New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-01
FIFTY YEARS AGO
How Two Tribune Correspondents
Heard of Gettysburg in Libby Prison.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: IL may be OF interest TO recall now
two correspondents of The New-York
Tribune. shut up in Libby Prison. received
the news OF the fall Of Nicksburg ana
Lees defeat at Gettysburg, fifty years
ago. Albert d. Richardson tells the story
in his Field, Dungeon and Escape Mr.
Richardson, along with Junius Henri
Browne. also OF The Tribune, had been
captured while trying to run by the bat
teries at Vicksburg and were confined IN
Libby on a floor allotted TO Union officers.
Two OF the officers, named Sawyer and
Flynn. had been selected for execution in
retaliation for the execution Of some
Confederate bushwhackers by Burnside.
This naturally caused much depression
among the Union prisoners and on top or
IL came the news" that Lee had inflicted
a great defeat upon the Northern forces
at Gettysburg and that Meade and his
army were in disorderly flight "Our
hearts were too heavy for speech" wrote
Mr. Richardson. Then he adds:
Suddenly there came great revulsion.
Among the negro prisoners was an old
man OF seventy. who had particularly at
tracted my attention from the fact that
when | happened TO speak 10 him about
the national conflict he replied, after the
manner OF Copperheads that il was a
SPECTATORS war on both sides in which
he felt no sort of interest. | wondered
whether the old African was shammlng
lest his conversation should be reported,
TO the curtailing of his privileges, or
whether he was really that anomaly. a
black man who felt no interest i'm the
war
But about o'clock one afternoon he
came into our room. and. when the door
was closed behind him. so that he could
not be seen by the officers or guards. he
made a rush for the open space upon the
floor and Immediately began TO dance in
a manner very remarkable for a man OF
seventy. and rheumatic at that
General that was his sobriquet in the
PRISON., what does this mean? "
"'De Yankees has taken Vicksburg, De
Yankees has taken Vicksburg! and he
began to dance again.
Good tidIngs, like bad. seldom come
alone. Shortly after we learned that there
was also a slight mistake about Gettys-
burg-that Lee, instead Of Meade, was
flying in confusion.
How our hearts leaped at this cheer
ing news. How suddenly that foul pris-
on air grew sweet and pure as the fra
grant breath OF the mountains There
was laughing, there was singing, there
was dancing Some one shouted; Glory
halleluiah" Mr.. McCabe, an Ohio chap
lain. whose clear, ringing tones as he led
the singing cheered many of our heav-
lest hours. instantly started the beautiful
hymn by Mrs Howe:
Mine eyes have seen the glory OF the
coming OF the Lord
Every voice in the room Joined in il.
never saw men more stirred and thrilled
than were those three or four hundred
prisoners as they hard the impressive
close:
LAS He died to make men holy. let us
die to make men free!
II should be mentioned here that the
two officers. Sawyer and Flynn. were not
executed. our government having given
notice OF prompt retaliation
Albert ID. Richardson continued a pris-
oner for nearly eighteen months after the
occurrences related above and IL was
fortunate for the writer that he did At
sixteen years OF age. barefooted, sick and
starving, In the Salisbury stockade
had refused, along with many others. to
accept the offer of comparative COM
fort and good treatment on condi-
ton OF taking the oath OF allegiance 10
the Confederacy. Nothing seemed in
prospect but a lingering death. when Mr..