Book^ h/ 4^ TWO MONTHS FORT LA FAYETTE. BY A PRISONER. • In all eriminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and puVjlic trial by an impartial jury of the State and Distriftt wherein the crime shall have been committed, which District shall ha^e baen previously ascertained by law; and to be { informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be con- fronted with the witnesses against him : to have compulsory pro cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assist j ance of counsel for his defence."—?^. S. Constitution. NEW YORK: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHORo 1862. TWO MONTHS FORT LA FAYETTE. BY A PRISONER. "la all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the State and District wherein the crime shall have been committed, which District shall have been previously ascertained by law ; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be con- fronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory pro- cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assist ance of counsel for his defence."—?/. S. Constitution. NEW YORK: FEINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. 1862. f6 *oo i LIST OF PRISONERS AT FOET LA FAYETTE, From 20th July to 2Sth October, inclusive. DATE. NAME. WHERE FROM. DISCHAr'd. ruij ^20 , E. S. Ruggles, Fredericksburg, Va. u P. M. Quillan, Charleston, S. C, Aug. r '6\, , Thos. Fitzpatrick, James E. Murphy, Baltimore, Md., Portsmouth, Va. Aug. 18 ii John H, Cusick, Woodville, Md. " Dr. E. Johnson, Baltimore, Md., Sept. ir (( (( C. M. Hagelin, S. H. Lyon, I. W. Davis, Oct. 24 l( Charles Howard, (( a W. H. Gatchell, E. H. Alvy, Hagerstown, Md. .Ug, , Z, A. E. Smith, San Fiancisco, CaL 11, I. Williams, Norfolk, Va. 14, Robert Muir, Charleston, S. C, Oct. 17 18, C. Copporal, Carroll Co., Miss. 18, T. S. Serrill, New Orleans, La., Sept. 5 20, Pierce Butler, Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 24 LIST OF PRISONERS, DATE. NAHE. WHERE FROM, dischar'c-. iug. 20, L. Be Bibian, Wilmington, N. C, Sept. 17 " 22, George Miles, Richmond, Va., Oct. 5 " 23, J. G. Guthry, Petersburg, Va., Oct. 3 " 24, J. E. Barbour, Lake Providence, La. « 25, F. M. Fisk, JS'ew Orleans, La., Oct. 2 « D. C. Lowber, '' MayorJ. G.Berritt, Y/ashington, D. C, Sept. 14 « P. McCarthy, Norfolk, Va., Oct. 3 J. Riley, a ,i " J. "Williams, i( a A. Wilson, - " (( J. A. Marshall, Charleston, S. C, « « George 0. Gladden, '' u " J. Journallie, u " " J. P. N. Sal bo, a a " C. Forrester, i( i( '' 26, S. Ealdns, Richmond, Va. " D. Reno, Columbia, S. C, Sept. 4 « 27, S. J. Anderson, Kew York, Oct. 11 " 28, R. Tansill, U.S.K Prince William Co , Va. T. S. Wilson, U.S.E". Springfield, Mo. H. B. Claiborne, U.S.E . New Orleans, La. H. Cenas, U.SN. " " Wm. Patrick, Brooklyn, N. Y., Sept. 13 " 29, E. B. Schnable, Lycoming, Pa., Oct. 24 « 30, U. B. Harrold, Macon, Ga., Sept. 18 " 31, R. S. Freeman, " W. H. Ward, U.S.K Norfolk, Va. " A. J. DeLaguel, Alexandria, Va.. Sept. 20 ept. 1, B. F. Grove, New York, Oct. 8 " F. E. Williams, Choctaw, Ark., Sept. 7 " H. L. Reynolds, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 13 LIST OF PRISONERS. DATE. KAME. WHERE FROM. D ischar'd. Sept. 3, J. C. Eahming. ITew York, Sept. 18 i, H. A. Eeeves, Greenport, N". Y., Oct. 5 5, J. Chapin, Vicksburg, Miss., Oct. 17 7, E. B. Wilder, E. Elliott, ITewark, K. J., Freedom, Me. Oct. 14 8, A. S. Sullivan, Few York, Oct. 21 C. Barclay, Schr. " Middleton," Oct. 14 P. Cargan, (i Sept. 26 E. Bonneaud, (( Oct. 9 E. Eoul, li Sept. 26 W. Williams, a <•' W. Simms, li a A. Clifton, « (t A. Strom b, a t( 9) , A. D. Wharton, U.S.N. Nashville, Tenn. C. J. Faulkner, Martinsburg, Va. 10, G. L, Bowne, Key West, Fla., Sept. 24 11, J. W. Wall, Burlington, N". J., u 12, E. B. Walker, New York, Oct. 19 M. C. Stanley, a Sept. 21 13, , J. K. Millner, Danville, Va. Marshall G. P. Kane, Baltimore, Oct. 11 E. Drain, Loudon Co., Va. A. Dawson, u- B. Eggleston, Washington, D. C, Sept. 17 B. F. Corlies, Brooklyn, I^. Y., Sept. 18 B. Burton, " E. C. Myatt, Schr. Col. Long. C. Williams, a Oct. 9 P. Eeilly, a T. Kelly, a t( W. Perry, Bark SirWm. Raleig h, Sept. 26 LIST OF PRISONERS. DATE. NAME. Sept. 13, J. Angus, C. McClenachan, W. Smith, " J. L. Newlin, W. St. George, " 14, W. H. Winder, " 16, B, F. Langley, " J. A. McMasters, " M. Stannarcl, " 17, D. Corey, " 19, L. Sturtevant, " 20, G. A. Hubbell, " 21, J. A. Bateman, " 23, Wm. Gilchrist, " F. Wyatt, " J. M. Haig, " J. J. Heckert, Md. Leg " E. G. Kilbourne, " " J. H. Gordon, " *•' W. E. Salmon, '' " A. Ivessler, " T. J. Claggitt, " Dr. B. Mills " " C. J. Durant, " J. II. Maddox, " T. H. Maddox, W. E. Miller, Md. Leg. " J. W. Maxwell, " " P. T. Eaisin, " " J. L. Jones, " " G. W. Landing " " J. M. Brewer, " WHERE FROM. DISCHAr'd. Bark Prima Donna, Sept. 26 Schr. Albion, Philadelphia, Pa. ITew Orleans, La. ISTew York, Oct. 23 Madison, Conn., Oct. 14 Somerset, IST. J., Oct. 21 I^ew Orleans, La., Sept. 27 Bridgeport, Ct., Sept. 26 Camden, Ala., Oct. 2 Philadelphia, Pa. Baltimore, Md., Oct. 26 Cecil Co., " Anne Arundel Co., Md. Allegheny Co., " Frederick Co., " Carroll Co., " St. Mary's Co., " St. Mary's Co., Md. Washington, D. C, Oct. 4 Cecil Co., Md., .^ Kent Co., Md. Talbot Co., Md. Worcester Co., Md. Baltimore, " LIST OF PRISONERS. DATE. NAME. Sept. 24, C. T. Sargeant, " 25, Ex-Gov C F Moreliead, " E. F. Durrett, f M. W. Barr, « 26, T. P. Scott, Md. Legis. H. M. Warfield, " " L. Saiigston, " S. H. Thomas, " " Maj^or G. W. Brown, " F. K. Howard, F. W. Hall, " " H. May, M.C., " S. T. Wallis, Md. Leg. " M. G. Harrison, " C. H. Pitts, " Pv. M. Dennison, " " L. J. Quinlan, " " A. A. Lynch, " " 28, J. C. Brain, Oct. 2, P. B. Loyall, U.S.N., " H. K. Stevens, U.S.N., « W. E. Butt, " " 5, Dr. C. McGill, " H. G. Thunder, " F. M. Crow, " J. W. Griffith, " A. McDowell, " J. W. Eoberts, " S. J. Woolridge, " W. E. Kearney, " J. Back, " J. T. McFeat, WHERE PROM Yarmouth, Me. Louisville, Ky. — Baltimore, Md. DISCHAR D. ITasliville, Tenn. ISTorfolk, Va. South Carolina. Portsmouth, Va. Hagerstown, Md. Oldham Co., Ky. Harrodsburg, Ky. Clark Co., Ky. Marion Co., Ky. Harrodsburg, Ky. Oct. 11 LIST OF PRISONERS. DATE. NAME. Oct. 5, G. P. Pressy, E. Payne, W. Grubbs, W. E. Wright, L. S. Holsclaw, 7, E. Baun, J. A. Douglas, C. G. liTeil, E. Sibern, S. F. ITewton, E. S. Grisson, J. Swindell, G. Barker, E. Hendricks, E. Brindon, J. Johnston, W. Brown, P. White, J. B. Hoggerd, C. Thompson, J. Murphy, M. F. Copehart, G. W. Bernard, G. Shackleford, G. 0. Van Amriugc 8, Capt. M. Berry, 11, A. Da Costa, 12, A. R. Carter, 13, J. W. Packard, 14, C. H. Tyler, 18, I. G. Mask, J. E. Lindsay, U.S. DISCHAR D. Oct. 14 WHERE FROM. New York. Lexington, Ky. Madison Co., Ky. Marion Co., " Bullett Co., " Schr. Mary Wood. Schr. Albion. Schr. Ocean Wave, Oct. 9 Schr. Harriet Ryan, Newbern, N. C. Beaufort, N. C. :, Wilmington, JST. C. Brooklyn, IT. Y. Charleston, S. C. Baltimore, Md. ]Sr. Bridge water, Mass., Oct. 21 Prince Wm. Co., Va. Baltimore, Md. N., Greensboro, Mo. LIST OF PRISONERS. DATE. NAME. WHERE FROM. DISCHAR D. Oct. 18, W. M. Page, U.S.N"., Winchester, Va. H. H. Dalton, " Aberdeen, Miss. 21, J. I. Shaver, Toronto, Canada. 