Part 8 (1/2)

This action of the citizens was regarded by the Federal authorities as a violation of law, and the arrest of an equal number of citizens was ordered by the Federals, that they might be held as hostages until these Union soldiers were released and returned.

This order caused great consternation in town. No one could foretell the fate of those arrested and the worst for them was feared. Many of the male citizens sought hiding places, but quite a number made no effort to escape or elude the officers, as they did not consider they had done any wrong--certainly no intentional wrong--and they were willing to abide the consequences until an impartial investigation was made, when they believed they would be exonerated from any crime. In the execution of this order, sixty-two citizens were arrested and carried to Was.h.i.+ngton, ten of whom were there liberated and the remaining fifty-two were sent to Fort Delaware. Afterwards five other citizens were arrested and sent to the same prison.

The families of these citizens were almost frantic at being thus deprived of their protectors, while the town was overrun by Federal soldiers, many of them stragglers, without any one to restrain them, and others brought here from the Wilderness and other battle-fields, wounded and dying, their groans and shrieks filling the air. No one can imagine the distressing scenes enacted in town about this time who did not witness them, or form any conception of the terrible ordeal through which these helpless families pa.s.sed save those who shared their privations and sufferings.

The town had been the scene of a bombardment unparalleled; two fearful battles had been fought here, with their accompanying destruction of property and consumption of food and family supplies; the town had been in possession of both armies at different times; therefore these families were dest.i.tute of food and the comforts of life, and now comes the order for the arrest and imprisonment of those whom G.o.d had given them to protect and provide for them. Notwithstanding the intense excitement of the people of the town, and the sufferings and entreaties of the bereaved ones, it was thought prudent to defer public action until further developments, in the hope that the prisoners would be released and allowed to return to their homes.

Having impatiently awaited the release of the prisoners, and their hopes not being realized, on the 31st of May a meeting of the Common Council was called, and upon a.s.sembling the Mayor informed the body that the object of the meeting was to take some steps for the relief of those citizens who had been arrested and who were then suffering in prison at Fort Delaware.

A paper was submitted by Mr. Wm. A. Little, which was unanimously adopted, looking to their release. As the paper contains the views of the citizens of Fredericksburg, with reference to the arrest of the Federal soldiers, and also the names of the citizens arrested, it is here copied in full, as follows:

FREDERICKSBURG, VA., May 31st, 1864.

_To the Honorable James A. Seddon, Secretary of War of the Confederate States, Richmond, Virginia._

At a meeting of the Mayor and Common Council of Fredericksburg, Virginia, held this 31st of May, 1864, a committee of two citizens, to wit: Montgomery Slaughter and John F. Scott, were appointed to repair to Richmond and present to you the following statement and application.

_Statement._

On Sunday, the 8th instant, a number of slightly-wounded and straggling Federal soldiers, who entered the town, many of them with arms in their hands, and with the capacity and intention, we feared, of doing mischief in the way of pillage and injury to our people, who were unprotected by any military force, were arrested by order of our munic.i.p.al authorities and forwarded to the nearest military post as prisoners of war, under the guard of citizens. These prisoners amounted to about sixty men, of whom but few are said to have been slightly wounded. In retaliation of this act, the provost marshal, under orders from the Secretary of War at Was.h.i.+ngton, arrested on the 20th instant some sixty of our citizens and forwarded them to Was.h.i.+ngton, to be held as hostages for said prisoners. Ten of the citizens were afterwards released in Was.h.i.+ngton, and have returned to their homes, leaving some fifty-one citizens still in confinement, who have been sent to the military prison at Fort Delaware.

In behalf of these unfortunate people, who are thus made to suffer so seriously, and for their suffering families who are thus left without their natural protectors, and many of them without their means of support, we appeal to you to take such steps as may be proper and in accordance with military regulations to return the said prisoners to the Federal authorities and thus secure the release of our citizens.

