Year: 1865

/ now pass to what occurred afte1


his return. But, first, it may be ne
, cessary to inform you that on Tuesday
: Capt. Miller received an order to re
. turn to his Regiment here with all his
company, save seven men to guard
some cotton belonging to the Govern


ment still in Hazlehurst. Capt. Miller
left on Wednesday. On the very day
ne left, while Capt. Peck was absen,
from his office, and in private house
the deputy sheriff entered and said tc
the Captain, "you are my prisoner
He Immediately went, but to his sur


prise saw large number Of men--lit.
tie less than a Misunderstanding for
him, most Of them armed. The Cap
tain called his guard, but the deputy
sheriff, placing pistol at his head,
sworc that if the guard interfered he
1.-THE sheriff. would blow his brains
out. So the Captain suffered himself
to be taken prisoner and was forced
away to Gallatin, four miles distant,
amid the shouts, Kisses and curses of
this miserable rabble, or the newly
formed rebel militia. a @ L
Oh, Gov. Sharkey! you are shrerd
if not loyal man! You "cast your
bread upon the waters and behold the
fruit thereof" In less than year,
from all appearances, there will be an
abundant harrest! Indeed, the season
for such fruit has already come But
to return. The next day the Captain
had what was called an examination,
after which they promised to release
him on bail !; but to give bail would
be to acknowledge their authority, so
the Captain thought, and rather than
do this he told them he would suffer
death. So without any further cere-
mony, they led him to the common
Jail i
| The Gallatin Jail is built of brick
| about two feet thick and is two sto-
ries in height. The upper story is
reached by a fight of about thirty
steps OH ascending these stairs, i'm
mediately in front, there is room for
criminals; this contains two iron
cages, not unlike the cages in which
wild beasts are confined. One of
these cages was already occupied by
a poor negro, and Capt Peck was
commanded to enter the other !!
Though the military prisons of the
chivalrous South have been so often
described Of late, have not yet seen
anything of the iron cages within
their jails. ! will just say, then, that
the one into which these pardoned reb-
els forced Capt. Peck, is about seven
feet long, four feet wide, and about sew
en- feet in height, made entirely of iron
bars about four inches apart, and


stands above the floor about six inches.


In this miserable cell Of iron there
is neither table, stand, stool, chair or
bedstead there is, however, a mat
rass laid upon the iron barred floor, for
the Captain to lie upon when he can
no longer stand up--when weary na-
ture seeks a change of position. The
entrance into this cage is through a
hole about two feet and half square,
very similar to that Of a dog kennel,
with door of solid iron. After keep
ing him in this Southern cell three
days and nights, they relented little.
letting him out during the day and in
generating him every night. Mind,
it is now nearly two weeks since
Capt. Peck was imprisoned. lie is
there still a.sa .H ar


have now given you plain state
ment of most If not all the facts in the
case. ] suppose this will be the first
if not the only account that will reach
the North. have tried to write with
the calmness of Roman Judge in the
court of Aeropagus. ia gaaF


now ask in the name of everything
on earth ; nay, more in the name of
that God who led our armies to the
final conquest Of the rebel traitors in
the field if we are to let them boast
and triumph now? l ask the people
of the North what they think Of this
fragrant outrage against an officer in
the U. S. army-a Provost Marshal
while in the discharge Of his duty !?
Ye members of the approaching Con-
gress, what think ye Of this ? What
say We Of this |? Tell us--speak for
silence is a crime !! What think we of
the spirit of the South? True, We
have given you but solitary instance


from many--of the spirit Of the peo-
pie but as daylight may be seen
through small aperture, may not
the disposition Of the people towards
the U. S. Government be seen by this
! outrageous and cowardly act of the
Southern militia, headed by the depu-
ty sheriff Of Copiah, against one Of its
loyal friends and defenders, and an Of
| ficer armed with the authority which
the Government can give!


But if this instance is not enough
there are many more at hand. What
Of Fort Gibson and other places in this
State I? The instance given above is
but spark from the fire Of vengeance
which burns in the Southern heart


The South is still volcano, its fires
7 - .,,ntharaJ h,,t not avttpnn,chaN