return 10
Switzerland in 1865 he has been the
country's leading reformer.
There are two documents in Col
Frey's possession which he prizes above
all his other papers. One is his nomi-
nation as president Of Switzerland: the
other is a yellow piece of parchment
and on il one may read:
The President of the United States
of America.
ITO all who shall see these presents.
greeting: Know ye. that I do hereby
confer on Emil Frey of the L. s Vol
unteers, IN the service of the United
States, by and with the consent of the
Senate. the rank OF major by brevet in
said service. to rank as such from the
thirteenth day. of March in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and siXty-iye for gallant and merito-
rious services during the war.
ANDREW JOHNSON"
Palma, the other ex-president; Clemen-
ceau. French premier, and Garibaldi, were