the prisoner had been fortunate enough to retain one; otherwise his teeth supplied the deficiency. All meals were partaken of standing, and in silence. A guard with a musket and fixed bayonet stood at the backs of the prisoners. When the meal was finished, they were marched back to their quarters.

In addition to the many acts of barbarism, we cite one: John Hipkins was put in the guard-house, a darkened place, six feet long and proportionately wide, and there compelled to remain, and sleep upon the brick floor without bedding or covering, for twelve days and nights. This punishment was inflicted because he had wrested a chair out of another prisoner's hand, which was in dispute between them.

Who can form an idea of the dull monotony of Bastile life at Fort Lafayette? Language is inadequate to describe the anxiety and ennui of the prisoners, as hour after hour, and day after day, they longed for their release. It was hope baffling despair. "To-day, hope put forth her tender leaves, which on the morrow were withered by the sun of despair." To their right and left were men in solitary confinement, some of whom had not seen the light of day for months-denied all communication or association with their fellow-prisoners, and even refused the use of a Bible- their condition was miserable. The guard, in handing their scanty supply of bread and water, was prohibited from answering any questions, further than to say, "I will report your request to the officer of the day," or, "It is not allowed." Who can wonder at the wrecks of humanity incarceration caused?

We now give a short sketch of the casemates. They were occupied, generally, either as mess-rooms or places for solitary confinement. Sometimes, however, several persons occupied one casemate. When casemate No. 4, which had been occupied by Dr. Olds as a solitary prison-house or dungeon, was converted into a mess-room for thirteen prisoners, and the barricade taken down so as to admit light and air, it was curious to examine the calendar of events kept by him, on

the walls of that dark and lonesome prison, by means of an old rusty nail, during the long and dreary days and nights of his solitary imprisonment, in that dark HEll.

To understand the construction of the casemates fully, the reader is informed that Fort Lafayette is in New York Harbor, in the centre of the channel, surrounded by water, and having Forts Hamilton and Richmond on either side. The ground on which it stands is but slightly raised above the tidal wave. To make a solid foundation for the second tier of ordnance, it was necessary to throw up heavy arches. The rooms under these arches are called casemates. They are about twenty-one feet long by thirteen wide at the base, and of sufficient height, in the centre of the arch, to permit a man to stand erect. A door and grated window open into the court or centre of the Fort. At the other end, two small port-holes, heavily and doubly grated, look seaward. From their construction and want of ventilation, surrounded as they are by the thick stone walls of the Fort, where daylight scarcely enters, they are exceedingly damp. On first entering them, the prisoner was sickened by the peculiarly disagreeable smell. The atmosphere was so damp that, in twenty-four hours, a green mould would settle upon a leather trunk, so thick, the prisoners could write their names legibly on it with their fingers. Such were the quarters in which human beings were crowded for months and years.

This is a truthful, but feeble picture of an American Bastile, under the Administration of Abraham Lincoln, in 1861-2-3-4.

Mr. Johnson, believing that some imposition had been practised on the President, in consideration of his long acquaintance, intimacy, and friendship with him, wrote the following letter:

"President LINCOLN:

"FORT LAFAYETTE, September 7, 1862.

"My Dear Sir:-You will no doubt be as much surprised to find me here, as I am to be here, by order of the Secretary of War. I need hardly say to you, the Government has been imposed upon,

as I solemnly declare to you I have never in word, thought, or act done a disloyal thing to my country. I therefore request that you will order your Judge Advocate to examine into my case with as little delay as the public interest may require. Holding myself ready to answer for every act of my life, I am, sir,

From the character of the letter, it will be seen, Mr. Johnson had no suspicion that Mr. Lincoln was the instigator of his arrest. The letter is an open, frank appeal, such as an honest man would make. But the result was far different from what might have been expected. It was known to Mr. Lincoln then, that there had never been any charges filed against Mr. Johnson. Instead of giving an order for his discharge, Mr. Johnson, in two or three days afterward, received a visit from the Judge Advocate, and, from what transpired, no doubt can be entertained but that he would have been discharged, had he submitted to certain terms and conditions. It will be remembered, at that time, as a condition of release, the Administration imposed, in addition to the oath of loyalty, a condition that the prisoner would not seek any redress, by suit or otherwise, for the injuries committed. Mr. Johnson was not the man to tamely submit to an outrage, and voluntarily exculpate the perpetrators.

