not be a circumstance to what I should get. to smuggle the trunks into Boston: The He said I might make ten times $100,000. next morning I went down with Mr. Hill to the vessels. I was to stay in Toronto, and go on with my legitimate business, until I heard from Mr. Hill had a private conversation with him. He told me to keep quiet, and if I Captain McGregor, the captain of the first moved anywhere, I was to inform Dr. Stuart vessel to whom we applied, and he refused Robinson where I went to, and he would to take the goods. We then went to see telegraph for me, or write to me through Captain John O'Brien of the bark Halifax. him. Some time in the month of May, 1864, Hill told him that I had some presents in I went to my work, and worked on until the my trunks, consisting of silks, satin dresses, Sth day of June, 1864; it was on a Satur- etc, that I wanted to take to my friends. day night; I had been out to take a pair The Captain and Mr. Hill had a private of boots home to a customer of mine; and conversation, and when the Captain came when I returned home, my wife had a letter out, he consented to take them. I was to for me from Dr. Blackburn, which Dr. Stu- give him a twenty-dollar gold piece for art Robinson had left in passing there. I smuggling them in. I put them on board read the letter, and went out to see Dr. Rob- the vessel that day, and he stowed them inson. I asked him what I was to do about away. The vessel laid five days at Boston it; he said he did not know any thing at all before he could get a chance to get them off, about it; that he did not want to furnish any but he finally succeeded in getting them off, means to commit an overt act against the and expressed them to Philadelphia, where United States Government. He advised me I received them, and brought them to Balto borrow from Mr. Preston, who keeps a timore. I then took out the goods, which tobacco manufactory in Toronto, enough were very much rumpled, smoothed them money to take me to Montreal, which I did. out, and arranged them, bought some new I went down to Montreal, and there got trunks, and repacked them, and brought money from Mr. Slaughter, according to the them to this city. gloves on when handling the things." He gave me some cigars that he said he had brought from Havana, which he said were strong enough for any thing. directions contained in the letter. The letter Dr. Blackburn, by way of caution, asked instructed me to proceed from Montreal to me before leaving if I had had the yellow Halifax to meet Dr. Blackburn; it was dated fever; and on my saying "No," he said, "Havana, May 10, 1864." I went to Hal-" You must have a preventive against ifax, to a gentleman by the name of Alexan-catching it. You must get some camphor der H. Keith, jr., and remained under his and chew it, and get some strong cigars, the care until Dr. Blackburn arrived in the strongest you can get, and be sure to keep steamer Alphia, on the 12th of July, 1864. When Dr. Blackburn arrived, he sent to the Farmer's Hotel, where I was staying, for me. I went to see him, and he told me that the goods were on board the steamer Alphia, When I arrived in this city, I turned over and that the second officer on the steamer five of the trunks to Messrs. W. L. Wall & would go with me and get the goods off, as Co., commission merchants in this city, and they had been smuggled in from Bermuda. four to a man by the name of Myers from Mr. Hill, the second officer, told me to get Boston, a sutler in Sigel's or Weitzel's an express wagon and take it down to Cu- division. He said he had some goods which nard's steamboat wharf; I did so, and there he was going to take to Newbern, North got eight trunks and a valise. I was directed Carolina, and I told him that I had a lot to take them to my hotel, and put them in a private room. I put them in Mr. Doran's private sitting-room. of goods that I wanted to sell, and to make the best market I could for them, I would turn them over to him on commission. I I then went around to Dr. Blackburn and also told him I would shortly have more, told him I had got the goods off the steamer. and mentioned that I had disposed of some He told me that the five trunks tied up with to Wall & Co., of this city. Dr. Blackburn ropes were the ones for me to take, and asked told me, when I was making arrangements. me if I would take the valise into the States, that I should let the parties to whom I and send it by express, with an accompany-disposed my goods know that I would have ing letter, as a donation to President Lin- a big lot to sell, as it was in contemplation to coln. I objected to taking it, and refused get together about a million dollars' worth to do it. I then took three of the trunks of goods and dispose of them in this way. and the valise around to his hotel. He was Dr. Blackburn stated that his object in then staying at the Halifax Hotel. The having these goods disposed of in different trunks had Spanish marks upon them, and cities, was to destroy the armies or anybody be told me to scrape them off; and that Mr. that they came in contact with. All these fill would go with me the next morning, goods, he