22, Wm. Pierce, "New Orleans, La. 23, F. D. Flanders, Malone, N. Y. J. E. Flanders, " 24, E. W. Jeffray, U.S.F., Virginia. 25, Capt. H. L. Shields, Bennington, Vt. 28, B. Morley, Brooklyn, N. Y., Oct. 29 ^^^ Those names having na date of discharge were forwarded to Fort Warren. ®fofl S^^i^^Ij^ ii^ if^rf f '^t ifagette. BY A PRISONEK. "For it seemeth unto me unreasonable to send a prison- er, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him." 23cZ Chap. Ads of Apostles, 21th verse. Fort La Fayette was completely emptied of all its prisoners on the oOtb October, 1861, they being then transferred to Fort Warren, in Bos- ton Harbor; since then, in fact almost imme- diately, it has again been, and is, used as a prison ; whether these'^ latter prisoners have been in anywise differently treated from the former, the writer does not know, as hapj^ily he has not had the opportunity; the experi- ences related in this pamphlet were enjoyed prior to 30th October, 1861. For La Fayette is situated in Xew York Bay, about eight miles below Kew York City. In former times it was better known to those who 12 TWO MONTHS IN go down to the sea, in ships as Fort Diamond, so called from its shape. It is built on an island, about one quarter of a mile from the Long Island shore, and perhaps two miles from the southern end of Staten Island — it is entirely surrounded by deep water, and has no other communica- tion with the shore save by boats. On the Long Island shore is situated Fort Hamilton ; directly opposite, on Staten Island, is the, as yet, unfinished Fort Eichmond. These three forts are pretty much in a line, and are likely intended to support each other. Fort La Fayette is much the smallest of the three, and the oldest; it is built of brick, the walls about five feet thick, and has two tiers of guns, besides those, en barbette, looking seaward, the side facing Long Island is merely pierced for musketry. On the ground floor there are tvf enty heavy thirty-two pounders, on the floor above there w^ere supposed to be the same num- ber twenty-four pounders ; what there was on the roof was unknown to the prisoners. The yard around w^hich the Fort is built, contains about one-quarter of an acre, the centre was a grass plot used for a parade ground, and it was ornamented by three huge furnaces for heating FORT LA FAYETTE. 18 shot, and bad a handsome brass twelve-pounder oommandiug the sallyport. Outside the walls there was an esplanade all around, of about forty feet wide, as, however, the prisoners w^ere never allowed to, walk around, no description can be given, other than that there seemed to be about two hundred cannon stored there. The Fort itself was under the immediate com- mand of Lieut. "Wood, 14th TJ. S. Infantry, he was styled Commander Wood, and was under orders to Col. Burke at Fort Hamilton ; the gar- rison consisted of one company U. S. soldiers. So much for the Fort. To the tourist it no doubt has a romantic appearance, and would look well in a picture of this most beautiful of bays, but to the prisoner beiug led to its gloomy portals it seemed, a vile blot upon that fail* scene; the bay alive with shipping and fishing boats, the " green fields beyond the sw^elling fiood,'' and all nature alive and happy, save that still repulsive dungeon-looking place, w4th its jaw of a sallyport gapiug to receive its vic- tims. The modus operandi of getting in, though somewhat of the most summary, still had its forms; first, of course, like Miss Leslie's fish, 14 TWO MONTHS IN the prisoner had to he caught — this was rather easily donej as all forms of law were dispensed with, and a telegraph order heing generally the only warrant — when caught however, the pris- oner was quickly transferred hy the most ex- peditious route, regardless of expense, and suhject entirely to the caprice of the officers having him in charge, some in irons and some not, to Col. Burke at Fort Hamilton. He would give the officers a receipt for the "bodies, and transfer them, under military guard hy hoat, to Commander Wood, at Fort La Fayette. On arriving there, the prisoners would be ushered into the presence and again receipt- ed for, the Fort Hamilton guard would depart, and the separation from the world appeared complete. Commander Wood would then take, and give a receipt for, whatever money might be on the person, have the baggage and person examined to see that no arms, money, or contrabaiad articles, such as letters to prisoners, etc. got in, announce the room that each should occupy, and order the Sergeant of the Guard to convey the new citizen thither. From thenceforth the prisoner was under FORT LA FAYETTE. 15 military rule, any communication with the Commander must be in writing, through the Sergeant of the Guard, and all orders unhesi- tatingly obeyed. The prisoners' quarter at first sight did not appear inviting, and in fact grew less and less so daily. They were all on the ground floor, and brick paved, without a carpet or mat of any kind ; three of the rooms used as prisoners' quarters were small, and -compared with the others, would have been comfortable for two or three occupants. They had a narrow glazed window and a fire-place, and were in size about ten feet by fifteen, with a low arched ceiling. As, however, in place of two or three, they always had from eight to ten occupants, very little could be said in their praise — but still the inhabitants of these rooms were always looked upon as rather the aristocracy of the Fort. The balance of the prisoners were confined in three large apartments, which were lighted and ventilated each room by the port-holes of four heavy thirty-two pounder cannon, these immense guns, with their immense carriages and machinery, occupied more than half the IQ TWO MONTHS IN space, and were the most unpleasant looking bed-fellows imas-inable. The furniture of all the rooms was a small iron bedstead, a few chairs and plain pine benches, and a couple of w^ashstands; the bed- ding was a thin mattress, one pillow, one sol- dier's blanket, two cotton sheets, and one cotton pillow case, other than this there was no^ furniture or chamber conveniences whatever. The floor, as before said, was brick paved, and damp, the windows, port-holes and doors were loose and sw^inging, the beds were so crowded together that there w^as no room for walking between them, and it w^as only by doubling them up in the daytime that any room could be obtained — two of the rooms always contain- ed about forty occupants ; the rest, from ten to fifteen. All the sweeping or cleaning that was done was by the prisoners themselves; none of the garrison ever doing anything in this way. The sheets and pillow-cases were but once exchang- ed, and when washed, was at the prisoners' ex- pense. 