LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2264, 5 July 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THE TBAGEDY OP MASON'S ISLAND. 'National Kepu'Micin.' In the f'oVnmic Rivor, opposite tho National Capital, and uloie to tho Virginia shore, lies a small inland of sotn* ttveaty acres in extent anr2 wh'ch takes the c-imnof 'Mason' from its former owner. It h also known as Analostan Island. Since the war it has been a placn of considerable resort for pleasure parties, the mansion and a lnrije pavilion erected at a little, distance from it affording ample room and accommodations for picnics, excursions, and the like. During tho c-ntinnanoa of tho great struggle between the North and South, the island (then united to the snored soil of Old Dominion by a n rrow causeway but which has since been partially destroyed) was occupied by the Government, bat the dwelling remained vacant —at least it was tenartless in 1861, and up to the time when the Army of the Potomac embarked for the Peninsula. There was a doserted appearance about the place when I first kniw It, reminding me of various tales of horror over which I had shuddered in ray youthful days , but little did I think at that time a de-.d as dark and terrible as any of which I had read was destined to be perpetrated within its precincts—a deed, too, of which I should be a witness. A fearful scene of nearly twenty years ago has been freshly called to mind by a notico, reoently published in one of the leading papers of the day, of the death of the principal actor in the tragedy; and this event having absolved mo from the promise exacted at the time, I propose to mike the facta public in the hops that by disposing of my secret I may, at least to some extent, relieve myself of the burden it has for so long a period inflicted upon me. After the' first battle of Batf Run tho regiment of which I was a member did gat risen and guard duty upon the Virginia side of the Potomac, directly opposite the cities of Washington and Georgetown. I was at that time a sergeant, and, as it happened, was frequently in charge of the guard stationed at the upper end ?f the island, where it was joined to the causeway already mentioned. The post w»i an important one onacount of its being immediately at the lauding of the rope-ferry which did duty until the steamboat Taliaci furnished a more convenient means for transportation to and from tho city, and the detail never comprised lees than a drzen men. The ferry house close by was used for guard-quarters, as well as for the accommodation of the boat hands, who were civil lacs. The Mason House, as old Washlngtonians and all who were members of the Potomac Army will know, stood, as it yet stands, bat m short distance from the causeway, from which it is or was, seonred from view, by a vigorous growth of shade and ornamental treps, and its appearance is, I presume, pretty muoh the same now that it was on a certa'n memorable night in the first year of the war. Shortly after crossing into Virginia I had 'taken occasion to explore the mansion, and a queer old house it seemed to me. The rooms upon and above the ground floor were cut up into curious little nooks and corners, with cupboards and dark recesses scattered about in the most unexpected localities. The basement, cr, more properly, cellar, was divided by heavy walls of solid masonry into numerous dungeonlike compartments, lighted from without through narrow, heavily-barred openings, the topi of which were scarcely above the level of the grounds surrounding the building. Communication between the cells and with the outer world was out off by oaken doors of massive construction and enormous strength, supported {with looks and bolts, but which from long disuse had grown rusty and immovable.

