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ample evidence of the fact, that all who had "been arrested had in some way violated the laws. An assertion so utterly false we naturally desired to contradict, and Messrs. Brown, and Wallis, and myself, each wrote a brief card for publication in other journals, denying the truth of the American's statement. These cards were not allowed to go to the newspapers to which we had addressed them. It apparently suited the purpose of the Government to have us libelled as well as punished, and we, of course, were without redress.
For ten days we lived as I have described, in these darkened and dreary casemates. General Wool never came near our quarters, nor did he ever, either directly or indirectly, extend to us the slightest courtesy. He knew as well as any one, that we had been seized and were held by the Government in utter violation of all law, and that he had no decent pretext for permitting himself to be made our custodian. He knew therefore that we were entitled to be treated with some consideration. But he ignored, alike, his obligations as a citizen and as a gentleman, and caused us to be subjected to indignities that it would have been needless to inflict on the convicted inmates of his own guard-house. After our return, we heard in several quarters, that General Wool had repeatedly said he acted in the matter, strictly in accordance with his instructions from Washington. As implicit deference to officers of the Government seems to be generally exacted in these days, the public may perhaps accept General Wool's explanation. For myself, I do not; and I am sure there are many who will refuse to credit the statement that the War Department found time at such a crisis, to send special orders to Fortress Monroe, consigning us to the casemates in question, and directing the closing of the shutters, and the counting of the knives and forks. It seems more reasonable to suppose that General Wool had some discretionary powers in regard to the treatment he was to accord to his prisoners.
Soon after we reached Fortress Monroe, we began to consider the probabilities of our release, and the means by which we might obtain it. It was suggested that we3