'No washing was allowed to be sent out of the Fort, but was done by the Commander's family servant, at a charge of 121 cents apiece. FORT LA FAYETTE. 17 and ii generally took from two to three weeks before a washing w?cS returned. As no pris- oner had time allowed him to get up an exten- sive wardrobe, there were some novel experi- ences on this question, many discovering for the first time a talent for clothes-washing hitherto totally unsuspected, and all a spirit of resignation to soiled linen quite new, if not re- freshing. The keeping of these rooms clean was, asbefore stated, left entirely to the prisoners, and it was a lively and instructive scene from six to eight in the morning; then it was that blankets were brought out and shook almost shoddyless, cot- ton sheets hung up to air, and mattresses sub- jected to a good broomsticking ; then was there a dust raised by elderly amateur sweepers, who would discover on their triumphant return from the door, that they had not half swe2)t, and had the labor to go over again; then it was that forty men would try to perform their morniug ablutions in two bowls of water, which for most of the time was dipped from the sea, and left on the skin a seeming coat of glue, which required all day to remove; then it was seen who had friends outside and who not, by the possession 18 TWO MONTHS IN of towels^ looking-glasses^ blacking, brushes, etc. but bye-and-bye every one was washed and dressed, the beds all made, the rooms all swept, and every one, looking his best, was ready to partake of the creature comforts fur- nished by the United States, to these her favo- rite children, without money and without price — except liberty. The feeding room w^as early christened the ^' United States Hotel f it was a large room on the ground floor, brick paved, and furnished with four heavy thirty-two pounder guns, car- riages, etc., with three plain pine tables, and pine benches on each side of them. These tables and benches were cleaned by being SAvept vfith the dirty bix)om that swept the dirty floor ; no other method was ever known to be tried, its success was by no means flattering. This room was not in charge of the prisoners, but was attended to by four sol- diers detailed as cooks ; at first sight their greasy flannel shirts, and general dirty appear- ance seemed in harmony vx^ith the snrround- inp's, and accounted for their presence ; but. "-•n P^ after a short acquaintance, it became evident that their appointment must have been ov/ing FORT LA FAYETTE. 19 to family or political influence, as they were proficient in the art of ^ how not to do it/^ The table furniture, consisted of, for each prisoner, one tin cup, one tin plate, one iron tablespoon, and one pair common knives and forks, these were made to answer for all meals, and were never by any accident clean enouo;h to handle without soiling: and ffreas- ing the fingers. There was no regular time for meals ; break- fast sometimes at seven, sometimes at ten a.m., dinner sometimes at eleven a.m., sometimes at three p.m., etc. Suppose we walk into breakfast — it is an- nounced by one of the greasy cooks, and the word is passed by the prisoners to each other, " Eebels, breakfast at United States." On each tin phite is a great chunk of cold boiled pork, alongside each plate is a tin cup full of (any- thing but clear drinkable) coffee, and at inter- vals down the table are slices of yory good bakers' bread. A new arrival is apt to make a poor meal; he cannot sit down on the filthy bench, so he stands. He does not attempt the pork, but will try some coffee, which he spills in trying 20 TWO MONTHS IN to lift the cup by its greasy handle, etc. ; the old hand, however, gets along better, he brings a newspaper to sit on, he takes two hands to his coffee cup, he puts some vinegar on his pork if he can get it, and on retiring with the new comer, is loud and facetious in his praise of the "United States Hotel/^ The dinner is announced in the same manner, is furnished in the same style, and in same dishes as breakfast. On each tin plate is a lump of boiled beef, apparently cut with a hatchet; in each tin cup is a greasy looking mixture, which on examination is seen to be intend- ed for rice soup ; the piles of good bakers' bread are strewn along the table, with a few plates of salt at intervals; the rice, nine times out of ten, is cooked no softer than it came from its original package, and the whole greasy mess, in its greasy cup, to be eaten with a greasy spoon, seldom fails to turn the stomach of some of the guests. This dinner is the usual one; it is however varied perhaps three days in the week : thus in place of beef and rice soup, it maybe pork and bean soup, in which case the lucky finder of a bean would fiti^ occupation for the balance of FORT LA FAYETTE. 21 the day in exhibiting it. Once or twice a week also boiled potatoes were added to tiie feast ; when they hapijened to be eatable they were an appreciated luxury, but only once or twice were they boiled enough. On two- occasions boiled ham was served, both times so little cooked that the blood followed the knife. The supper consists of tea or coffee, in the inevitable greasy tin cups, and slices of bakers' bread. 