Year: 1876

personal experience is always more in
teresting than any amount of generaliz-
ing, and in this faith | will briefly
set forth two incidents OF army life,
which are none the less entertaining from
the fact that they are beyond the COM
mon experiences of the military career.
The first is leaf out Of the record OF
Capt. b. f. Porter, of the New Jersey
cavalry, descriptive of one incident alone
of his confinement in Libby prison in
1868. He was taken prisoner with his
company outside of Port Hudson, in
June, and from that moment until his
escape from the Libby, months after
and his was the very first escape from
the prison-his adventures were many
and full of interest. | had the whole
story from his own lips in 1864, and my
note book is full of it; but one will suf.
flee for the present purpose. 1t is one
which he described as something that
produced more emotion than | have
ever seen, aside from it, among crowd
of men," 1t must be promised that he
was one of almost 200 Union officers at
this time within the walls, who were
confined in rooms up stairs. Among his
companions were Gen. Neal Dow, Col.
Streight, afterwards known to fame by
the exploit of himself and others in es-
Gaping by tunnelling out" and Lieut..
Colonel Irvine, afterward Adjutant Cen
eral, of New York


All the captains among the prisoners
were one day ordered below, into the
commandant's room. More than fifty
of us were thus assembled and counted.
Major Turner, the commandant, was sit
ting by the table with an open cigar box
before him, half filled with paper slips
A murmur of delighted discovery ran
from lip to lip. We were certain of
being exchanged; but never we're men
more deceived, Ranging us around the
room, the commandant said:


eve have received news of the exc
cution Of two of our captains in Ohio,
as spies, by General Burnside, and our
government proposes to retaliate. | am
ordered to select by lot two of the Yam
kee captains confined here, for immedi-
ate execution. In this box is the name
of each of you; the drawing can be
done in such manner as you prefer You
can talk together about it, and arrange
the details to suit yourselves, so that it
proceed at once. The men selected will
be led from here to execution. Confer
together and say how you will have i"


think five minutes passed before
word was spoken. The revulsion was so
painful from the hopeful expectation of
a moment before that we could only look
blankly into each others faces and keep
silent.


Well, make haste said Turner.


A few of US exchanged few words.
Then some spokesman declared that we
should have nothing to do with what we
regarded as a fragrant outrage upon the
rights of prisoners and the rules of civ
ilized war.


Very WE'LL" said Turner, harshly,
s I'll arrange it for you. We are bound
to make Burnside and all your generals
sick of this sort of thing; and we will
begin with you. You, sir, may draw
two slips out of that box, one after anoth-
er. Mix them up together first


He spoke to gray haired chaplain of
one Of our regiments, who, strangely
enough, had been for some time detained
in the Libby. The old man was gem
eral favorite, and at the command he
had clasped his thin hands and looked
around on the sombre faces in pitiful dis
tress.


MY God, l can't!" he sobbed and
the tears rolled down ais cheeks. We
partially forgot our own fears in witness
ing his trouble. There were many white
faces and many loud beating hearts
among us but we assured the chaplain
that if one of our number must make
the fatal allotment, we would prefer that
he should do it. He hesitated moment,
stepped up to the box with averted face,
and after mingling the ballots together.
drew one out. In the midst of the most
wainful hush | ever heard, he handed it
to Major Turner, who unfolded it and
read the name" Capt John w. Saw
yer"


1t was the name of as brave a fellow |
as wore the blue, and he showed his |
courage in that trying moment. Fold
ing his arms he stepped to the side of |
the table with defiant smile, and in |
another slip was drawn, handed to the
commandant, and read. For an instant
Major Turner hesitated


Blind writing" he muttered, loud
enough to be heard across the room.
" What's it, anyway? Captain B.;
yes that is B F, think-yes B-F-l