----- Original Message ----- From: "Margie Daniels" <margie@majorinternet.net> To: <GACRAWFO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 10:25 PM Subject: [Crawford County] Diary Continued from CV August 1893 > THE ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS PRISON DIARY. > > The CONFEDERATE VETERAN for May and June contained chapters from the prison > diary of Alexander H. Stephens. The increase of subscriptions had been so > great that the concluding chapter, in type for July, was withheld for a > brief review of the two former. > > The diary may be regarded as a vivid record of how ignorant our people were > of what to expect from the victors. Even this able lawyer, who was assured > that the had faithful friends in high position on the Union side, had an > acutely painful dread of the consequences. Buying the book for record at > Fort Warren, near Boston, May 27, 1865, he wrote in the introduction: "It > may be interesting to himself hereafter, sometimes, should he be permitted > to live to refer to it." He was arrested May 11, at his home, Liberty Hall, > Crawfordville. There was a regular guard of soldiers under Gen. Upton to > take him in charge. Mr. Stephens seemed to feel greatly relieved when he > saw, by the order for his arrest, that it included Robert Toombs, and when > the officer went to Washington, Ga., and found that Toombs had "flanked" > Upton, he was evidently much disappointed. He was kept in Atlanta on honor, > the guards being removed, and friends offered him money (in gold). He was > sent on a special train from Atlanta to his home at Crawfordville, that he > might have two hours to get clothing and make arrangements for his > indefinite stay in a Northern prison. At Augusta Jefferson Davis and family, > and Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Clay, of Alabama, were sent upon the same boat. They > had been sent from Atlanta just after Mr. .Stephens. Mr. Stephens was > permitted to take one of his servants on the journey. > > Unhappily there was a break in our copy of the diary. This concluding > chapter begins with his transfer to the Tuscorora, as published in the > VETERAN, after leaving Mr. Davis and party on the Clyde. > The tide was coming right ahead of us at about six miles an hour, and it was > all that the stout seamen with their oars could do to make any head against > it. For some time it seemed as if we were drifting further off. Captain > Fraley called twice for the tug"send the tug" but he was not heard by the > officer on the Tuscorora, and the tug did not come. After a long while we > reached the ship, but not without some wetting from the splashing of the > waves over the sides of the light boat. Right glad was I when we reached the > steps on the ship's side. On deck we were introduced to several officers, > Lieutenant Blue and others. The Captain took us to his cabin, showed us our > quarters we were to be in the cabin with him. There was but one berth or > stateroom in it. This the Captain said he would assign to me, while he and > Reagan would sleep on the circular sofa that ran around the cabin. I > declined depriving him of his room and bed. He said that it was no > deprivation, that he generally slept on the sofa or in a chair, that he > resigned it to me " in consideration of my age and past services to the > country." These were his words. He was very polite and courteous. When he > went on board the Clyde he took some strawberries to Mrs. Davis and Mrs. > Clay and the children of Mrs. Davis. He said he had known Mrs. Davis and > Mrs. Clay before. > > 1st October. Sunday. Another month is gone October is here, and I am here > too, in Fort Warren. How time flies, and how we become adapted to its > passages with its changes! If I had known in May last when I first reached > these walls that I should be here by an October sun it would have about > crushed me. But as it is, I am here, and I am more cheerful than I was then. > We walked out three times this beautiful day. I went to see Reagan in the > forenoon. Had a good long talk with him. He was transcribing his biography > in a blank book. Seemed to be oppressed, but not uncheerful. > > My morning reading was in Psalms. The 119th came in my reading. Dr. called > and delivered messages from Mrs. Maj. A. She sent two photographs of > herself, out of which I was to select one for myself. One was a bust or head > view, the other was a portrait of the whole person in full dress. I chose > the latter. The boat whistles at Gallop Island. Oh ! if the boat should only > bring good news for me from Washington, my heart would leap for joy and in > gratitude, thanks and praise to God for his mercy, his kindness and his > deliverence. > > Boat came, brought papers. No news, except that Hon. L. D. Walker has been > pardoned. So it goes. I don't complain of that, but I do complain of being > kept here to the hazard of my health and the ruin of my private affairs, > while all the leading men who forced the South into secession against my > efforts are not only permitted to go at large, but are pardoned. This is > gall and wormwood to me. It almost crazes my brain. It tempts me to mistrust > God. This is the most painful reflection of all. My agony of spirit today is > almost more than I can bear. The course of the administration at Washington > toward me is personal and vindictive. No other construction can be given to > their acts. If they had avowed it openly to my friends and not have > hypocritically pretended to be friendly disposed toward me, I should not > have been so much effected. An open enemy I can meet face to face and defy, > even if I fall under his blows, but a sneaking, hypocritical Jacob I have no > tolerance toward. > > Judge Reagan came round this morning after the boat left and brought us the > joyous news that he had had an indulgence extended to him to visit his > friends generally, to mess with Linton and me [Linton Stephens was then on a > visit. Ed.], and that he is to be transferred from his damp underground cell > to a room on a level with the one now occupied by me. This was good news > indeed, and I felt exceedingly glad to hear it. He, Linton and I immediately > took a walk together on the rampart. The day was beautiful) but rather warm. > On our return Reagan and I played . We all took dinner together. * * * I > felt deeply mortified with myself for the irritation of spirit I permitted > myself to indulge in today, simply mortified that I had suffered myself to > give way for a moment to such sentiments or allow such feelings as I > expressed on the foregoing pages. Human nature is frail and weak. I was > smaating under a deep sense of wrong. The heart alone knows its own sorrows, > but then it was wrong to grow impatient under suffering conscious wrong. I > know it, I feel it. Oh, God forgive it, and above all, forgive my temptation > temporarily to distrust thy divine justice and mercy. Teach me in meekness, > resignation, patience and faith to bow to all thy dispensations, whatever > they be. Thy will be done! Oh, forgive me this great trespass as I forgive > all who trespass against or wrong me. May I with the same spirit as Christ > upon the cross say, " Father forgive them, they know not what they do," even > in this wrong and injustice to me. Judge Reagan, Linton and I supped > together. I felt badly, thinking of my passion today. May the Lord forgive > it. > > The patriotic effort to secure Liberty Hall for the public was about to fall > through when I had a conference with the eminent preacher, Rev. T. DeWitt > Talmage, and he became much concerned about it. He offered, if by his action > the money could be raised, to deliver four lectures in the largest cities of > Georgia, the proceeds to be given for this cause. Dr. Talmage was an admirer > and friend of Mr. Stephens, his uncle having been a minister at the South > and a chaplain of much prominence. > > > > ==== GACRAWFO Mailing List ==== > Check the Macon County Georgia Web site for old newspaper articles http://www.rootsweb.com/~gamacon/index.html > >