Immediately on his arrival at the Capital he sought an interview with
Joseph Holt, now the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army.
He was therefore in charge of the prosecution of the cases of Clay and
Davis.
For five minutes he watched the crooked poisonous mouth of the
ex-Secretary of War and knew the truth. This vindictive venomous old
man, ambitious, avaricious, implacable in his hatreds, had organized a
Board of Assassination, which he called "The Bureau of Military
Justice." This remarkable Bureau had already murdered Mrs. Surratt on
perjured testimony.
Socola had given his ex-Chief no intimation of his personal feelings and
no hint of his association with O'Connor.
"I've a little favor to ask of you, young man," Holt said suavely.
Socola bowed.
"At your service, Chief--"
"I need a man of intelligence and skill to convey a proposition to Wirz,
the keeper of Andersonville prison. He has been sentenced to death by
the Bureau of Military Justice. I'm going to offer him his life on one
condition--"
"And that is?"
"If he will confess under oath that Davis ordered the starving and
torturing of prisoners at Andersonville I'll commute his sentence--"
"I see--"
"I'll give you an order to interview Wirz.
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