When the Judge Advocate, L. C. Turner, appeared at the Fort, he was accompanied by his Secretary, who noted down the admissions of the prisoners. The Commandant of Fort Hamilton, and the officers of Fort Lafayette, in full uniform, were present as witnesses. A file of soldiers was stationed in the anteroom. Several prisoners were examined; among them, Mr. Johnson, who was received by the Judge Advocate with great politeness and suavity of manner, and quickly engaged in conversation, with the intention of throwing him off his guard, securing his confidence, and hoping, before his suspicions were aroused, he might drop some expression that could be tortured into evidence against him. This was the

manner of acting toward all the prisoners. In this case, it failed. The Judge Advocate blandly inquired, “Do you know with what you are charged?"

MR. JOHNSON. "No, sir, I do not.'

JUDGE ADVOCATE. "Are you not Yankee enough to guess?" MR. J.. "I have not a drop of Yankee blood in me, sir, and no disposition to guess. If there are any charges against me, I desire to know what they are, and who are my accusers. • I stand ready to defend any and every act of my life."

J. A. "Mr. Johnson, did you bring a suit against Bradner Smith?"

MR. J. "I did, but I had too much confidence in the Government to believe that it would interfere, and make the professional act of a lawyer, in bringing a suit between two private individuals, a pretext for an arrest."

The Judge Advocate then requested a statement of the facts. Having nothing to disguise, Mr. Johnson briefly recapitulated the facts, which the Judge Advocate said were entirely satisfactory to him. Mr. Johnson, feeling satisfied that whatever the pretext might be, his arrest had been caused by E. B. Washburne, inquired of the Judge Advocate if such were the fact. He gave an ambiguous reply, and said, "I do not know that Washburne was in Washington when your arrest was ordered by the Secretary of War." He then continued, "I will ask you a question: you need not answer it, if you do not choose. Do you belong to a secret society called the Knights of the Golden Circle?"

MR. J. "I do not belong to that or any other secret society, except the Masonic fraternity."

After some further diplomacy and professions of friendship, he asked Mr. Johnson: "Are you willing to take the oath of a loyal man?"

MR. J. "I have taken it frequently as a lawyer, and have never yet violated it. I have not the slightest objection to taking any oath the law imposes on the citizens of my State; but I will take no oath that may be prescribed by any official, intended, by implication, to impeach my in

tegrity as a man, and cast a doubt on my loyalty to the Constitution of my country."

J. A. "If you are a loyal man, you cannot object to taking an oath to support the Constitution."

MR. J. "I have no objection to the oath itself; but my taking it would be construed into an admission that I have been guilty of some crime or offence. I would not purchase my freedom at the expense of my honor and manhood."

At this point the farce ended, so far as the examination was concerned; but not its consequences. On the report of the Judge Advocate to the authorities at Washington, it appeared that the prisoner was not subdued either in spirit or temper, and was unfit to be released.

A short time after the above interview with the Judge Advocate, an order was sent from Washington, to remove him from Fort Lafayette to Fort Delaware, on the ground that he was contumacious, and demoralizing the prisoners in the Fort. He had refused their unconstitutional oaths, and dared to maintain his manhood. This was demoralization. They had failed to impose terms, and he was to be further outraged. With the same mystery that controlled all these illegal proceedings, the prisoner was taken to the office, and, without any intimation that he was to be removed, was handed over to those appointed to take charge of him. He was receipted for, as though he were dead property. No intimation could be obtained, either from the officer of the Fort or those taking charge of him, as to where he was to be removed, or what was to be done with him. Finding that he was to leave the Fort, he asked permission to bid farewell to his comrades in misfortune, and to see a fellow-prisoner, to whom he wished to give some money. Permission was given to leave the money, but he was refused an interview.

He was taken from the Fort, and conveyed to the House of Detention in New York city, and there thrust into an apartment among bounty-jumpers, negroes, and thieves. Here he had his option of remaining in this place, which was about five feet in width and nine in length, or of enjoying