'No person can appreciate the miser^^ entail- ed by this treatment, from any pen and ink or verbal description. The view into the filthy kitchen, the filthy looking cooks and attendants, the brick floor slippery Avith dirt, the greasy tables, benches and dishes, the hoggish way in Avhich things were served, no ofiicer present to prevent the frequent insults of the attendants, all this and much more can only be appreciated by being endured. The truth is, that all these political prisoners were put on a private's army rations, which, though good enough of the kind, was made un- bearable in the cooking, etc. Some there were who pretended to know of such matters, who claimed that some one was making money off 22 TWO MONTHS IN the Government's allowance, bnt this could not be traced, the only tiling of that kind that was patent to all, was the 12J cents a piece charged prisoners for washing by Lient. Wood. One day was the same as another. At six A.M. a drummer and fifer awoke all hands by playing the reveille, the garrison would turn out to roll call, and the prisoners to wash, etc. At nine a.m. the guard would be mounted for the next twenty-four hours, with a good deal of drumming and fifing ; the Sergeant of the new guard would receive from him of the old guard, all the prisoners, who would stand in their quarters to be counted; during the after- noon there might be some little parading and drilling of the garrison, and at six p.m. the sol- diers would again answer to their names, the stars and stripes would be hauled down — the drum and fife playing vigorously — and the pris- oners be locked up in quarters for the night. At nine p. m. all hands would be allowed out of quarters for a few minutes, and again locked up, the drum and fife would play the tattoo, and at nine and a quarter every light must bo extinguished in prisoners' quarters — sentries are pacing in front of port-holes and windows, FORT LA FAYETTE. 23 and peremptorily and blasphemously forbid any talking they can hear. Most of the prisoners were men who Avere accustomed to spend the evening in reading or social converse^ to them this early extinguish- ing of lights and stopping of conversation was very irksome. For hours the tossings and the sighings gave proof that strong men were suffering their thoughts to wander home to wife and children. In sucli a damp location as the bay of New York, with damp brick floors, with rattling doors and port-holes, a good deal of sickness might be expected ; there was not much hovv^- ever, colds were almost universal, but serious cases were rare — it was well they were, for no provisions whatever existed for sickness. Some dozen cases were at various times seriously ill, which, of course, was a serious business to all the occupants of a chamber where the beds were so crowded. Did the prisoners light a candle to attend to their suffering brother, the hoarse voice of the sentry at the window would order the light put out; did they try to attend him in the dark, the same voice would command silence; did he wish his quarters opened so as 24 TWO .^lONTilS IN to visit the closets, it would take half an hour pounding at the door ere the Corporal of the Guard could be induced to open, which all must admit would seem an age to a man afflicted with diarrhoea, a very prevalent disease. There was, in all, four cases of extreme sick- ness, which should have had, in common hu- manit}^, separate quarters, good nursing and attendance; their fellow-prisoners, medical and lay, did all that goodness of heart could do, but a weak, feverish man, lying in a crowded room with forty others, and four big cannon, whose Government allowance was the rations named above, had a time somewhat of the hardest. 'Now and then the Surgeon at Fort Hamilton would come over; he would consult with the prisoner-physicians, of which there was always more than one, and send over such medicines as were ordered. In only two cases was any attention paid to sickness. Marshall Kane, of Baltimore, was removed to Governor's Island, in consequence of Fort La Fayette being too unhealty for him, and James M. Ilaig, of same town, was kept for several days in the guard- house, and then removed to a lunatic asylum. For about ten days the water in the wells, FORT LA FAYETTE. 25 Avhich depended on the rain for .their su2:)ply, was very low and unfit to drink ; it was full of animalcula) of quite a respectable growth, and had an odor anything but pleasing : there was a plentiful supply of Croton water in l!^ew York and abundance of water-boats to bring it, but that was delayed until it could be no longer. All letters to and from prisoners had to be read by the Commander, or some other officer at Fort Hamilton, and prisoners were limited to one page of letter sheet, Some could not say all they wanted in that space, and in some cases longer letters were returned with an order to condense, this gave a good deal of dissatis- faction, and led to some angry correspondence. At first each prisoner was confined strictly to his room, not being allowed beyond the threshold ; after a wdiile this rigor was mode- rated, and walking up and down on the flags in front of all the quarters was allowed, till six P.3I., and one hour each morning and afternoon the privilege of the central plot of grass was allowed. Visitors Avere rigidly excluded, except under an order from Washington. A few relatives gained access in this way, but as the visits had 26 TWO MONTHS IN to be short, and made in a room where one or two soldiers were stationed, and could see and hear all that passed, the satisfaction was not as great as it would seem to be. A Mr. Ludlow, of 'New York, said to be an attorney, was an ex- ception to this rule; he appeared to come when he pleased, and had his interviews in private. His mission was always to prisoners who had money, and Avas to effect their release for a consideration — at least so it was said by those whom he sent for. It was stated that his prices ranged from $500 to $2000, and that he was successful in several cases; some appeared to know that he either was or had been a law partner of a cabinet oflicer, and that the busi- ness would hardly bear the scrutiny of a con- gressional committee of investigation, but no- thing certain seemed to be known by anybodj^ The Marshall of New York also seemed to have a pass for himself and friends, and would some- times bring down quite a little crowd to see the animals. On one Sunday, Chief of Police Ken- nedy and Simeon Draper were among the visi- tors, and entered somewhat freely into discus- sion with some prisoners, particularly with Gov. Morehead, of Kentucky; he explained FORT LA FAYETTE. Zi how bad the treatment was, and showed the discomforts in a very feeling and eloquent manner. The newspapers of ]S"ew York next day mentioned this visit, and claimed that the visitors reported that the prisoners were living in a style equal to a first class New York hotel, and were -well treated, that they were allowed to walk on the roof and around the Fort, all of which was as false as it could be. A released prisoner, in reply, published a letter in the ]^ew York Herald, stating the truth, which called forth an answer from Col, Burke, in which he claimed that he and Commander Wood had done every thing possible for the comfort of the prisoners, and