told me, had beer carefully infected and make arrangements with some captain in Bermuda with yellow fever, small-pox, of a vessel to take them. There were two and other contagious diseases. The goods in vessels there running to Boston, and I was the valise, which were intended for President to make an arrangement with either of them Lincoln I understood him to say, had been infected both with yellow fever and small- balance." He asked me to give him a pox. This valise I declined taking charge receipt, which I did: "Received of Jacob of, and turned it over to him at the Halifax Thompson he sum of $50, on account of Hotel, and I afterward heard that it had Dr. Blackburn." That was about the 11th been sent to the President. or 12th of August last. The next day I On the five trunks that I turned over to wrote to Messrs. Wall & Co., of Washington, W. L. Wall & Co., I got an advance of $100. [desiring them to send me an account of the Among these five trunks there was one that sales, and the balance due me. When I was always spoken of by Blackburn to me received their answer, I took it up to show as "Big No. 2," which he said I must be sure to Colonel Thompson. He then said he was to have sold in Washington. perfectly satisfied I had done my part, and gave me a check for $50 on the Ontario Bank. I gave him a receipt: "Received from Jacob Thompson $100, in full, on account of Dr. Luke P. Blackburn." On disposing of the trunks, I immediately left Washington, and went straight through until I got to Hamilton, Canada. In the waiting-room there I met Mr. Holcombe and Mr. Clement C. Clay. They both rose, shook I told Jacob Thompson of the large sum hands with me, and congratulated me upon which Dr. Blackburn had promised me for my safe return, and upon my making a for- my services, and that he and Mr. Holcombe tune. They told me I should be a gentleman for the future, instead of a working-man and a mechanic. They seemed perfectly to understand the business in which I had been engaged. Mr. Holcombe told me that Dr. Blackburn was at the Donegana Hotel in Montreal, and that I had better telegraph to him, stating that I had returned. had both told me that the Confederate Government had appropriated $200,000 for the purpose of carrying it out; but he would not pay me any thing more. When Dr. Blackburn returned from Bermuda, I wrote to him at Montreal, and told him I wanted some money, and that he ought to send me some; but he made no reply to my letter. I was then sent down to Montreal with a commission for Bennett H. Young, to be used in his defense in the St. Albans raid case. I there met Dr. Blackburn. He said I had written some hard letters to him, abusing him, and that he had no money to give me. He then got into his carriage at the door, and rode off to some races, I think, and never gave me any more satisfac tion. As I wanted money before leaving for the States, I went to the Clifton House, Niagara. Dr. Blackburn told me he had no money with him then, but that he would go to Mr. Holcombe and get some, as he had Confed erate funds with him. Blackburn said that when I returned he would get the money for the expedition, from either Holcombe or Thompson, it did not matter which. From this, and from Holcombe and Clay both shaking hands with me, and congratulating me at Hamilton upon my safe return, thought, of course, they knew all about it. As Dr. Blackburn had requested me to telegraph to him, as soon as I got into Canada, I did so; and the next night, between 11 and 12 o'clock, Dr. Blackburn came up and knocked at the door of my house. I was in bed at the time. I looked out of the window and saw Dr. Blackburn there. Said he, "Come down, Hyams, and open the door; you're like all damned rascals who have been doing something wrong-you're afraid the devil is after you." He was in company with Bennett H. Young. I came down and let him in. He asked me how I had disposed of the goods, and I told him. "Well," said he, "that is all right, as long as big No. 2 went into Washington; it will kill them at sixty yards' distance.' I then told the Doctor that every thing had gone wrong at my home in my absence; that I needed some funds; that my family needed money. He said he would go to Colonel Jacob Thompson and make arrangements for me to draw upon him for any amount of money I required. I do not know that Dr. Stuart Robinson He then said that the British authorities had knew of the business in which I was engaged, solicited his services in attending to the yellow but he took good care of me while I was fever that was then raging in Bermuda; that at Toronto, in the fall, and until Dr. he was going on there; and that as soon as he Blackburn wrote for me in the spring; and came back he would see me. I went up to when he gave me Dr. Blackburn's letter, he Jacob Thompson the next morning, and told me to borrow the money from Mr. told him what Dr. Blackburn had said. He Preston to take me to Montreal, as he said said, "Yes; Dr. Blackburn had been there, he did not want to commit an overt act and had made arrangements for me to draw against the United States Government him$100 whenever it