These and one or two others returned the visits on their fellow prisoners, and conversed freely with Northern men on the state of the country, while some of their companions scarcely returned the civility of a "good day." to their fellow prisoners.

VISITS OF FRIENDS.

Next day after the arrival in prison of Messrs. Sheward and myself, we were visited by a friend and fellow citizen of Iowa, Judge Charles Mason, who volunteered to act as our counsel. Some idea may be formed by the reader of how a visit is made and an interview conducted between a friend and a prisoner from the following extract of a letter descriptive of an interview between Judge Mason and myself. It is needless to say who wrote it:

"I doubt whether you have a full idea of the way in which this business of visiting prisoners is managed. You go with your pass to the Capitol prison, and are stopped by the sentinel in front of that building who sings out lustily for the corporal of the guard. The corporal makes his appearance with his musket at his shoulder, and conducts you into the building to the august presence of the sergeant of the guard. The sergeant seizes his musket and enters an inner room to announce your presence to the lieutenant. If that dignitary is disengaged, he permits you to enter, and the sergeant announces that permission accordingly. As there is only one reception room for the visitors of all the prisoners,

and as they allow only one person to enter that room at a time, you have to await your turn in this ante-chamber, until you can be permitted to penetrate into the real presence. The lieutenant examines your pass inside and out,-spells out some of the words and guesses at the rest, and asks you the name of the person you wish to see, for it is very doubtful whether the Military Governor is able to decipher the manuscript. Once my pass, by mistake, had the name of Mr. Lane instead of Mr. Mahony, and I did not observe the mistake until too late to have it rectified; but although the lieutenant U. S. A. looked very grave over the pass for a long time, he failed to see the error, and I did not tell him, and he ordered Mahony to be brought down.

"After all these preliminaries are gone through with, the corporal is directed to bring down Mr. Mahony from room No. 16. In due time he comeswe shake hands and seat ourselves. The military keeper seats himself right directly in our front at three feet distance-listens attentively to every word -catches every motion, and sees that nothing is done to overthrow the government. To see a perfect stranger thus intermeddling in our private conversation excites in one almost irresistible impulse to insult him in some way as an evesdropper and intermeddler. When fifteen minutes have elapsed, our conference is abruptly brought to an end, and Í go home musing on the glorious privileges of an American citizen.

"Yours truly."

During the interview with Judge Mason, I enquired of the Judge what the news was out doors. The Judge had scarcely opened his mouth to tell me the current public news of the day, than he was interrupted by Lieutenant Holmes, alias "Bullhead," with the remark that it was not permitted

to the prisoners to be informed of what was occurring out doors. "But," interposed Judge Mason, "what I was going to say is merely what is published in the papers." "" "No matter for that," said Bull-head, "no conversation can be permitted on such matters."

"What then may we speak of?" enquired the Judge, and before he had the enquiry quite out of his mouth, Bullhead looked at his watch, and declaring the fifteen minutes allowed for an interview with a prisoner to have expired, he opened the door leading to the prisoners' apartments, and motioning me to go, thus unceremoniously closed the interview. A glance at Judge Mason's countenance revealed in its indignant expression the workings of a spirit which could scarcely repress the emotions excited into fury by the despotic arrogance and tyranny of this satellite of arbitr:" power.

During this interview an arrangement was made to bring the cases of myself and Sheward to the notice of the Secretary of War, with a view to have a trial or hearing as speedily as possible, the result of which will appear further on. A few days after I was visited by F. B. Wilkie, Esq., who was then acting as a Washington correspondent of the Chicago Times, but who had been the local editor of the Dubuque Herald, of which paper I was the principal editor. During the conversation which took place between us, Mr. Wilkie remarked to me, "I presume you have heard of your nomination for Congress." This allusion to a circumstance which was evidently displeasing to the Administration, was regarded by the lieutenant on duty, who was present at the interview, as contraband information, so nothing more was said of the matter. Here, however, was a key to unlock the motive of the Administration and of the Abolition partisans in Iowa, who had been the means of having me ar rested.

8

As soon as I reached my room, a consultation was held at which it was advised that a letter be written by me, accepting of the nomination for Congress, although it was morally certain that my acceptance would protract the length of my imprisonment. It was considered likely that a letter or letters had been, or would be, written by my friends informing me of the nomination, and that in all probability these letters would not be allowed to reach me, as there was evidently a determination concluded by the Administration to defeat me for Congress at all hazards, and by any means possible to the tyrants in power. The result of the consultation was that I should accept of the nomination, and that a letter signifying this design should be written. This I did, addressing the letter to my friend, Stilson Hutchins, Esq., who was conducting my paper in my absence. This letter was returned to me from the Provost Marshal, with a note saying:

HEADQUARTERS, PROVOST MARSHAL'S OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,

1862.

}

Nothing but family and business letters are allowed to pass.

W. V. C. MURPHY.

It might gratify the reader to see a copy of the letter which was thus prevented from reaching my fellow citizens. It is, with the exception of some business matters, as follows, the original being now in my possession as evidence of what I allege:

OLD CAPITOL PRISON, WASHINGTON, D. C.,

August 25th, 1862.

DEAR HUTCHINS:-Say to my friends that I accept the nomination for Congress, and that I thank

them for having conferred on me the honor of that nomination; that I am now and expect to ever remain true to the Constitution as it was made a compact between States and people; true to the Union as it was framed by the Constitution, and true to the Government as the Constitution gave it an existence; and that neither persecution, nor threats of violence, nor imprisonment, nor desertion of friends, nor opposition of enemies, will wean me from this position.

To traitors to the Constitution, North, South, East and West, I am opposed. To those who would subvert, corrupt or revolutionize the Government, as to those who would overthrow it by force of arms, I am opposed. To the plunderers of the Treasury, I am opposed. To those who defraud the Government, and to those who permit frauds to be perpetrated, I am opposed. To every person and to every act which violates the Constitution, subverts the Government, threatens ruin to the country, I am opposed.

I am to-day what I have ever been, an uncompromising Constitutionalist, and come wo or weal, I shall so remain till the people of the United States change their form of Government, which I hope they never will, or permit it to be done by others.

Such were the sentiments which the Administration tyrants would not permit a candidate for Congress, who was a victim in their custody, to address to the people. It was perfectly consistent with their violations of the Constitution, with their subversion of the Government, with their plunderings of the Treasury, with their destruction of the coun