Those olalming to be well pouted in the history of the plaae maintained that in former years the cellar had been used for wine and coal vaults and other general purposes, but to me it presented very mnoh the appearance of a prison. An already stated, I was frequently itationed at the ferry landing (alternating between that poet and Aqueduct Bridge)'' and it nearly as often happened that the officer of the guard would chance to be Lieutenant G , of another regiment in the brigade from which the detail for guard duty was made up, headquarters being located at or near Hall's Hill, my regimental headquarters being near Fort Corcoran. The lieutenant was generally accompanied on his rounds by a youth of apparently not more than sixteen or seventeen years of age, and whom he introduced, whenever an introduction bec&jie necessary, aa bis brother. No two persona could be more unlike. The lieutenant was a well-developed and stalwart specim n of manhood, with a blonde complexion, light brown hair, and ronghith, twinkling eyes, which were always upon the lockout for something to laugh at, beside whioh he had a frank, hearty manner of meeting folk that was continually making new acquaintances and winning him nw friends. His companion, on the contrary, was quite small for one of hiß apparent age, even, with dark curly hair shading features perfootly regular, yet Inclined to thinness, of the brunette order ; and such eyes ! No ono ever succeeded in getting near enongh to them, -save the Lieutenant bimaelf, to determine their color, bnt the judgment generally rendered was that they were a rich, dark brown. There was a shy, retiring disposition manifested by their owner that prevented any advances toward an intimate acquaintance being attempted, and hence it came about that we knew as little of the Lieutenant's brother in October as we had In the early part of August preceding, when he first maie his appearance in our midst. The battle of Ball s Bluff" was fought upon the 20th or 21st of October, and during the -night succeeding that event, the greatest oonfnsion prevailed. All the troops that could be spared from the fortifications were ordered up in tho direction of Chain Bridge, and those upon guard, myself included, were forced to remain on duty for more than forty-eight hours. About midnight, or shortly after. Lieut. G. came to me at the ferry landing, stating that he had been ordered out with his regiment, and was to start at once, and reque ted me to inform his brother when he should arrive next morning from the city, whither he had gone the day previous on business. He also suggested that his brother shonld recroas to Washington, and there remain at their ' old stopping place,' until the roturn of the troops. Receiving my promise to tee his wishes carried out, he departed. The next day I was much ocenpied by tho throngs of troops, citizens, and teams cross ing the ferry, and it was not until evening that I remembered my pledge to too Lieutenant ; and then, when I came to think of tho matter, soon satisfied myself that his brother had not come over. To makeeno, I interrogated the man stationed at the wharf, who examined the passes in my absence, and he corroborated my belief. Supposing that the youth had entered Virginia, if At all, by way of tho Aqueduot or Long Bridge, I gave the subject no further thought. The next evening lieutenant G.'s regiment returned to camp, and he immediately nought me out (I was still on duty at the ferry) and upon learning that his brother was yet in the city, Immediately cros-.ed over. In about two hours he returned in a Hgh atate of excitemmt, with the information that his brother had left camp tho morning jtrevions, and had not since been aeon by any of his acquaintance*. He questioned myself and tho men «feaely, and then went to the post on the Aqueduct, thence to Long Bridge, on:l about three a.m. returned to me looking eo haggard and broken down that I scarcely recog•dined him. About nine am. I was roiioved from 4aty, and through the agency of the Lieutenant, secured a pass to the city for fortyeight hours. We immediately orosaed by way of the Aqueduct, and beginning in Georgetown, entered upon a most exhaustive search for the missing one. We visited every known place of resort, inquired at the Provost Marshal's office, of the guards stationed throughout the two cities, of every soldier wo met, and of citizens moat likely to have observed the young man, but no traoe could we obtain ' of him after he had left the hotel where he I bad temporarily put up. t

On my way back we begau at the Arsenai und followed along the wharves, making in quirios at every step, hut without avail until wo had netirly reached the foot ol Twenty-sixth street. We had just passe' sho Naval Observatory when wo enooun torel a contraband, who, in answer to our iiuesiiouing i;iformsd us that the evening before ho had seen a small boat, containing tbreo men and a buy, put off from the ground* south of the Obsc-rvatoiy toward the Virginia shore. His description of the boy tallied exactly with that of the missing party. Oar informant was evidently conoeallng something and to make him tell us all he knew the Lieutenant threatened to put him under iirrest and take him to the ProvostMarshal as a suspicious character. Thereupon admitted having occasionally done a little business with the soldiers on the sly by taking over the whisky and other good things in his boat ; that the eveniDg previous, when it was quite dark, two men had come to him and offered five dollars for the use of his boat an hour. This he refused, unleac he could go with it, Then they offered ten, and as the boat was an old one at the best, he let them have it, himself taking It down opposite the Observatory, where he found the two who had hired it, with the two others indicated. Neither the men nor boat had returned. One of the men lit his pipe before starting, and by light of the match he was enabled to gather the description which he had given us of the Lieutenant's brother, as we were now convinced the boy was. But why was he in such company? after those details we hastened to the ferry and embarked without delay. When about halfway aoroaa 1 caught a gleam of light, which seemed to fome from the basement of the old Mason House, and called my companion's attention to it. At first he thought it might be a lantern, but as we had successive glimpses of it through gaps in the foliage of the trees and shrubbery we finally convinced ourselves that my first conclusion was right. Upon landing, I proposed that we Investigate the matter. My familiarity with tho habits of those whose duties took them into that neighborhood, added to the fact that there were stringent orders against trespassing upon the property, led me to believe all was not as it should be. (To br continued )