AN INCIDENT IN THE AMERICAN WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 43, 21 February 1870, Page 2

AN INCIDENT IN THE AMERICAN WAR.

v— — — — From an American journal we take the following account of how certain Federal officers who were prisouers were compelled to draw lots for death; — Colonel Henry W Sawyer, who has lately been appointed superintendent of the life saving apparatus on the New Jersey Court, passed through a very perilous adventure. He was among the Federal prisouers in Libby Prisou at the time when the Confederate Government determined to retaliate in kind the execution of two rebel officers by one of our Western Generals. Captain Sawyer was of the grade of officers from whom selections were to be made for the victims of Confederate vengeance. The officer who was in charge of the prisoners at the time was a kind hearted, agreeable man and was regarded by them with feelings of gratitude and affection. The morning in question, this officer entered the room where the prisoners were con- ■ fined, and told all the officers to walk out into another room; This order was obeyed with particular alacrity, as the prisoners were daily expecting to be exchanged, and it was supposed that the order had arrived, and that they were about to exchange their prison quarters for home and freedom. After they had all gathered in the room, their countenances lighted up with this pleasant hope, the officer came in among them, and with a very grave fac© took a paper out of his pocket and told them that he had a very melancholy duty to perform, the purport of which would be better understood by the reading of the order he held in his hand, which he had just received from the War Department. He then poroceeded to read to the amazed and horrified group an order for the immediate execution of two of their number, ia retaliation for the hanging of two Confederate officers. As the reader ceased, the men looked at each other with blanched

faces, and a silence like death prevailed for some minutes iv the room- The Confederate officer then suggested that perhaps the better way would be to place a number of slips of paper equal to the whole number of officers from whom the victims were selected, in a box, with the word " death " written on two of them, and the rest blank — the two who drew the fatal slips to be the doomed men. This plan was adopted, aud a chaplaiu was appointed to prepare the slips. The drawing had proceeded for some time, aud fully a third of the officers had exchanged gloomy looks of apprehension for a relieved aspect, which they could not avoid showing after escaping from such terrible peril, before a fatal death slip had been drawn. At the end of about this period, however, the first slip had been drawn, and the name of "Captain Henry W. Sawyer, of the Ist New Jersey Cavalry," was called out as the unfortunate man. The captain was, of course, deeply agitated, but did not lose self-possession. He immediately began revolving in his mind some plan for averting, or at least postponing, the immediate carrying out of the sanguinary edict of the Rebel Government, and by the time that he was joined with his companion in misfortune, who turned out to be a captain Flynn, of an Indiana regiment, he had resolved upon his course. The officer in command, as soon as the drawing was completed, ornered the two men to be taken out and immediately executed. Captain Sawyer, however, demanded as a request that no civilized nation could refuse under sqch circumstances, that he should have permission to write to his wife, to inform her of the terrible fate that awaited him, and to have her come on and bid him an eternal farewell. Respite for a day or two was thus obtained, and Sawyer subsequently obtained an interview with the rebel j Secretary of War, and secured permission to write to his wife, which he did. His object in writing to her was principally for our Government to be made aware of the predicament in -which the officers were placed, and to secure hostages and threaten retaliation should the order of the rebels be carried out. It turned out precisely as Sawyer hoped and expected. Our Government was informed of the condition of affairs, and promptly seized a son of General Lee, and one of some other rebel, and threatened to hang them if the Union officers were executed. By this means the lives of the two doomed men were saved, as the Confederate Government did not dare to carry out their threat. After a few months more confinement, Captain Sawyer was exchanged. Captain Flynn, his companion in misfortune, came out of the ordeal with his hair as white as snow, turned grey by the mental sufferings he endured. Captain Sawyer served throughout the war.

■ o f h«H Water at Nelson. Morn. Afternoon. Monday Feb. 21 ... 12.57 1.20 Tuesdny „ 22 ... 2.4 2.20 Wefbie^ay. „ 23 ... 2.48 3.13 ThTresday „ 24 ... 3.58 4.50 TFriaay „ 25 ... 5.17 553 : Saturday „ .26 ... 6.29 7.3 ; Sunday ...- „ 27 ... 7.23 7.48