----- Original Message ----- From: "Margie Daniels" <margie@majorinternet.net> To: <GACRAWFO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 8:27 PM Subject: [Crawford County] Prison life Cont'd CV 1893 > Confederate Veteran June 1893. > > ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS' PRISON LIFE. > > The thrilling events as narrated by Alexander H. Stephens in a diary of his > capture and imprisonment was commenced in the issue of the CONFEDERATE > VETERAN for May. These introductory notes are made for the benefit of those > who have not seen that number. > > This report was furnished me by his nephew, Hon. Jno. A. Stephens, who is > now dead. > > Mr. Stephens was arrested at his own Liberty Hall, Crawfordville, whither he > had gone, and was quietly awaiting the action of the victors until his > arrest. His imprisonment and subsequent street parole at Atlanta, then the > removal to Augusta, where he, Mr. Davis, Greneral Wheeler and others became > fellow passengers, are also given in that number. > > FROM HIS DIARY VERBATIM COPY. > > General Wheeler and four of his men were on the boat. They had been captured > near Albany some days previous, and had been sent down to the boat some > hours before our arrival. The whole party were Mr. Davis and those captured > with him, Mr. and Mrs. Clay, myself, General Wheeler and his men, numbering > over twenty. I don't know exactly how many were in Mr. Davis' party. I > recognized General and Col. Wm. Preston Johnston, of his staff, > Mr. Harrison, his private Secretary, and Postmaster Gen. J. H. Reagan. Mr. > Davis had with him a man and woman, also colored servants and little boy. > His children, Jeff, Maggie and Varina also Mrs. Davis, Miss Howell and her > brother J. D. Howell. A young man, a grandson of Judge of Kentucky, was > also with him. I did not see him after we got on the boat. Mrs. Davis and > Mrs. Clay came on the deck where we were. Our meeting was the first Mrs. > Davis and party knew of my arrest. General Wheeler had not heard of the > arrest of any of us. Mr. Clay told me he had been on parole all the way, and > that he did not come on in the procession with the rest of us that he had > been permitted to drive his carriage out in the city (Augusta) and visit > some lady acquaintances of his wife. He gave me all the particulars of his > surrender. > On taking leave of me General Upton turned me over to Colonel Pritchard, of > the 4th Michigan Cavalry, who had captured Mr. Davis, and who then took > charge of all of the prisoners. The General told Colonel Pritchard that I > and Mr. Clay were on parole, and he allowed us the run of the boat. I asked > him to grant me permission to write to my brother: and he said he supposed > this permission would not be denied whenever I got to a place where I could > write. > > On the cars from Barnet to Augusta I traveled with General Elzy (C. S. A.), > who had been paroled. I requested him. to write to John A. Stephens at > Crawfordville, and say to him I wished him to remain with his mother until > he heard from me. I greatly and deeply regretted that I did not meet John at > home today, as I passed there. > > My feelings this night on this boat pass all description. We were all > crowded together in a small space on the boat's deck, covering over us, but > both sides open. The night was cool and the air on the water damp, and I was > suffering from a severe headache. No mention was made of supper, but I cared > not for supper. I had taken breakfast at 12 and did not feel as if I should > ever want to eat again. Clay and I united our cloaks, coats and shawls. > General Wheeler sent us a blanket. Mrs. Davis sent us a mattress, and we > made a joint bed in the open air on deck. I put the carpet bags under our > heads, and strange to say, I slept sweetly and soundly and arose much > refreshed the next morning. The boat raised steam and left the bluff not > wharf about nine o'clock at night. Reagan, Wheeler and the rest, including > the servants, stretched themselves about on the open space the best way they > could. All had covering of some sort but one little boy. > > Just before I fell asleep I witnessed this scene: A little black boy about > 14 years old, ragged and woe begone in appearance, was stretched on deck > right in the passage way. Whose he was, or where he was going, I knew not. > An officer came along, gave him a shove, and told him in harsh language to > get away from there. The boy raised up, waked from his sleep, and replied in > a plantation mood, "I have no lodging, sir." That scene and that reply were > visibly on my mind when all my present cares were most opportunely and > graciously, if not mercifully, drowned in slumber as I was being borne away > from home, and all that was most dear to me, on the broad and smooth bosom > of the Savannah. > 15th May: Waked much refreshed, morning beautiful, got a rough soldier > breakfast. Mr. Davis came out on our deck soon after I got up. It was our > first meeting since we parted the night after my return from the Hampton > Roads Conference to Richmond. Talked today a good deal with Clay, Reagan and > Wheeler, but spent most of my time in silent, lonely meditation on the side > of the boat, looking out upon willows on the margin of the sluggish, muddy, > crooked stream. Most of my thoughts were filled with home scenes and their > kindred associations. Colonel Pritchard introduced to me