hinted that the Herald's letter was a violation of parole, and might subject the writer to incarceration. How much j)ains Col. Burke took, is, of course, unknown, but as he was never seen in the Fort but on two occa- sions, and then for a very short time, holding no communication with the prisoners, and no improvement was apparent in consequence of such visits, the prisoners could hardly see the effect of his efforts. About the middle of October, however, pre- parations were made to make things more com- 28 TWO MONTHS IN fortable; additional blankets, mattresses, pil- lows, sheets, etc.; some tables and chairs, stoves, and above all, rope matting to cover the brick floors, some wash bowls and cham- ber furniture w^ere thankfully received. Those who wanted fires had to get for themselves the wood and coal, and it was not an un- common thing to see a man who always had servants to wait on him, shouldering an arm- ful of wood, or carrying a scuttle of coal. Commander Wood's position must have been a very unpleasant one; he associated but very little with the prisoners, a great many of whom expressed a good deal of contempt for him, which likely they would have done to any person holding his position toward them. On Sunday mornings the garrison had a dress parade, which was the only one he attended; then he w^as dressed up in style, regulation hat, gold epauletts, sword, and revolvers, and would, accompanied by the Orderly Sergeant, slowly walk through all the quarters, and this was apparently the extent of his efforts. In addition to the political prisoners, -there was about twenty privateers. These were kept in one small room by themselves; they FORT LA FAYETTE. 29 had no liberty of exercise, and they wore irons on their ankles. Earl}' in October they were removed to Bedloe's Island, and when they again appeared, on their way to Fort Warren, were not ironed. The foregoing shows, without any exag- geration, but rather the reverse, the treat- ment by the United States of the political prisoners in Fort La Fayette. With but very few exceptions, all were men of cultivation and refinement, had been accustomed to the comforts of home, and many of them to lux- urious homes. All were arrested in a sum- mary manner, without a legal warrant ', were not under any legal cliarge or indictment; were for the most part abducted from other States where courts and judges were in ex- istence; were denied a hearing or a knowl- edge of a charge, and were ready and anxious to meet any accuser before v^, legal tribunal, therefore treating such men as criminals, and feeding and caring for them as felons, was considered an agravation of cruelty totally uncalled for. Of course everything the prisoners could do to alleviate their cases was done by them, so TWO MONTHS IN and by gradual degrees, and some expense, men managed to live who could not Lave done so on Gov®rnment fare. One of the num- ber was appointed Commissary, and through him the prisoners were allowed to spend their money for necessaries, Avhich he procured from New York. Subscribers could get the newspapers each morning, and very soon there was quite a stock of dishes, coffee pots, chafing dishes, apples, cold meats, pickles, condiments, etc., and by-and-bye messes were formed, some acting as cooks, and some as dishwashers, until finally one mess of fourteen achieved a cooking stove and its utensils, fur- nished pretty much all with a cup of the best coffee at six a.m., had omelets for breakfast, and bread pudding for dinner, drawing its ra- tions from the United States, and bujdng vfhat else Avas wanted from Kew York, it also carried its luxury so far as to have a melo- deon and singers, and was getting perfectly contented Avhen broken up by the removal to Fort Warren. Another mess had some patent contrivance of cooking by spirit lamps, and it, too, was astonishing itself at its success ; besides this. FORT LA FAYETTE. 31 there were minor messes^ nil getting along well, and all helping one another, which had a tendency to much reduce the '^ table d'hote'^ at the United States Hotel. Besides this^ one of the sergeants, whose wife lived in the Fort, was allowed to take boarders. She did so at a charge of one dollar a day, and always had more applicants than she could accommodate. But chiefest of all the blessings was Mrs. J who lived opposite the Fort on Long Island. She prepared and sent over daily, cooked in the best style, and of the best, quite 'a quantity of choice food, enough for from eight to ten ; her supplying was once stopped, but she worked on till permission was granted again, with some restriction. Any want that she knew of was supplied, delicacies for the sick, and clothing for the destitute, she was liberal with. No Fort La Fayette prisoner, rich or poor, can ever forget her kindness. God bless her. Each prisoner was allowed, at his own ex- pense, a moderate stock of wine or liquor ; it was kept by a sergeant, and issued in certain quantities daily. All of a sudden, however, the supply was prohibited. Ko explanation 32 TWO MONTHS IN was given, nor Avas the stock or its value ever returned; it remained in tlio .Fort wlion the prisoners went to Fort Warren. The newspapers of the day, a few books, cards, draughts, chess, writing letters, etc., constituted the pastimes; there was very little political talking, and apparently very little growth of reverence for those who had ordered the imprisonments. The arrival of prisoners, almost daily, was quite an event; their names were recorded by a self-constituted clerk, the cause of their ar- rest discussed, and they were sympathized or joked with, as might appear to be agreeable^ always treated kindly. The discharge of prisoners was always subject of hearty con- gratulation and promises of correspondence, not frequently lived up to by the fortunates. On Sundays all games were suspended by mutual consent, and once or twice in the day all who choose would assemble in one of the large rooms, and one of the number would lead in the Episcopal service for the day, and read a sermon. It was surprising to see how many had with them their book of Common Prayer,'^ and gratifying, the fervor Avith which all en- FORT LA FAYETTE. 