ast we
reached Fort Gunny Bags. He led the way to the Front street door, in the
rear of the building. Two rows of guards with muskets, had position from
the curb-stone to the door-way. He gave the password to these and we
passed through. At the door were other guards--the same giving of
pass-word there. We mounted the narrow stairs--my escort in advance.
Midway on the stairs were two guards--one of them Dr. Rabe, with whom I
had been intimate since 1850. Again the pass-word. And again at the head
of the stairs to the four guards there. My escort opened the door of a
medium-sized room, which fronted on the street, and requested me to be
seated. He left me alone in the room. For an hour I had the room to
myself. Then the door was opened, and I saw David C. Broderick over the
head of the person who had evidently escorted him, and requested him to
be seated. Broderick entered, and the door was closed, and locked from
the outside. We had no more than shaken hands and mutually wondered what
we were wanted for, when the key was turned, the door again opened, and
in came tall Jo. McKibben, taller even than Broderick. As he entered,
the door was again locked on the outside. The situation was too amusing,
and we all laughed over it. But why were we there? On relating the
manner of the "request" and escort, each had been served in similar
manner--neither could conjecture the purpose in having us there. No
other person was let in until about an hour. "Old Jim" Dows, as he was
familiarly called, came to see us. We had known each other for years. He
appeared surprised to see us, and McKibben and myself exchanged some
pleasantries with him. I said to him, at last, that I wished the
Executive Committee would hasten whatever business they had in my case
and let me go, as I was eager to return to the house I had been
visiting. He said he would and in ten minutes returned to apprise me
that I could go right then if I wished. He accompanied me to the head of
the stairs, and in loud voice ordered the guards to let me pass out--that
it was "all right." With this he passed into the hall. The guard at
the head of the stairs duly let me pass. At the middle of the stairs Dr.
Rabe, who so well knew me, and must have heard Dows' order, demanded the
pass-word, and refused to allow me to proceed. I said, "Why, Doctor, I
don't know the pass-word, and you heard Jim. Dows' order to let me pass
out." The guard at the head of the stairs cried out to him, "