Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/324

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

her suffering, destitute, imprisoned boy. They will surely reap an abundant reward.

January 1st to February 2d, 1865—A number of officers, captured in Georgia by Sherman, arrived, and were quartered in adjoining rooms. Among them are General G. P. Harrison and Major George W. Anderson, Jr., of Savannah. The former commanded one of Governor Brown's militia brigades, and is dressed as a citizen.

February 3d—All the officers, who had been confined at the Old Capitol any length of time, were to day very suddenly and unexpectedly ordered to "pack up for Fort Delaware," and, soon after, were marched (I on my crutches, with my one legged friend, Adjutant Reagan, by my side) to "Soldiers' Rest." At 4 o'clock we took the cars for Baltimore, arriving there at half-past 6 o'clock, and there took the train for New Castle, Delaware, via Havre de Grace. I am getting accustomed to being dragged about from prison to prison, and think I will soon know all about Yankee bastiles, and see also a good deal of the country, traveling at the Government's expense. Before I could use crutches, when perfectly helpless from my wounds, I was carried from Winchester to West's Building Prison Hospital, in Baltimore. In a short while I was sent to Point Lookout Prison. Thence, after a month's stay, was transported to Old Capitol Prison; and now, after residing in Washington a month, I go to another prison at Fort Delaware, on Pea Patch island, Delaware bay. Why are we thus hurried from place to place? Is it to benefit our health by change of air and scenery, or to kill us by frequent exposure to the intensely cold, pneumonia weather?

February 4th—We walked a mile from the depot, through New Castle, to the wharf. The noble ladies of the town cheered us by sympathizing looks and kind words, as we trudged along, several of us on crutches, and a few of them brought us tempting lunches of ham, chicken, biscuit, preserves and fruit. These lovely Delaware women are our own kith and kin, and our cause is their cause too. Little Delaware is a slave State, and she has furnished some great orators and statemen. The Bayard and Saulsbury families inherit their talent, chivalry and nobility of character from a long line of illustrious ancestors. We reluctantly left the good ladies of New Castle, and entered the boat bound for the dreaded fort, five miles distant. We reached it at 1 o'clock, landed, and marched on a plank walk (the street or road was mud itself), till we were near the entrance to the barracks, and then halted. Here we were