83 tered into the spirit of the beautiful service ; in these services the garrison never joined, thouo'h any soldier would have been welcome. There was but one known attempt at escape, D. C. Lowber of New Orleans, who was the only one who claimed to be, and gloried in being a secessionist, had by some means or other furnished himself with some money, and a couple of life-preservers. _0n the night of the 26th Oct., after the lights had been extin- guished, he picked the lock of one of the port- hole gratings, put his clothes in a bucket, and lowered himself on to the esplanade, his life- preservers were bound around him, and he apparently contemplated a swim to Staten Island, a distance of two miles at least, and, perhaps, a great deal further if the tide was running fast; the water was cold, so it was hardly possible he could have lived. He pro- ceeded to work his way to the wall, when he was espied by the sentry, whose advancing footsteps he did not hear, being very deaf, and his chances were all over. The sentry made a furious outcry for ^'Sergeant of the Guard No. 4," commanded Mr. Lowber to stand still or he would shoot him, repudiated all his attempts 2 84 TWO MONTHS IN at conciliation, and to be allowed to re-enter the port-hole, informing him that it was too late to attempt to bribe him, etc. ; although the noise awoke all the prisoners, it seemed difficult to awake the Sergeant, who was a long time coming. At last he came, much to the relief of the sentry, who was, judging by his voice, the most frightened of the two. Mr. Lowber was taken to the guard-house and put in irons, and so kept until the removal to Fort Warren, when he again appeared among the prisoners; he had managed somehow to retain his irons, and expressed his intention of mak- ing them his chief mantel ornament at home. He has been since released from Fort Warren, and has gone to Great Britain. Another opportunity of escape was offered to a prisoner fi'om Kentucky, a working man, who had no funds or friends in ISTew York; he w^as mistaken by a sentry for one of the hands belonfrinsr to a boat unloading wood at the Wharf, and at the point of the bayonet was told he had no business in the Fort, and or- dered on board his boat; he, however, ear- nestly remonstrated, claimed his privileges, and finally convinced the sentry of his error. FORT LA FAYETTE. 35 Doubtless had Mr. Lowber succeeded in get- ting away, it would have been much worse for the remainder, as it was, all in his room — about fort}' — were looked upon with suspicion as accomplices. As soon as he was ironed and secured, all hands were called up from bed, made form a line on the cold floor, in the pic- turesque uniform of shirt tails, answer to names, etc. The cannon on the second floor were fre- quently used to stop vessels proceeding to sea without permission of the captain of a guard- ship stationed above. On such signals being given, the wdiole garrison was ordered to quar- ters, and every prisoner immediately locked up ; a great tramping would be heard over head, and finally the ball would go whistling and screaming across the bows of the offender; the whijle proceeding could be seen through the port-holes, and generally resulted in the vessel heaving to. Not always so, however, a very fast steamer did escape in open day, and it was said a sail vessel had slipped by at night — the tiring was rather wide of the mark — only once was a vessel hit. On 30th October, a ferry-boat appeared at 86 TWO MONTHS IN the wharf and all prisoners went on board, en route for Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Mrs. , the prisoners' kind friend, was standing on the bank opposite her house, and received from all a hearty greeting as the boat swept by. At Governor's Island, the steam- boat " State of Maine" was waiting, and the Fort La Fayette prisoners, together with some other State prisoners from Governor's Island, and the officers captured at Fort Hatteras were assigned to her upper or state-room deck, some two hundred in all ; there were twenty- five state-rooms, mostly occupied by the officers in charge ; there also came on board about six hundred prisoners of war, who were quartered in the lower cabin. In addition, there was a military guard of about two hundred, besides the boat hands, making a total of over one thousand souls crowded on a boat not capable of holding over five hundred. The voyage w\ts commenced at five p.m., and then it was dis- covered that no provision was made for feed- iner this crowd. Some boxes of soda crackers were hunted up, and some one extemporized cofi'ee in a limited quantity, and that was the fare allowed. By-and-bye, it turned out that FORT LA FAYETTE. 37 no beds or sleeping accommodations were pro- vided — not even a chair was to be found. A few, by good luck, managed to secure the empty state-rooms, and made the sleeping ac- commodations therein do duty for as many as possible, but the most part spent two sleepless and restless nights in that prison-boat. The next evening at five p.m.. Fort Warren was reached, and then it was learned that Col. Dimmick was not at all prepared to receive any such company, and the night must be passed on board. The next morning, after the prisoners of war had been marched in, the State prisoners followed ; they found it was as Col. Dimmick said, that he was totally unprepared — he had not a table or chair, bedstead or bed for one man — he had no provision, so that a raw ham on top of a barrel in the middle of the parade, and a barrel of soda crackers w^as eaten from by the half- famished new arrivals. For five whole dsijs did the prisoners live without beds or chairs, or any regular meals. After that, supplies were received, and no prisoner was ever heard to complain of Col. Dimmick or his garrison. 38 TWO MONTHS IN The change of treatment from nncivil acts in Fort La Fayette, to the gentlemanly treatment in Fort Warren, was most refreshing. The rooms allotted to the prisoners were comfort- able, with the exception of a few basement rooms being damp, and the area for exercise was much more extensive. At Fort La Fayette, the whole New York Bay was oj^en to view through the purt-holes, which, though iron-barred, whiled away pleas- antly many an hour. Fort Warren had no port-holes to look through, it was open only to the sky and the bleak Massachusetts winds ; many on this account would have preferred the old quarters, particularly as stoves and mat- ting had just been received, and messes were organized. Still, on the whole, Fort Warrea is a vast improvement over Fort La Fayette ; even including the horrors of the passage from one to the other. No single prisoner had had a trial at any time granted him ; those who have been dis- charged were so on various conditions of parole, or taking the oath, and have thus been sent home resting under the stigma of imprisonment, and without the opportunity of setting them- selves right before the community. PORT LA FAYETTE. 