Captain Hudson, of > his regiment, and a Mr. Stribling (?), who was a correspondent of the New > York Herald. We talked a good deal on the state of the country, etc. The > entire day was clear, mild and beautiful. > > 16th May: Went to sleep last night as the night before. I omitted to note > yesterday that we got dinner and tea at the usual hours, potatoes (Irish) > and beef stewed together for dinner, at tea a good cup of black tea that > suited me well. There was hard tack on the table, some prefer that, but I > chose the soft, or what is known as light bread or " bakers' " bread. The > table was small , only four could be seated at once. It took some time for > all to eat. We reached Savannah this morning at four o'clock, did not land, > but were transferred from the tug to a coast steamer, bound to Hilton Head > a much more commodious boat. On it we got a good breakfast beefsteak, hot > rolls and coffee. > > On the passage to Hilton Head I took a berth and slept most of the way, > reached Hilton Head about 11 o'clock A. M. The day was clear and rather > warm, though not hot or sultry, anchored in the harbor and were transferred > to another steamer bound for Fortress Monroe. This was the Clyde, a new > boat, a propeller of about 500 tons, there were several good berths in the > cabin below, and quite a number of state rooms on deck above. The ladies and > most of the gentlemen selected state rooms. I preferred a berth below, and > chose my place there, which I found on the voyage was a most excellent > choice. After we were transferred to the Clyde, quite a number of officers > and other persons > came aboard. They brought New York papers, Harper's Weekly, Frank Leslie's > Illustrated News. It had been a long time since I had seen these prints. > Here for the first time I heard of the military commission trying the > assassins of Mr. Lincoln. The officers came down into the cabin where I was, > and talked some time of the state of the country. They were all courteous > and agreeable. Captain Kelly, formerly of Washington City, who knew me > there, told me he was now in the Quartermaster Department at Hilton Head. He > was pleased to speak kindly of his former recollections of me, 'alluded to > my Milledgeville speech in November, 1860, spoke highly of it and expressed > regret that I had not adhered to it. I told him I had. In that speech I had > with all my ability urged our people not to secede. The present consequences > I then seriously apprehended, but in the same speech. I told them that if in > solemn convention the people of the State should determine to resume their > delegated powers and assert her sovereign and independent rights, that I > should be bound to go with the State. To her I owed ultimate allegiance. In > that event her cause would be my cause, and her destiny my destiny. I > thought this step a wrong one, perhaps fatal, and exerted my utmost power to > prevent it, but when it had been taken, even though against my judgment, I, > as a good citizen, could but share the common fate, whatever it might be. I > did as a patriot what I thought best before secession. I did the same after. > He did not seem to have recollected that part of the speech, which > acknowledged my ultimate allegiance to be due to the State of Georgia. The > whole conversation was quite friendly. He manifested a good deal of personal > regard toward me. > At about three or four o'clock the Clyde put out to sea. > > Before leaving, Mrs. Davis addressed a note to General Saxon (?), who had > charge of colonization, in confiding to him the little orphan mulatto boy > she had with her. The parting of the boy with the family was quite a scene. > He was about seven or eight years old, I should think. He was little Jeff's > playfellow, they were very intimate and nearly always together, it was Jeff > and Jimmy between them. When Jeff' knew that Jimmy was to be left, he > wailed, and so did Jimmy. Maggie cried, Varina cried, and the colored woman > cried. Mrs, Davis said the boy's mother had been dead a number of years, and > this woman had been as a mother to him. As the boat left our side, that was > to take Jimmy away, he screamed and had to be held to be kept from jumping > overboard. He tried his best to get away from those who held him. At this, > Jeff and Maggie and Varina screamed almost as loud as he did. Mrs. Davis > also shed tears. Mrs. Clay threw Jimmy some money, but it had no effect. > Some one on deck of his boat picked it up and handed it to him, but he paid > no attention to it, and kept scuffling to get loose, and wailing as long as > he could be heard by us. > > After all, what is life but a succession of pains, sorrows, griefs and woes! > Poor Jimmy! He has just entered upon its threshold. This will hardly be his > worst or heaviest affliction, if his days be many upon this earth. > > The Clyde is long and narrow, and rolls very much at sea. The Purser on the > Clyde is named Moore, a son of the Captain of the boat. He expressed some > kind personal regard for me this evening, said he was from Philadelphia, > gave me a copy of Harper's Weekly, and requested anything I could spare as a > little memento. I chanced to have in my pocket a chess piece of a set that > was very prettily made it was a Bishop. I took it out and asked him how > that would do, he seemed highly pleased with it. > > May 19: We enter Hampton Roads this morning, a pilot boat