AMERICAN BASTILE.

A HISTORY

OF THE ILLEGAL ARRESTS AND IMPRISONMENT OF
AMERICAN CITIZENS DURING THE
LATE CIVIL WAR.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
JOHN A. MARSHALL,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Ellustrations.

1st. LIBERTY BELL,

See FRONTISPIECE. This bell, the first in Philadelphia, was imported from England in 1752, for

the State House, but, having met with an accident in the trial-ringing after it was landed, it lost the tones received in the fatherland, and had to be conformed to ours by a recasting.

The ringing of this bell first announced to the citizens, who were anxiously
awaiting the result of the deliberations of Congress, (which were at
that time held with closed doors,) that the Declaration of Independ-
ence had been decided upon; and then it was that the bell" Proclaimed
Liberty throughout the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof."

It was subsequently cracked, and is now to be seen in Independence
Hall, proper.

2d. "THE LITTLE BELL."

To this picture we call a moment's attention.

FRONTISPIECE.

The first scene, or centre, represents the private office of Secretary Seward in the State Department. The hand of an unseen person, with the forefinger on the bell, is that of the Hon. Secretary, whose left hand contains an order for the arrest of a citizen, which is about being received for execution by the hand of an unknown Marshal. In the second, or upper left corner, is seen the arrest of the victim in his bed, by the Marshal, on the authority of this winged messenger. A guard is stationed in the chamber door to prevent the egress or ingress of the family or friends.

In the third, or the upper right corner, the same citizen is seen in the custody of two soldiers, who are taking him toward his place of imprisonment. This practice, Mr. Seward, the American Inquisitor General, adopted from the Spanish Inquisition, which made all arrests by night, that no traces of the missing person might exist. The fourth, or lower right corner, presents the interior of a cell. with the emaciated form of the victim, sitting on his pallet, guarded by a sentinel. In the last, or lower left corner, is the interior view of another cell, in which Liberty in shackles weeps."

8th. FAC-SIMILE OF THE KEY OF THE BASTILE, PARIS, Description of, see page 17.

Description of, see page 652, 509 716

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