was shown that I had made self. Mr. Preston lent me $10 to go to disposition of the goods according to his Montreal. On arriving at that place, accorddirection." I told him I needed money; that ing to the directions in Dr. Blackburn's I had been so long away from home that letter, I went to Mr. Slaughter to get the every thing I had was gone, and I wanted means to take me to Halifax. Mr. Slaughter money to pay my rent, etc. He said, "I will was short of funds, and had only $25 that he give you $50 now, but it is against Dr. could give me. He said that I had better go Blackburn's request; when you show me that to Mr. Holcombe, who was staying at the you have sold the goods, I will give you the Donegana Hotel, and he would give me the name. SALES ON ACCOUNT OF J. W. HARRIS, Esq. 3 trunks, purchased by Wm. Smith.............. April 6, Cash .... Dalance. I went to the hotel and sent up my W. L. WALL. For the Prosecution.-May 29. I am an auction and commission merchant .$134 40 4.50 1.50 2.50 $142.90 $100 00 $142 90 8142 90 The shirts I bought were tossed into the trunks promiscuously, and I supposed the packing had been done in a hurry. When I first opened the trunks I was in doubt about the money I had advanced being a safe investment, but a close inspection of the clothing showed it to be new, and that it had not been worn. SALOME MARSH. For the Prosecution.-May 25. in this city. In August last, while I was out STARVATION OF UNION PRISONERS. of town, a person named Harris called at my store, and told my book-keeper that he had some shirts that he wanted to sell at auction, and asked him if he would sell them the next morning. The clerk told him he would. Harris then asked for an advance of $100, The money was given him, and the shirts were sold the next morning. A. BRENNER. For the Prosecution.-May 29. During last summer I was a clerk in the service of Mr. Wall, of this city. In the month of August a man named J. W. Harris came to the store late one evening. I supposed him to be a sutler returning home. He said he had some twelve dozen shirts and some coats, which he asked me to sell. I advanced him $100 on them, and sold them the next morning. They were packed in five I entered the United States service in 1861 as Lieutenant of the Fifth Maryland Volunteer Infantry, and served until the 31st of August, 1864. At the time I quit the service I held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. While Major, I was a prisoner of war, confined at Libby Prison, from the 15th of June, 1863, to the 21st of March, 1864. I was captured near Winchester, on the Martinsburg road, on the 15th of June. I was then in General Milroy's command, and at the time of my capture I was in command of my regiment. I was captured by General Ewell's corps, of the rebel army. I was taken to Winchester, and, on account of ill health, was kept there two weeks in hospital. I was somewhat sick at the time of my cap ture, from excessive duty, exposure, etc. the expiration of two weeks my health someOn the 1st of September he wrote from what improved. I was then compelled to Toronto, for an account of sales and the bal-march to Staunton in a feeble condition; and ance of the money, as follows: Messrs. Wall & Co., Auction and Commission Merchants: trunks. At on the road was treated very kindly by the officer in charge of the squad. I arrived in Libby Prison, and was incarcerated there. GENTLEMEN : On Friday, the 5th of August, arrived were small, but such as they gave us The rations we received there when I first last month, I left in your care five trunks, containing one hundred and fifty fancy woolen at first were tolerably fair. There was about one loaf of bread allowed to two men-half shirts and twenty-five coats, to be sold at auca loaf per man-and, I judge, about four tion on the next morning, and business calling me to Toronto, I have not been able to of rice. That constituted the ration that we ounces of meat, and about three spoonfuls go to the States since. I beg most respect- received at first. After I had been there fully that you will send me an account of sales, and a check on New York for the pro-and we only received it occasionally. Then about four months, the meat was stopped, could hardly eat. This continued for some seeing those men that were brought to the time. The officers held a meeting there in hospital while I was there. They were in an regard to the treatment we were receiving, emaciated condition, and their whole appearand a letter was sent to General Ould, the ance indicated that they were suffering for rebel Commissioner of Exchange, signed by want of food, and were in a state of starvaColonel Streight, I think, who was chairman tion. I noticed that, though in a tottering of the meeting at the time, complaining of and feeble condition, they were eager to ob our treatment, and asking that we should re-tain something to eat, and would grasp at ceive better treatment. General Ould sent a any thing that was offered them in the shape written reply, stating that our treatment was of victuals; and I am satisfied that the prisgood enough, better than their prisoners were oners brought to the hospital died simply of receiving in our prisons, at Fort Delaware neglect, and the want of proper food-ol and other places. starvation. The only reason that I could hear from the rebel authorities for their treatment of Union prisoners, was that it was a matter of retaliation; they said that their prisoners were treated in a worse manner than we were. FREDERICK MEMMERT. For the Prosecution.