39 The few personal and very much condensed cases which follow, are only given as speci- mens of the prisoner's own version, and not as by any means singular. Every prisoner com- plained of gross injustice, and violation of his personal guaranteed rights. Each prisoner expressed his willingness and anxiety for a trial, or confronting of his accusers. Each prisoner complained that he was not allowed to appeal to the courts for his rights, and seve- ral had writs of habeas corpus waiting to be served on Col. Burke, who, to avoid such ser- vice, was virtually a prisoner within the walls of Fort Hamilton. The writing out of each in- dividual case would be an unnecessary labor, as one w^ould be a virtual repetition of the other. This pamphlet is issued not as an election- eering document, the fall elections being over, but simply as a record, so that the rising gene- ration may know what has happened in the noon of the nineteenth century, in the Great Republic, and perhaps avoid its repetition. " God save the Union I" C. F. Sargeant, of Yarmont, Maine, was ad- mitted Sept. 24th, ne was engaged in com- 40 TWO MONTHS IN merce, and was arrested at his home early in September, taken to Portland and put in prison. Some friends got wind of it, and procured a writ of habeas corpus, the officers tried to evade it by leaving town with him in a car- riage, intending to take the train for Boston at another station. In this, however, they were frustrated by his friends heading them off with the writ, and all hands returned to Port- land. The District Attorney had the case post- poned till three p.m. next day, and he was re- manded to prison; about midnight all charges against him were withdrawn, he was released and went home to his business. About two weeks after, having occasion to go to Boston on business, Mr. Sargeant, when near there on the train, was jumped upon by three Marshals, with cocked revolvers, ironed, and taken to Boston, and from thence sent to Fort La Fayette, without any charge, and without knowing by whose order he was so treated. J. E. Barbour, of Lake Providence, La., ar- rived 24th Aug., he was on his way home from a summer tour for his health, which was feeble, FORT LA FAYETTE. 41 and was arrested in Sj^raciise, N. Y., on the sworn charge of a stranger, that he believed he had been buying arms and supplies for twenty thousand rebels, and cast into prison. Some gentlemen in town, perfect strangers to him, insisted that he should hav^e a trial, and a day was accordingly set for his hearing at Auburn, N. Y., they giving large security for his ap- pearance. He was anxious to have a hearing without a witness immediately, but had to re- main at a hotel in Syracuse while his accuser tried to hunt up evidence. At the day ap- pointed he reported himself at Auburn, releas- ed his securities, and Avas put in Auburn jail to have his hearing next morning. In this he was disappointed; about midnight the Marshal came to his cell, put irons on him, and started for New York. In due time he arrived there, was marched through the streets in irons, though guarded by three armed Marshals, and safely lodged in Fort La Fayette. Wm. Pierce, of New Orleans, La., [was ad- mitted on 22d October, he w^as a young man, and was arrested in Boston, Mass., on 17th October, on the charge of being an officer in the Rebel service. His hearing lasted from 42 TWO MONTHS IN day to clay, nntil the 21st October, when he was honorably discharged, having proved satis- factorily to the court the falsity of the charge, the difficulty he had to get away from Ne^\^ Orleans, and the long and painful journey en- dured to reach Boston where his sick wife re- sided. His friends w^ere cono^ratulatincc him on his release, and his wife waiting to accompany him home, when a Marshall called him aside as for some private conversation, stepj)ed around the corner with him, when he was forced into a carriage, and driven off to the train for New York. All this on a telegraphic order from Wm. H. Seward. George A. Hubbell, of Bridgeport, Conn., was admitted 20th September, he w^as a ven- dor of newspapers on the cars of the Nauga- tuck Railroad, and was arrested as he was step- ping on to his train for his daily journey. He had no charge preferred against him, but was hurried off to Fort La Fayette in the most sum- mary manner, and without any intimation of the authority of, or cause of his arrest. He surmised that it was on account his hav- ing, a few days before, when in New York, I'ORT LA PAYETTE. 43 bought ten copies of the ^' New York Daily News," unci given them away to old customers for that paper on his route. The paper was not suppressed in New York, it was bought and sold as any other, but the Government had prohibited it being carried in the mails, and Mr. Ilubbell had stopped circulating it on his route. He was kept only about a week. Captain H. L. Shields, of Bennington, Vt., was admitted 25th October ; he is a retired officer of the United States army, and now a farmer at Bennington. While in the field with his laborers, a few miles from town, a messen- ger drove up in a hack, saying a friend whose name he had forgotten, was at the railroad de- pot, and wished to see him before the train started. As the time was short, without any change of clothes or preparation for a journey, he embarked with the messenger and was driven to the station. In place of a friend, he there met^two United States Marshalls, who, without allowing him any communication whatever with his family, hurried him right along, unprepared as he was, to Fort La Fayette. lie afterwards understood that officers im- 44 TWO MONTHS IN mediately proceeded to his house, tilarming his wife who was in delicate health, and over- hauling all his correspondence in the hope of finding something to sustain the newspaper charge of holding corres2:)ondence with the JRebels; it is presumed none such was found, as he was early discharged from Fort Warren. Mr. A. Da Costa, of Charleston, S. C, was admitted 11th October -, he is well known to travellers as a very popular purser on Gulf steamers running from I^ew Orleans. The blockade suspended his business, and he started to join his family living in Mexico. At Louis- ville, Ky., he bought a ticket for New York via Montreal, having a desire to visit that city. He arrived at Detroit on Saturday evening, and remained over Sunday, entering his name in register of the Eussell House as from New Orleans. On Monday morning, after paying his hotel bill, he was arrested on an affidavit of some one to him a stranger, stating that he believed that Mr. Da Costa was on a mission from the Rebel authorities to foreign poten- tates; his only baggage, a valise, was examin- ed, he was searched, but nothing found, and committed to prison. Some merchants, un- FORT LA FAYETTE. 