meets us, we are > asked where we wish to be piloted to. To Washington was the reply. > The Tuscarora leads the way, and we arrive at Hampton Roads. Colonel > Pritchard goes to Fortress Monroe, returns and says we must await orders > from Washington. Before going ashore I asked him to inquire if I would be > permitted to telegraph or write home. He could, on returning, give no > information on that point. We anchor in the harbor, and the Tuscarora > anchors close by. We see near us the iron steamer Atlanta, captured at > Savannah. Dinner at usual hour, and all hands at table except Miss Howell, > all with good appetite except myself. My throat is still sore from continued > hoarseness, but much better than it was when I left Hilton Head. I have, > however, no relish for food. > > 20th May: Still at anchor in the Roads. Colonel Pritchard informs us he got > a telegram last night informing him that General Halleck would be at the > Fort at noon to day and give him further orders. The day is dull, nothing to > enliven it but the passing of steamboats and small sails in the harbor. A > Brittish man of war and a French lie near us. > > Called Henry in the cabin, told him he would go from there to Richmond, gave > him $10, and told him to be a good, industrious, upright boy, and never to > gamble. Colonel Pritchard came to the cabin at 8 o'clock at night and told > Judge Reagan and myself that some officers in the Captain's room wished to > see us there. We went immediately and found Captain Fraley, of the > Tuscarora, and Captain Parker, of the war steamer, in the cabin. Captain > Fraley received us courteously, and told us that he had orders to take > Reagan and myself aboard the Tuscarora next day at 10 o'clock. He had come > over that night to give us notice that we might be ready. In reply to the > question of our destination, he told us Boston. I knew then that Fort Warren > was my place of confinement and imprisonment. I told him I feared the > climate would be too cool and damp for me, I should have greatly preferred > to go to Washington, if the authorities had so decided. > Before we left the Captain's office, General Wheeler and party came in. His > conference was with Captain Parker: we learned from what passed that Captain > Parker was to take them in his steamer in the morning to Fort Donaldson. > Reagan and I left General Wheeler in the office. I sent for Captain Moody, > who was a fellow prisoner with us, taken with Mr. Davis, and who had been a > prisoner of war at Fort Warren, to learn from him sonic of the prison > regulations there. He spoke in very favorable terms of them, said he had > been in several prisons, and he had been better treated at Fort Warren than > anywhere else. Being relieved of the suspense we had been in for several > days, Reagan and I went to our berths at an early hour. I slept but little, > thought of home, sweet home, saw plainly that I was not to be permitted to > see anyone there. This was the most crushing thought that filled my mind. > Death I felt I could meet with resignation, if such should be my fate, if I > could be permitted to > > communicate with Linton and other dear ones while life should last. > > May 21st: Anthony was not permitted to go with me, gave him $5 and same > advice I gave Henry, I gave him my leather trunk he had brought his clothes > in. Saw Mrs. Clay and requested her to write to Linton and Mrs. D. M. DuBose > the same thing my destination and present condition. We do not know what is > to be done with Mr. Clay, or where he is to be sent. After that shall be > made known it is Mrs. Clay's intention to go North, if allowed, that is, if > her husband shall be confined. Yesterday evening we got New York papers, saw > the progress of the trial of the assassins. Mr. Clay expressed to me the > fullest confidence that nothing could be brought against him in such a > crime. He spoke in the strongest terms of deepest regret at it, said how > deeply he deplored it, and his explanation to that effect, when he first > heard of President Lincoln's assassination. We had a long talk this morning. > > General Wheeler and those who went with him left at 6 A. M. I was up and > took my leave of them, the parting all around was sad. At 10 o'clock Captain > Fraley came up in a tug, came aboard the Clyde. Reagan and I were ready, we > took leave of all. Anthony and Henry looked very sad, Anthony stood by me to > the last. Mrs. Davis asked Captain Fraley if he could not go, he said that > he had inquired of the officer commanding the fleet, and he had informed him > that his orders related to only two persons. This closed the matter just as > I had looked for. I bade Anthony good bye, the last one. I had before taken > leave of Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Clay, and Colonel Harrison. Upon > taking leave of Mr. Davis he seemed to be more affected than I had ever seen > him. He said nothing but good bye, and gave my hand a cordial squeeze. The > tone of the voice in uttering good bye evinced deep feeling and emotion. > With assistance I descended the rope ladder to the deck of the tug. All the > baggage being aboard, off we steamed to the Tuscarora. > > > > ==== GACRAWFO Mailing List ==== > Deo Vindice= God our Vindicator. Appears on The Great Seal of The Confederacy, UDC medals of Honor and UDC iron grave markers, just to > mention a few. American by birth Southern by the Grace of God. > >