-May 25. When I had been there some five months, I was taken sick with the dropsy, for the want of proper nourishment, proper diet, etc., and was quite ill, and was sent to the hospital. I remained there some few weeks. During my stay in the hospital I saw some enlisted As to the quantity of food given us, a man men brought in from Belle Isle. The con- might possibly live on what they gave us at dition of these men was horrible in the ex- first, although it was not near what we treme. I am satisfied from their appearance would call a full ration. Subsequently, the that they were in a starving condition. Out quantity given could not possibly support life of a squad of forty that were brought in, at for any length of time. The corn bread least from eight to twelve died the first night which they gave us was corn-meal and bran; they were brought there. I asked the As-it was very coarse, baked in a rough condisistant Surgeon in charge of the officers' de- dition, and very often we had to live on that partment of the hospital-I forget his name; and water alone for days at a time. he was very kind to us, though, and very much of a gentleman-what was the matter with these men. He stated that their condition was owing to the want of proper treatment; that they did not receive the nourishment that they ought to have for such men. I suppose I had been in that hospital about two weeks when two of the officers made their escape. Major Turner, the keeper of Libby Prison-who was a very passionate man, and very insulting to the officers, al ways insulting in his remarks whenever he had occasion to speak to any of them, and very ungentlemanly--took it into his head to remove us from that place, and take us back to Libby Prison. He had a room washed out for us in Libby, and removed us to that room while it was in a wet condition, although some of the officers who were in the hospital were in a dying state. We were placed in that wet room and compelled to remain there twenty-four hours, without cot. bed, or any thing else to lie upon, and without a morsel to eat, as a punishment, because those two men had escaped. The treatment generally to prisoners was of a very harsh character. Colonel Powell spoke to Turner in regard to the treatment he had inflicted upon those men. Colonel Powell said he thought it was wrong to punish a parcel of sick and dying men for the sake of two who had attempted to escape. His reply was, as near, as I can recollect, "It is too damned good for you."* The only opportunity I had of knowing the treatment enlisted men received, was from • In contrast with the above, and to show how Confederate prisoners were treated in "Northern" prisons, we I have held the rank of Captain in the United States service for two years and ten months. On the 15th of June, 1863, I was taken prisoner, and was exchanged on the 1st of May, 1864. I was confined in the Libby Prison, and the treatment we received there was simply awful. When we went there first, we had half a loaf of wheat-bread, between three and four ounces of meat, and about two tablespoonfuls of rice. That was continued for about give the following extract from a letter received by us during the progress of this trial: "BALTIMORE, June 21, 1865. "When South Carolina took the fatal step of secession, I was lecturing in the University of Virginia, having an engagement which would have paid me $500 for two weeks more work. I cast in my lot with the Southern Confederacy, and with that was wrecked on the Lee' shore. "I was taken prisoner on the 25th of January, 1864, and held as a prisoner of war until the 5th of June, 1865, when I was released, and took the oath of allegiance to the United States. Fourteen months of my imprisonment were spent as superintendent of a prisoners' school at Point mostly school books. There were 1,200 pupils and 50 teachers. We taught many poor fellows to read and write who had never understood such inysteries before. Lookout. This school had a library of 3,000 volumes, "But we did not confine ourselves to the lower branches. We taught all the English branches, Latin, Greek, French, German, and mathematics through trigonometry. "I was appointed agent for the distribution of supplies furnished by the C. S. for the prisoners at Point Lookout, and as such distributed over $200,000 worth of goods. Afterward I was promoted to the high position of Mayor of the City of Canvas,' and was charged with the duty of maintaining law and order among my 22,000 comrades. Thus I have passed sixteen long months a prisoner " four months; after that the treatment was the doctor would not give me any. Turner very bad. We had a meeting, at which said he had not got any. His words were, Colonel Streight presided, and