Surely the matter of a few prisoners cannot be allowed to interfere with the humane and generous work of restoring to these desolated homes, and these mourning women and children, the only source of comfort which the fate of war has left them in this war-ravaged and desolated town, the presence of those loved ones who are separated from them and imprisoned at Fort Delaware. The following is a list of the citizens arrested and carried to Was.h.i.+ngton as aforesaid:

James H. Bradley, Thomas F. Knox, James McGuire, Councellor Cole, Michael Ames, John G. Hurkamp, John J. Chew, George H. Peyton, Wm. H.

Thomas, John D. Elder, who were released at Was.h.i.+ngton.

F. B. Chewning, P. B. Rennolds, James B. Marye, George Aler, Charles Mander,[34] Benjamin F. Currell, John L. Knight, Wm. C. Smith, Joseph W. Sener, E. W. Stephens, Charles Cash, Charles B. Waite, Charles G.

Waite, Jr., George W. Wroten,[34] Thomas Newton, Robert H. Alexander, Robert Smith, Lucien Love, George F. Sacrey, Henry M. Towles, Landon J. Huffman, Lewis Moore, John T. Evans, Walter Bradshaw, Samuel D.

Curtis, Lewis Wrenn, Wm. White, John Solan, George W. Eve, James Mazeen, Abraham c.o.x, Wm. Brannan, James A. Turner, A. E. Samuel, Tandy Williams, Robert S. Parker, Christopher Reintz, Thomas F.

Coleman, Patrick McDonnell, Charles Williams, Wm. c.o.x, Walter M.

Mills, Thomas S. Thornton, John Joyce,[35] John Miner, Richard Hudson, Wm. B. Webb, Alexander Armstrong, Wm. Wilts.h.i.+re, Gabriel Johnston, George Mullin, William Burke.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Birthplace of Hon. John Forsythe, the brilliant Georgia Statesman. (See page 154)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: The ”Sentry Box,” the home of Gen. Hugh Mercer; now the residence of O. D. Foster, Esq. (See page 150)]

The following citizens were arrested subsequently and are still held by the Federal authorities: Wm. Lange, Thomas Manuell, Joseph Hall, Wm. W.

Jones, Wyatt Johnson.

The committee appointed by the Council proceeded to Richmond and laid the matter before the Secretary of War, and, on their return home, reported to the Council in writing. This report was filed, but was not entered upon the records of the Council, and, from indications as shown by subsequent entries in the Council proceedings, the committee appointed Mr. George H. C. Rowe to visit Was.h.i.+ngton, interview the Federal authorities and ascertain what could be done. Some of the members of the Council claimed that this action of the committee was without authority, as the appointment should have been made by the Council itself and not by the committee of the Council. This claim was, no doubt, well founded, and the action of the committee may have been a stretch of its authority, but their great anxiety to have these gentlemen released from prison and have them restored to their families and friends, was a sufficient explanation and apology, if such had been needed, for their action, independent of the Council.

And furthermore, the propriety of, and authority for, this action of the committee may be explained, if not justified, by the fact that one of the committeemen was the Mayor and executive officer of the town and the other one was a leading member of the Common Council.

But be that as it may, Mr. Rowe proceeded to Was.h.i.+ngton, and on his return, on the 20th of June, made a report of his visit to the Council, stating that he was well received by the Federal authorities and was a.s.sured by the Secretary of War that the exchange could be effected. Mr. Rowe further stated that the proposition made by the Secretary of War was that the Federal prisoners should be released and placed in his care, and he be permitted to take them through their lines with the a.s.surance that the citizen prisoners would be turned over to him. Mr. Rowe concluded his report as follows:[36]

”This proposition, it seems to me, obviates all difficulties of misconstruction, and I will undertake the delivery and receipt of the prisoners at Alexandria. It is proper to state that in 1862, I undertook and executed, a similar Commission of exchange of citizens Captured, with success, and thorough satisfaction to our Government,[37] and I am sure with its a.s.sent and cooperation as proposed, I will now reap a similar result.”

Upon the reception of this report by the Council Mayor Slaughter and Mr.