Year: 1869

some JeWelry tor you" He handcufed me


with arms behind my back, and guarding NE


to hack | was placed in it and driven to the


Navy Yard, where my legs were manacled and


a par OF Lille handouts placed on my wrists


l was put in a boat and roWed to a monitor


where was taken on board and thrown into


a small, dirty room, between two water closets,


and on to IA bed of filthy fe-preservers and


blankets, with two soldiers guarding the door


was Kept there for three days. | had been


thus confined three days on the vessel when
Captain MunrOe came to me and said; "Spang-


gler, I've something that must be told, but you


the Secretary of War, who must be obeyed, to


put bag on your head Then two men came


and tied up my head so securely that could


not see daylight, | had plenty of food, but


could not eat with my face so muffled up.


True, there was a small hole in the bag near


iuy mouth, but | could not reach that, as my


hands were wedged down by the iron at


last, two klndheaIted soldiers took compassion


on me, and while one watched the other fed


me. On Saturday night IA man came TO me


and, after drawing the bag SO tight as to nearly


suffocate me, sad to the guard: Don't let


hun 60 10 sleep, as we will carry him out to


hang him directly" | heard them 90 up on


the deck, when there was a great ratting of
chains and other noises; and while | was try


ing To Imagine what was going on, and what


they intended to do | was dragged out by two


men, who both pulled me at times in opposite
direction. We, however, reached a boat. in
which | was placed and were rowed a short


distance. | could not say then where we


stopped, for my face was still covered After


leaving the boat | was forced to walk some


distance. with the heavy irons still on my legs


| was then suddenly stopped. and made to as


ccnd three or four flights of stairs: and as |
stood at the top waiting some one struck me a
severe blow on the top of the head, which
stunned aud half threw me over, when was
pushed into small room, where remained
III an unconscious condition for several hours
The next morning some one came with bread
and coffee. remained here several days suf
trring torture from the bag or padded hood
over my face, 1t was on Sunday when it was
removed and | was shaven. 1t was then re-
placed. Some hours after General Hartranit
came and read To me several charges; that
was engaged in a plot 10 assassnate the Presi


dent, aud the day following was carried into
military court and still hooded before all of
lis members. | remained but short time


when | was returned to my cell for another
night and day and then again presented in this
'''''' nj l'ii-t4tlII, ASSIetiUl JuIIt-.AuNo-
va.r read the charges against me- and asked
il had any objection to the court, and re-
piled NO" and mad" my plea of mot guilty"


They then wished to know il ! desired counsel
and. when | answered atiirmatiycly, General
Hunter the President Of the court insisted
that | could not be- allowed counsel He was.
however, overrulrd. but it was several days
b"i"r" was permitted legal aid, the court in
the meantime taking evidence with closed
doors. On every adjournment of the court, if
only Tor an hour, was returned to my cell and
the closely fitting hood placed over my head
This continued TIL June IT.. 1~65. when | was
relieved from the torture OF the bag, but my
hands and limbs remained heavily manacled


On one Sunday. while was confined at this
place (the Washington ArscnaD, was visited
by a gentleman Of middle stature, rather stout.
with full beard and gold-tram Spectacles He
noticed my manacles and padded head | al
forwards learned that he was Mr. Stanton. the
Secretary of War. 1t is proper To state that
when the hood was placed on me. Captain Mum
roe said it was by order of the Secretary of
War. Ny first thought was that | was to be
hung without trial, and the hood was prepara-
tory To that act


The first time ! ever saw Mrs Surratt was
IN the Carroll Prison yard, on Capitol Hill. L
dlu not see Htr again untll we were taken INTO
court the first day at the arsenal. My cell was
on the same corridor with hers, and | had to
pass 1t every time | was taken into court. |
frequently looked into her cell a small room
about four feet wide by seven feet long. The
only things in her cell were an old mattress
laid on the bricks and an army blanket. |
could see the irons on her feet, as she was gen
orally lying on the mattress, and was the last
one brought into court She occupied a seat
in court near the prison door The seat was
twelve inches high, aud the chains between the
irons on her feet were SO short that she always
had to be assisted to her seat She was 81
sick ut one time that the court was compelled
to adjourn.


On the 18th of July, about midnight, was
day at Fortress Monroe, and was thence taken
to the gunboat Florida. The irons on my arms
were temporarily removed, but Captain Dut-
ton, in charge of the guard, ordered heavy
Lille irons to be placed on me, when General
Dodd chief officer in charge more humaney
his order and had the irons
again removed from my arms. | was placed
for security in the lower hold of the vessel, and
to descend to it by ladder The
rounds were far apart and, as the irons on nv
feet were chained but few inches apart. nv
egs were bruised and lacerated fearfully. The
hold where l was confined was close and dirty,
Dut after two or three days was allowed on
1eck in the daytime, but was closely guarded
was allowed to speak to no one of the crew.
We arrived at Fort Jefferson. on the Dry Tor