of which Col-"You can not have any; it don't make any onel Irvine, who was afterward our Assist difference to me. What the hell have I to do ant Exchange Commissioner, was Secretary. with it?" When I told him that I had We sent a communication to Judge Ould, nothing to eat, and no money to buy any which he sent to the rebel Secretary of War, thing, he said, "That's good enough for Seddon. We received for answer that they Yankees." could do nothing for us; that it was good We once remonstrated with Dick Turner, enough for Yankees; that their prisoners who was an inspector there, and told him were treated just as badly as we were; and that we did not get any thing to eat, and how that they could not help us in any way. We things were. He said, "That's good enough then sent another communication, asking for you. Our prisoners are just as badly them to give us our money, (which they had treated by your fellows as you are here, and taken away from us when we came to the you have no business to come down here. I Libby,) that we might have something to wish to kill you off. If I had the command, buy food with, but they would not do that. I would hang every God damned one of I had my money hid under my shoulder- you." straps, and kept it there; but the others had given theirs up, and it was never returned. BENJAMIN SWEERER. For the Prosecution.-May 25. We often had no meat for twenty days. After I had been there four months, they stopped the meat for five or six days, and I am Color-sergeant of the Ninth Marygave us bread and water, a little beans and land Regiment. I was captured on the 18th rice. At this time we got half a loaf of corn-of October, 1863, and was held prisoner at bread, or about ten ounces, I guess. When Belle Island for over five months, and seven I left Libby, we had had nothing but corn- days at Scott's Building. There were about bread and water for twenty days. The pris- thirteen thousand prisoners, about half of oners were very much reduced and emaciated whom were provided with shelter; the rest by this treatment, and a great many of them had the scurvy. The bearing of the keepers of the prison was rough and insulting, and they abused us in every way they could. I went to the hospital two or three times when our LieutenantColonel died, and the prisoners who were brought in looked awful; I can not find any word to describe how they looked. Their condition was the result of starvation. After the battle of Chickamauga, and the wounded prisoners from the West were brought in, I saw some fifteen or sixteen amputated cases placed on a cart, and a rope tied around them, so that they could not fall off; and they were carried in that way from the depot to the hospital, although right opposite Libby, not more than one thousand yards off, I guess, there were twenty or twenty-five ambulances not in use. At the time I left Libby, I had the scurvy so badly that I could hardly walk, and I have been sick pretty much ever since; and, though I have now recovered, I still feel it, and have not the strength I used to have. were just on the naked sands of the island. I lay there two months without ever putting my head under shelter, although it was in the winter time. The treatment of the prisoners was brutal, and we had not half enough to live on. There were twenty-five pounds of meat, the biggest part of which was bone, served out for a hundred men, and corn-bread with the husks ground up in it. Not having fuel enough to warm us, and not provisions enough to live on, I saw the men freezing to death on the island. I saw them starving to death; and, after they were dead, I saw them lying, for eight or nine days, outside of the intrenchments, where we were kept, and the hogs eating them. We were refused permission to bury them. I asked myself, as a favor, to be allowed to bury our prisoners, and was refused permission. I spoke to Lieutenant Bossieux, who had charge of the island, about the treatment of our men; and he told me he had nothing to do with it; that it was in accordance with the orders he had received from Major Turner, the keeper of the rebel prison. The deaths of the prisoners were caused mostly by starvation. I helped to carry out from ten to fifteen and twenty a day. When Turner, the keeper of the prison, came up, which was very seldom, we spoke to him about ameliorating the condition of the prisoners. We also spoke to a committee A great many of the prisoners, to my from their Senate that was appointed to go knowledge, volunteered to work at shoe-makthrough the Libby and examine our condi-ing and building a furnace on the island, in tion; they reported favorably, although we order to support themselves. showed them the bread we got, and told them we received no meat, and little of any thing else. I went to Turner once and told him I wanted to get some medicine; that I was getting worse, and could hardly walk; and that When I came home I weighed one hundred and twenty-three pounds; my ordinary weight in health is one hundred and seventy or one hundred and eighty. I do not think I could have lasted a month longer there; I was pretty nearly gone when I left. |