THE PLACE WAS LIBBY PRISON, RICHMOND VIRGINIA. AMONG THE PRISONERS WAS BROTHER ISRAEL CLEMENT DISOSWAY. A LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. INFANTRY. BROTHER DISOSWAY FELT SOME DISCOMFORT AS HE LAY AMID THE STRAW AND STENCH OF LIBBY PRISON. BUT IT WAS NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO WHAT HE FELT ON HIS WAY TO BE EXECUTED FOR WHAT THE CONFEDERATE PARTISAN JOHN SINGLETON MOSBY SAW AS THE MURDER OF HIS MEN BY THE FEDERALS. SIX OF HIS RANGERS HAD MET THEIR UNMERCIFUL FATE ON SEPTEMBER 23 IN FRONT ROYAL, AND THE SEVENTH HANGED A MONTH LATER.. NOW SEVEN UNION SOLDIERS MUST DIE IN RETRIBUTION.
THUS BROTHER DISOSWAY FOUND HIMSELF BOUND AND MOUNTED ON A HORSE TO A FINAL DESTINATION. OR SO HE THOUGHT, UNTIL HE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A MASONIC PIN ON THE LAPEL OF A CONFEDERATE OFFICER RETURNING WITH A DETACHMENT OF TROOPS. THINKING QUICKLY IN HIS DESPERATION, BROTHER DISOSWAY FLASHED THE DISTRESS SIGN OF A MASON. THE CONFEDERATE OFFICER, BROTHER RICHARD P. MONTJOY, SAW IT AND CONVINCED THE TROOPER LEADING THE PRISONER TO ALLOW AN EXCHANGE FOR ONE OF THE PRISONERS HE WAS HOLDING. WHEN BROTHER MONTJOY REPORTED TO MAJOR MOSBY ON WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE RECEIVED AN ICY REPLY FROM THE MAJOR STATING THAT HIS COMMAND WAS NOT A MASONIC LODGE. BUT LET THE EXCHANGE STAND. |
