AMERICAN BASTILE.

LA

COLONEL LAMBDIN P. MILLIGAN.

AMBDIN P. MILLIGAN is of Irish descent, and was born and raised in Belmont County, Ohio. His only opportunities for acquiring an education were enjoyed before he was eight years of age, at which time he could read well. At seventeen he evinced a great desire to have an education preparatory to the study of medicine. His father, proud of his attainments, promised to send him to college, but was compelled to forego so doing by the opposition of his wife, who insisted that no distinction should be made in the education of their children.

Subsequently he left home, regardless of the wishes and threats of his father, who declared that he would disinherit him if he did so. Without a dime in his pockets he began his career among strangers. Thrown upon his own resources, all the energies of his mind and body were exerted to obtain a livelihood, and to these efforts may be traced his after

success.

He had previously abandoned the idea of studying medicine, and had chosen the profession of law, which he read with great earnestness, and mastered with facility. He stood at the head of a class of nine, examined by a committee of the Supreme Court of Ohio, consisting of Judges Goodnow, Kennon, and Cowan, Governor Shannon, Mr. Alexander, and Mr. Carroll. Of this class there are now living the Hon. Matthew Gaston, Cambridge, Ohio; Hon. Peter Saltman, St. Clairs

ville, Ohio; and the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, ex-Secretary of War.

A few years after, Colonel Milligan removed to Hunting ton, Indiana, where he still resides. For several years he suffered much from epilepsy and spinal meningitis, with paralysis of the lower limbs, during which time he was unable to practise at his profession.

In 1853, Colonel Milligan, having recovered his health, commenced the practice of his profession, and soon rose to the foremost rank at the bar. He is not a politician; but, in 1861, opposed with great energy every movement looking toward a collision between the North and South.

In 1863, he addressed a meeting at Plymouth, Indiana, and by his speech most conclusively demonstrated that the war had neither been begun nor prosecuted to preserve the Union. He referred to the antecedents of the party then in power, their oft-repeated declarations of hostility to the Con stitution, and the many opportunities for a compromise, consistent with the integrity of the Union, which had been spurned, and the war continued for the purpose of breaking down the influence of the agricultural districts of the country, and elevating the moneyed and manufacturing interests, that the party in power might control the legislation of Congress.

Detectives having reported the speech, the Republican press soon teemed with denunciatory articles, charging him with treason. Early in 1864, Dr. Zumro, a special detective, was appointed to watch him. A part of the plan consisted in an arrangement to have the doctor arrested on some political charge, when he was to visit Colonel Milligan for counsel, gain his confidence, and learn his personal sentiments. In pursuance of this arrangement, a military officer was sent from a distant part of the State, and the arrest of Dr. Zumro Inade with great formality. This hireling sought the counsel of the Colonel, and employed him as attorney to defend him. The doctor, in his anxiety, played his part so poorly that he was detected, and the scheme failed.

On the 13th of August, in the same year, the Colonel addressed a large meeting at Fort Wayne. A detective, Mr. Bush, was sent from Cincinnati purposely to report his speech, which he did in a manner to please his employers. The speech was an alie and eloquent one, and prophetically pictured the future, which time has demonstrated. The Administration, and particularly Governor Morton, who was then a candidate for re-election, were greatly incensed at it, and resolved on the destruction of its author. Shortly after this, Colonel Milligan was taken sick; erysipelas attacked his left leg. He lost the entire use of the limb, and was confined to bed. In this condition he remained for several days, his neighbors hourly expecting to hear of his death.

While thus confined, on the 5th of October, 1864, about 11 o'clock P. M., a train of cars stopped at his residence with a company of soldiers, under the command of Captain Case, who immediately surrounded his house, and arrested the Colonel without affidavit, warrant, or any form of authority. They kept the house guarded until four o'clock in the morn ing, when they carried him to the cars, the captain repeatedly giving orders to his men that, upon the first noise of any kind, they must shoot the prisoner. The train conveying the prisoner arrived at Indianapolis, a distance of a hundred miles, about 3 o'clock P. M., where an infuriated mob of thousands thronged the streets, uttering threats and imprecations. Here he was transferred to an ambulance, and taken to General Hovey's headquarters, where he demanded to be liberated on bail, offering to answer any charges that might be brought against him. This request was denied, and he was told that he had "no rights which a loyal citizen was bound to respect." Thence he was taken to the post commander's headquarters, who had received a telegram from an evil-disposed person, to the effect that the prisoner was not sick, but merely pretending to be so.

The post-commander, Colonel Warner, burning with rage, denounced the prisoner in a coarse, vulgar, and even brutal manner; avowing that no quarter should be shown him.

Colonel Milligan replied to this tirade of abuse, saying: "It is easy to make charges, but sometimes difficult to prove them." Colonel Warner told him that he would have to prove himself innocent, but that no Copperhead evidence would be taken.

He was then taken to one of the temporary hospitals, and placed in an open shed. It was now 5 o'clock P. M. The Colonel, who had had no refreshments of any kind for twenty four hours, was then furnished with some cold pork and hardtack, which he could not eat, and from exhaustion soon fell asleep. When he awoke he found himself literally covered with vermin. The next day, workmen commenced building a house around and over him, causing noise enough to distract a sick man whose nerves were already shattered by the suffering he had endured. The sawdust and chips from the work fell upon him, and in his bed, making his situation miserable.

He remained confined in this place for ten days, surrounded by thousands of drunken soldiers, who had come home on furlough to vote for Governor Morton at the approaching election. Some of these miscreants manifested their loyalty by insulting him, pointing their guns at, and threatening to shoot him. 66 Loyal" citizens visited him to get a sight of their victim, and rejoice over their diabolical work. From this shed he was carried to a prison in the Federal court building, and placed in a room with a wretch, who, to save his own neck, had consented to play the spy upon him.

He remained here until he, together with Colonel Wm. A. Bowles, Stephen Horsey, Andrew Humphrey, and Horace Heffner, was put upon trial, on the following charges, to all of which he pleaded not guilty. The charges and specifications are too long to insert here in extenso. We give them in an abridged form, as contained in Wallace's United States Supreme Court Reports, page 6, vol. iv. (This case is fully reported in the above volume, covering 140 pages, and is one of the most important ever decided in this country.) From Wallace's Reports, we quote: