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Page 14
We understand it is through the influence of Isaac Newton that Friends
have been able to approach the heads of Government in our behalf and to
prevail with them to so great an extent. He explained to us the
circumstance in which we are placed. That the Secretary of War and
President sympathized with Friends in their present suffering, and would
grant them full release, but that they felt themselves bound by their
oaths that they would execute the laws, to carry out to its full extent
the Conscription Act. That there appeared but one door of relief
open,--that was to parole us and allow us to go home, but subject to
their call again ostensibly, though this they neither wished nor
proposed to do. That the fact of Friends in the Army and refusing
service had attracted public attention so that it was not expedient to
parole us at present. That, therefore, we were to be sent to one of the
hospitals for a short time, where it was hoped and expressly requested
that we would consent to remain quiet and acquiesce, if possible, in
whatever might be required of us. That our work there would be quite
free from objection, being for the direct relief of the sick; and that
there we would release none for active service in the field, as the
nurses were hired civilians.
These requirements being so much less objectionable than we had feared,
we felt relief, and consented to them. I.N. went with us himself to the
Surgeon General's office, where he procured peculiar favours for us:
that we should be sent to a hospital in the city, where he could see us
often; and that orders should be given that nothing should interfere
with our comfort, or our enjoyment of our consciences.
Thence we were sent to Medical Purveyor Abbot, who assigned us to the
best hospital in the city, the Douglas Hospital.
The next day after our coming here Isaac Newton and James Austin came to
add to our number E.W.H. and C.L.A., so now there are five of us instead
of three. We are pleasantly situated in a room by ourselves in the upper
or fourth story, and are enjoying our advantages of good quarters and
tolerable food as no one can except he has been deprived of them.
[_10th_ month] _8th._--Today we have a pass to go out to see the city.
_9th._--We all went, thinking to do the whole city in a day, but before
the time of our passes expired, we were glad to drag ourselves back to
the rest and quiet of D.H. During the day we called upon our friend
I.N. in the Patent Office. When he came to see us on the 7th, he stated
he had called upon the President that afternoon to request him to
release us and let us go home to our friends. The President promised to
consider it over-night. Accordingly yesterday morning, as I.N. told us,
he waited upon him again. He found there a woman in the greatest
distress. Her son, only a boy of fifteen years and four months, having
been enticed into the Army, had deserted and been sentenced to be shot
the next day. As the clerks were telling her, the President was in the
War Office and could not be seen, nor did they think he could attend to
her case that day. I.N. found her almost wild with grief. "Do not
despair, my good woman," said he, "I guess the President can be seen
after a bit." He soon presented her case to the President, who exclaimed
at once, "That must not be, I must look into that case, before they
shoot that boy"; and telegraphed at once to have the order suspended.
I.N. judged it was not a fit time to urge our case. We feel we can
afford to wait, that a life may be saved. But we long for release. We do
not feel easy to remain here.
_11th._--Today we attended meeting held in the house of a Friend, Asa
Arnold, living near here. There were but four persons beside ourselves.
E.W.H. and C.L.A. showed their copy of the charges about to have been
preferred against them in court-martial before they left their regiment,
to a lawyer who attended the meeting. He laughed at the Specification of
Mutiny, declaring such a charge could not have been lawfully sustained
against them.
The experiences of our new friends were similar to ours, except they
fell among officers who usually showed them favour and rejoiced with
them in their release.
_13th._--L.M.M. had quite an adventure yesterday. He being fireman with
another was in the furnace room among three or four others, when the
officer of the day, one of the surgeons, passed around on inspection.
"Stand up," he ordered them, wishing to be saluted. The others arose;
but by no means L. The order was repeated for his benefit, but he sat
with his cap on, telling the surgeon he had supposed he was excused from
such things as he was one of the Friends. Thereat the officer flew at
him, exclaiming, he would take the Quaker out of him. He snatched off
his cap and seizing him by the collar tried to raise him to his feet;
but finding his strength insufficient and that L. was not to be
frightened, he changed his purpose in his wrath and calling for the
corporal of the guard had him taken to the guard-house. This was about
eleven A.M. and he lay there till about six P.M., when the surgeon in
charge, arriving home and hearing of it, ordered the officer of the day
to go and take him out, telling him never to put another man into the
guard-house while he was in charge here without consulting him. The
manner of his release was very satisfactory to us, and we waited for
this rather than effect it by our own efforts. We are all getting uneasy
about remaining here, and if our release do not come soon, we feel we
must intercede with the authorities, even if the alternative be
imprisonment.
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