Year: 1872

Col. Henry w. Sawyer was among the
Federal prisoners in Libby prison at the
time when the Confederate government
determined to retalate in kind the execu-
ton OF two rebel officers by one of the
Federal Western generals. Mr.. Sawyer
was at that time a captain in the First
New Jersey cavalry, and was one of the
| grade of officers from whom selections
were to be made for the victims to Con.
federate vengeance. The officer who was
In charge of the prisoners at that time
was kind hearted, agreeable man, and
was regarded by them with feelings of
gratitude and affection. On the morning
in question, this officer entered the room
where the prisoners were confined and
told all the officers to walk into another
room. This order was obeyed with par
tlcular alacrity, as the prisonesr were
daily expecting to be exchanged, and it
was supposed that the order had arrived,
and that they were about to change their
prison quarters for home and freedom
| After they had all gathered in the room
their countenances lighted up with this
agreeable hope, the officer came in among
them, and with very grave face took a
paper out of his pocket and told them he
had very melancholy duty to perform,
the purport of which would be better
understood by the reading of the order
he had in his hand, which he had Just
received from the War Department. He
then proceeded to read to the amazed and
horrifed group an order for the immediate
execution of two Of their number, in re


taliation for the hanging of two Con
federate officers. As the reader ceased
| the men looked at each other with blanch
ed faces, and silence like death prevail
ed for some minutes in the room The
Confederate officer then suggested that
perhaps the better way would be to place
a number of slips of paper equal to the
whole number of officers from whom the
victims were to be selected in box, with
the word "death" written on two of them
and the rest blank-the two men tho
drew the fatal slips to be the doomed
men. The drawing then commenced,
the men advancing and taking out slip,
and if it proved to be blank, taking
their places in another part OF the room.
The drawing had proceeded for some
time, and and fully third of the officers
had exchanged gloomy looks of ap
prehension for relieved aspect they could
not avoid showing after escape from such
terrible peril, before fatal death slip had
been drawn. At the end of about this
period, however, the first slip was drawn
and the name of captain Henry w Saw
yer, of the First New Jersey cavalry
| was called out as the unfortunate man
The Captain was, of course, deeply agi-
tated, but did not lose his self possession,
he Immediately began revolving in his
mind some plan for averting, or at least
postpouing the immediate carrying out
of the sanguinary edict of the Confcd
crate government, and by the time that
he was joined by his companion in mis-
fortune-who turned out to be Captain
Flynn. of an Indiana regiment-he had
resolved upon his course. The officer 10
completed, ordered the two men to be
taken out and Immediately executed.
Captain Sawyer, however, demanded, as
a request that no civilized nation could
refuse under such circumstances, that he
should have permission to write to his
wife, to inform her of the terrible fate
that awaited him, and to have her come
on and bid him an eternal farewell.
Respite for day or two was thus OBJ
tanned. and Sawyer subsequently obtained
an interview with the Secretary of War,
and secured permission to write to his
wife, which he did. His object in writ
ing to her was principally for the Federal
government to be made acquainted with
the predicament 10 which the officers
were placed, aud secure hostage and
threaten retaliation should the orders OF
the rebels be carried out. 1t turned out
precisely as Sawyer hoped and expected.
Our Government was informed of the
condition of affairs, and promptly seized
a son of General Lee, aud one of some
other prominent general, and threatened
to hang them if the Union officers were
executed BY this means the lives of the
two men were saved, as the Confederate
Government did not dare to carry out
their threats After few months more
confinement, Captain Sawyer was exchang
ed Capt Flynn, his companion in mis-
fortune, came out Of the ordeal with his
hair as white as snow, turned gray by the
mental sufferings he indured. Capt. Saw


yer served through the war.