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A. Lincoln
From The Richmond Examiner -- October 26, 1861Latest News By The Mails Arrival of Federal Prisoners Yesterday morning, it was rumored about the streets that the Federal prisoners captured at Leesburg, would arrive in this city on an extra train at 10 o'clock a.m. Long before that hour, people began to assemble in the vicinity of the Central depot, and the crowd received constant accessions until the arrival of the train. A detachment of Regulars, under the command of Lieut. Bradford, were posted to keep the crowd off from the track, and the adjacent space between Broad and Marshall Streets. About half past 10 o'clock, the train arrived, and as soon as practicable, the prisoners were removed from the cars to Broad Street, where they were formed into a column, eight abreast, and surrounded by a guard, forming a "square." The commissioned officers, twenty-five in number, were placed at the head of the column. Their names and rank, and the Regiments to which they were respectfully attached, are as follows: Colonels -- Cogshell, 42nd New York; W.R. Lee, 20th Massachusetts. Major E.J. Revere, 20th Massachusetts. Adjutant Charles L. Pearson, 20th Massachusetts. Assistant Surgeon E.H.R. Revere, 20th Massachusetts. Captains: -- Francis J. Keffer, 1st "California;" John McKral, do; J.M. Studley, 15th Massachusetts; Henry Bowman, do; Chas S. Simmons, do; Timothy Omairo, 42nd New York -- 6 in all. Lieutenants -- G.B. Perry, 20th Mass., S. Gibberson, 42nd N.Y., Henry Van West, do; J.E. Green, 15th Mass., J.H. Hooper, do; R.B. Vassell, do; W.C. Harris, 1st Cal., Frank A. Parker, do; W.H. Kearns, do; and G.W. Kearney, do -- 11. The whole number of prisoners brought down on the train was five hundred and twenty-five, viz: 183 of the 1st California, 150 of the 15th Mass., 93 of the 42nd N.Y., 73 of the 20th Mass; including one negro, and one each from the 40th N.Y., 1st N.J., 3rd R.I., and Pennsylvania cavalry. The so-called "California Regiment" was composed of eight companies raised in Philadelphia, and two in New York. The guard which accompanied the prisoners to this city consisted of 84 men, detailed from the 4th North Carolina, 17th Georgia, and 49th Virginia Regiments, under the command of Lt Col T.C. Johnson, of the [illegible] Ga., and Capt J.B. Andrews of the 4th N.C. The only incident that occurred before the prisoners left the cars was a quarrel between two of them, which the guard promptly suppressed. One of them was drinking water from a bucket, when another kicked him in the bread-basket, which evoked a volley of oaths and a violent threat to duck the kicker with the remnant of the water in the bucket. The kicker merely replied, in Bwoery [sic] vernacular, "Well, what do you slobber in der burkit for, say?" The first squad of prisoners which were marched to the front, embraced a few insolent dogs, who remarked aloud in our hearing, "We can whip you like Irish potatoes." "Damn you, you will see us again," etc. After this impertinence we did not regret that the crowd on Broad street baited them, a minute afterwards, with a cheer of exultation. The squad which followed behaved with more decorum. The prevailing opinion of the by-standers, in regard to the prisoners, is that they are in the aggregate the best looking set of "YANKEES" that has yet been brought to the city, but according to our notion, there was nothing to warrant so favorable a conclusion, unless it be that a majority of the gang had on the new winter uniform with which they were recently furnished; but their apparel could not disguise their foreign nativity and rough, repulsive personal appearance. The officers were mostly good looking men. The prisoners were conducted to the tobacco factory of Mr. Robert A. Mayo at the corner of Cary and 25th strees, [sic] which had been appropriated for the purpose, by order of Gen. Winder. The procession was viewed with great interest and satisfaction by crowds of persons, who thronged the side-walks, but there was no exultations, except the cheering near the depot, as the prisoners were brought into view, and the gleeful laughter of the spectators, whilst conversing with one another. The regular mail train, which arrived about 4 o'clock, P.M., brought down one hundred and thirty-two more prisoners captured at Leesburg. Among them were two commissioned officers, Capt. G.W. Rockwell, of the 18th Massachusetts Regiment, and Lieut. Chas. McPherson, of the --th N.Y. ("Tammanys" Regiment. They were marched to prison, guarded by a detachment of the 18th, Georgia Regiment, Lieut. Laws commanding. -- Richmond Whig. |
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