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the war it was disinterred and brought to Lexington, Ky., whose beautiful
cemetery is its last resting place. In that city in later years, as you know, a
magnificent and life-like equestrian monument to our beloved General's memory
was dedicated in the presence of a vast throng of people, including many
survivors of his old command.
SHERMAN'S MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA.
We returned to Georgia in time to follow in the rear of Sherman in his
"march to the sea." Under Gen. Wheeler, as we followed in the path of desolation
left by Sherman's army, we were daily engaged with Gen. Kilpatrick's cavalry,
and for eight days were without bread or meat, living on sweet potatoes alone,
the only food left from destruction by the Federal troops. The first meat we ate
after this fast was some fresh beef, which we found in a camp from which we had
just driven the enemy before they had had time to cook and eat it.
THE SURRENDER.
When the news of Gen. Lee's surrender was received, our brigade was at
Raleigh, N. C. President Davis and his Cabinet officers joined us at Greensboro,
N. C., and our command escorted them from there to Washington, Ga., where it
disbanded. I rode to Augusta, Ga., with Lieut. William Messick, who was from
Danville, Ky., and there I surrendered to the 18th Indiana Infantry Regiment,
then occupying the city, and received my parole May 9, 1865.
Page 22
Before we were disbanded at Washington, Ga., the remnants of the funds
of the Confederate States, in specie, that had been hauled by wagons through
from Richmond, was distributed among the troops at that time. I remember the men
of our brigade got $26.00 a piece. Most of it was in Mexican dollars, silver
money. I brought it home with me. Fortunately, I had enough to get home on
without using that money, and, after our marriage, my wife and I thought it
would be a good idea to have that silver made into spoons. We took it down to
Duhme & Company, at Cincinnati, and enjoined upon them to use that silver, and
no other, in a set of tablespoons, and those spoons are on our table today.
No man can fully or correctly appreciate the value of personal liberty
who has never been a prisoner. At least three-fourths of Morgan's men felt what
it was to endure the fearful life of a Northern military prison, and many of
them were humiliated by incarceration in the loathsome dungeons and cells of
penitentiaries while prisoners of war. Fortunately for me, I escaped from Camp
Douglas in time to avoid the starvation policy subsequently inaugurated there,
which was said to have been enforced by way of retaliation for the treatment
Federal prisoners received at Andersonville, Ga. The difference between the two
was that at Andersonville the Confederates did not have the food to give the
prisoners. while in the North, the Federal authorities had plenty, and refused
to supply it to Confederate prisoners
Page 23
in sufficient quantities. Of the seven members of our mess Clay and I left in
Camp Douglas, three died there, one took the oath, and the other three, after
twenty-one months of horrid prison life, were exchanged a few weeks before the
close of the war. Only one of these three is now alive. He is living in
Montgomery County, near Mount Sterling. Of the three who died there, one was
James Richard Allen, who, in the presidential campaign of 1860 by the "Hoosier
Boys" referred to, was the representative of Douglas; and afterward, in 1862,
came South, and joined the Confederate Army as I had done. He had been captured
somewhere in Virginia, as I now recall.
DARING SPIRIT OF MORGAN'S MEN.
The same restless, daring spirit that actuated Morgan's men in the field
characterized them in prison, and out of eighteen hundred prisoners taken on the
Indiana and Ohio raid not less than six hundred of them escaped from Camps
Morton and Douglas. I have heard that one of the Chicago newspapers stated
during the war that even if Morgan's men had done nothing to distinguish them
before their capture on the raid through Indiana and Ohio, they had immortalized
themselves by their wonderfully successful escapes from prison.
The extraordinary escape of Gen. Morgan himself, together with Capts.
Hines, Sheldon, Taylor, Hockersmith, Bennett and McGee, from the Ohio State
Prison, stands without a parallel in military
Page 24
history. You cannot imagine my surprise after getting on the cars at Paris en
route to Canada, on the occasion already referred to, in December, 1863, when I
picked up a Cincinnati Daily Gazette, some passenger had left on the seat, and
read the graphic account of this unexpected escape of our General and six of his
Captains the night before. My heart leaped with joy at the news, but I dared not
give expression to my delight by the utterance of a word.
INCIDENT ON FERRY BOAT AT COVINGTON.
Getting on the ferry boat at Covington on the Kentucky side, on my trip
to Canada, just as it was landing coming over from the Cincinnati side, I saw
ten or fifteen steps ahead of me my uncle, Higgins Lane, and my aunt, his wife,
from Indiana. He was my mother's brother, whom I dearly loved, but knew to be an
intense Union man. And uncle as he was, I was afraid that he would expose me and
have me arrested. I immediately dodged around the boat and did not see him any
more. I learned afterward that I had misjudged him, and done him an injustice.