45 known to him, took an interest in his case, and sued out a writ of habeas corpus. The officers in charge hearing of this, and not having re- ceived the usual telegraphic order from Wash- ington, took him away at night to Adrian, giving out that they were going to Monroe, in in the opposite direction; there he remained one da}^, and then was taken to Toledo, Ohio, there the necessary order was procured, and he was forwarded direct to Fort La Fayette. He was entirely unacquainted North, and his innocence might have been presumed from the fact that he remained thirtj-six hours publicly in Detroit, when ten minutes would at any time have put him in Canada. He was finally released from Fort Warren, it is believed, in exchange for some prisoner held by the Con- federates, and sent to Fortress Monroe. So it is quite, probable that by this action he has been forced into the Rebel service. Captain Eobert Tansil, late of TJ. S. ship Congress, entered 28th August, he had just arrived at Boston in the Congress, and hearing of the rebellion, or, perhaps, for some other cause, had resigned his commission. He was immediately arrested and sent to the Fort; he 46 TWO MONTHS IN had no charges preferred against him, and to his repeated applications for any, or for priv- ilege to visit Washington to meet any, and visit his family, received no favorable answer. After being confined over four months, he was exchanged for a United States officer, and sent to Fortress Monroe — thus recognizing him as an officer in the Confederate service, and mak- ing it almost his duty to serve in that cause which had gained him his personal liberty. A number of other United States navy officers were imprisoned in the same manner, and the result has likely been the same in at least a majority of the cases. Twenty-five members of the Marjdand Leg- islature arrived on the 23d and 26th September. A few days previously they had met at the City of Frederick, according to adjournment from their regular meeting, for the • express purpose of completing some financial bills. They claimed that, according to the adjourn- ment, no other business could come before that body; the newspapers asserted that the inten- tion was to pass an act of secession. At its regular session, this same body had the ques- tion before it, and decided that it bad no power rORT LA TAYETTE. 47 to pass such an act, wliich could only be done by the people in convention. Nevertheless, they were all arrested by an armed force, and sent to th6 Fort, and the session of the State of Maryland Legislature was thus broken up. To some, and, perhaps, to all of them, the new oath of allegiance was offered as the con- dition of their liberation. Their reasons for refusing itj and, in fact, the reasons of all who refused it were stated as, l.«t. They had committed no act of disloy- alty ; w^ere conscious of no such intent; had no charges or indictments pending against them ; therefore, should not be singled for any such test, which, if submitted to, would be ad- mitting that there w^as some cause against them . 2d. This oath was in direct violation of every oath already- taken by lawyers, legislators, and foreigners. That was an oath swearing to bear true allegiance to the State in which it is taken, and to support the Constitution of the United States. This is swearing to bear true allegi- ance to the United States, regardless of any act of State Legislatures or Conventions of its people. Having taken one oath which is 48 TWO MONTHS IN claimed to have been faitlifiilly lived up to and still binding, they cannot take another annul- ling the same. Fourteen men were brought from Kentuck}^, and arrived 5tli October; they were mostly laboring men, destitute of clothes and money, and stated that they were arrested in different parts by the Jl.ome Guard, and lodged in jail at Louisville, on the charge of intending to join the rebel service. They employed coun- sel, denied the charge, asserted that they one and all voted the Union ticket, and a day was appointed for their trial. On that morning, very early, they w^ere marched out of jail under a military guard, placed in oranibusses, driven to the ferry, and taken over to Indiana, from thence direct to the Fort. Some of them arrived quite sick, and one came near dying, as they had no overcoats for the journey, or even a change of clothes, they having been arrested on the road and in the field at their daily occupation. Gov. Morehead took a kind interest in these men, and they were soon made more comfortable. Some time in No- vember these men were turned loose in the streets of Boston, one thousand miles from FORT LA FAYETTE. 4:W home, and without means of getting there. The citizens or the City Government, it is be- lieved, forwarded them. Mr. Wm. H. Winder, of Philadelphia, Pa., entered 14th September; he was arrested 11th September, on a charge of conspiracy to over- throw the Government; by whom the charge was made he never was informed ; he was held in custody till 13th September, to answer said charges, which were then all withdrawn by the District Attorney. That same afternoon, with- out any warrant being shown, he was arrested by the United States Marshall on a telegraphic order from Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, and immediately forwarded to the Fort. After his arrest, his office was visited, his desks, etc., broken open, and his papers, covering a period of thirty years, ransacked. Since his incar- ceration, he has been urging the furnishing of the charges against him, but without success. The only information that has been furnished him being, singularly enough, in a letter from Simon Cameron himself, distinctly denying that he ever ordered Mr. Winder's arrest, or knew of it till he saw it in print, and stating that he had requested his immeiliato release from Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State, 50 TWO MONTHS IN F. D. and J. E. Flanders, two brothers, of Malone, N. Y., entered 23d October, they were editors of a newspaper in that place, and could conceive of no cause for their arrest, except that they kept conspicuously in their paper the following curiosities. EXTRACT OF A SPEECH BY DANL. S. DICKINSON, N.Y. ^' No amount of power can ever nnaintain the Union — all the paper laws we have, all the strength and power of the Constitution, the army and navy, the National Legislature and the Executive power, arc all not worth a single rush to compel a State to remain in the Union one sin9