He announced that he would not have thought of such a thing as having me
arrested. At my home at Owingsville, in Bath County, after the war, my wife and
I had the pleasure of entertaining him and my aunt as hospitably as was in our
power.
INCIDENT AT THE ISLAND HOUSE IN TOLEDO.
I may further relate, on that trip to Canada, I stopped at the Island
House in Toledo. I thought
Page 25
I would go into Detroit in daylight, and see where I was going when I got there,
and crossed the river into Canada. I registered at the hotel mentioned as usual,
and went up to supper on the next floor. After I finished and was walking out of
the dining room, a fellow stepped up behind me and said: "I guess we will settle
right here." Well, one has to think pretty fast under those circumstances. He
impressed me as a detective, who thought he had found his man. I said, "Settle
for what?" He responded, "Settle for your supper." I was greatly relieved. I
said, "Why, my dear sir, I have registered here at this hotel and expect to stay
all night." He said, "Well, that is different. Then I will go down and see the
register." I was in the habit of registering at hotels under almost any sort of
name that occurred to me at the time. I never registered under my own name, and
I had to look at the register to see what it was. I knew I could tell my
handwriting. When I got up to the register and saw what it was, I said, "There
it is." Said he, "That's all right."
COL. GEORGE ST. LEGER GRENFELL.
Most of the survivors of Gen. Morgan's command remember that brave and
gallant soldier, Col. George St. Leger Grenfell, who came to us and was on Gen.
Morgan's staff, after long and faithful service in the British army. He did me a
kindness during the war, which I have remembered with gratitude ever since. By
an accident my horse's back had become so sore he could not be ridden, and in
the fall of 1862,
Page 26
while leading him and wearily walking in the column over a mountain road in East
Tennessee, Col. Grenfell came riding by, accompanied by a subordinate, who had
in charge a led horse. Observing my plight, he stopped, and asked me the cause;
and when told, requested me to mount his led horse, and when mine got well to
return his to him, which offer I gladly accepted.
Afterward, Col. Grenfell, for alleged complicity in the plot to release
the Confederate prisoners from Camp Douglas, was arrested by the Federal
authorities and sentenced to imprisonment at Fort Jefferson, Tortugas Island. In
April, 1867, my brother, Maj. Valentine H. Stone, of the 5th United States
Regular Artillery, who had been stationed at Fortress Monroe for eighteen
months, was assigned to take command at Fort Jefferson. He was two years older
than I, and he was the brother who, as one of the "Hoosier Boys," advocated the
cause of Bell and Everett in 1860. He afterward went into the Army, the 5th
Regular U. S. Artillery. I will have more to say of him directly. On learning
where he had been assigned, I wrote to him, giving an account of Col. Grenfell's
kindness to me on the occasion referred to, and requested him to do all in his
power, consistent with his duty, to alleviate the prison life of my old army
friend, who was, as a true soldier and gentleman, worthy of such consideration.
With this request there was a faithful compliance on the part of my brother,
which Col. Grenfell gratefully
Page 27
appreciated. I was permitted to correspond with Col. Grenfell, and several
letters passed between us.
In September, 1867, yellow fever broke out at Fort Jefferson. Col.
Grenfell, having had large experience with this dreadful disease, faithfully
nursed all who were stricken down among the garrison as well as other prisoners.
My brother's wife was one of the first victims. After her death, my brother
started North with his little three-year-old boy, but was taken ill of yellow
fever while aboard the vessel, and died at Key West. In a letter written by Col.
Grenfell the next day, in which he gave me an account of my brother's death, he
stated:
I deeply regret that his leaving this place prevented my nursing him
throughout the malady. Care does more than doctors, and he had great confidence
in my nursing. . . . I am tired and grieved, having been now twenty-one days and
nights by the bedsides of the sick (last night was my first night passed in bed)
- grieved on account of the death of your brother, who was the only officer that
ever showed me any kindness since I first came here. I wish I could say that
they had not been positively inimical and cruel. But your brother's arrival put
an end to all that. I am much afraid that the old system will soon again be in
force.
From this grand old soldier I received a few months later the following
interesting letter:
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Fort Jefferson, January 15, 1868.
H. L. Stone, Esq. - Dear Sir: Your always welcome letter of the 22nd of
December was duly received, and, believe me, I appreciate and reciprocate your
kind expressions of regard. I owe to your friendship the knowledge imparted to
Gen. Basil Duke that the heavy restrictions placed on me for no fault of mine by
former commanders had been removed by the humanity of your poor brother, and I
am happy to say that the present commander, Maj. Andrews, walks in Maj. Stone''s
steps. As long as our conduct is good, we need fear no punishment. I was rather
afraid when I read in your letter that you had published mine to you. I do not
know what I wrote, but believe that you would not have done so if I had said
anything unguardedly which might get me into trouble. This is not to be wondered
at when I tell you that I was shut up in a close dungeon for ten months, every
orifice carefully stopped up except one for air denied speech with any one,
light, books, or papers. I could neither write nor receive letters. I was gagged
twice, tied up by the thumbs twice, three times drowned (I am not exaggerating),
and all this for having written an account to a friend of some punishment
inflicted on soldiers and prisoners here, and the bare truth only, which
statement he (Gen. Johnson) published in the New York World. I fear, therefore,
giving publicity to anything; not that I am afraid of Maj. Andrews (I have
really not a fault to find with him), but tigers have claws and sometimes use
them.
Page 29
It was gratifying to hear that your poor little orphan nephew arrived
safely at his maternal grandfather's. I knew little of the child, but from what
I heard he was a very shrewd one. He was too young to feel his loss deeply. I
have two cypresses which I am taking care of (they came from Havana) and mean to
place on Mrs. Stone's grave, which is on an island about a mile from this.
Maj. Stoner's bridal trip was nearly turned into a funeral. (I forget
that instance. I wrote him something about it. Perhaps some of you remember Maj.
Stoner's bridal trip when he married Miss Rogers. He had some trouble with the
conductor. I forget now what it was.)
What a savage the conductor must have been! The Major wanted two or
three of his command to be near him at the time of the assault.
Basil Duke and Charlton Morgan write that they are busy enlisting in my
favor all the infuence that they can command - Mr. G. Pendleton and others. I
have also a very good letter from a Mrs. Bell, of Garrettsville, Ky., wife of
Capt. Darwin Bell, who promises that Garrett Smith and some other friends of
hers will interest themselves to procure my release. She read in some local
paper an extract from, I suppose, my letter to you, and she says: "My husband,
who bears a kindly remembrance of you in the war, and myself, felt ashamed to
sit over our happy fireside whilst his old comrade was wearing out his life in
captivity, and we determined to work until we obtained your liberty." I have
also a letter from Mr. S. M. Barlow, of New York, a
Page 30
prominent Democrat and friend of Mr. Johnson's. He had written to the President
and to Gen. Grant, but had received no direct answer; but Montgomery Blair, whom
he had commissioned to see the President, says: "I have seen the President for
Grenfell. He has promised to try to pardon him, although he says there are
several hard points in his case." Yes, the case is full of hard points, but they
all run into me. The hardship is mine. I do not build much on all this, and yet
if a regular system of petition was gotten up by many influential parties at
once the President might yield. I wish that my friends by a concerted movement,
combined with the Archbishops of Ohio and Missouri, R. C., would petition His
Excellency. Bishop Quintard, of Tennessee, would, I am convinced, willingly help
an old friend and comrade. But, alas! I am in prison and can combine nothing.
I shall be happy to receive your scrawls, as you call them, whenever you
have time to indite one, although I can offer you nothing but wails and
lamentations in return.
Whilst you are blowing your fingers' ends from cold, I keep close to an
open window with one blanket only, and that oftener off than on. I have
tomatoes, peppers, and melons in full bloom. Salad, radishes, and peas and beans
at maturity in the open air, of course. In fact, I am obliged to use sun shades
from ten to three all through the garden, for be it known to you they have
turned my sword into a shovel and a rake, and I am at the head of my profession
here. What I say or do (horticulturally) is law.
Page 31
Other changes than this are made here. A learned physician, Dr. Mudd, has
descended to playing the fiddle for drunken soldiers to dance to or form part of
a very miserable orchestra at a still more miserable theatrical performance.
Wonders never cease, but my paper does, so I will simply wish you a happy New
Year and subscribe myself your sincere friend,
G. St. L. Grenfell.
Some time after this letter was written, how long I do not remember,
Col. Grenfell undertook to make his escape from the Dry Tortugas in a small boat
on a stormy night, hoping to be able to reach the Cuban coast, but was never
heard of afterward.
MAJ. VALENTINE HUGHES STONE
My brother, Maj. Stone, while in command at Fortress Monroe, requested
and obtained from President Jeferson Davis an autograph letter addressed to
myself, believing that I would prize it very highly, and delivered it to me at a
family reunion at my father's house, in Carpentersville, Putnam County, Ind., in
May, 1866. I still have this original letter in my possession, having placed it
in a frame for preservation. It is as follows:
Capt. Hy. L. Stone - My Dear Sir: Accept my best wishes for your welfare
and happiness. It is better to deserve success than to attain it.
Your friend ,
Jeffn. Davis.
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