THE IMMORTAL SIX HUNDRED
It soon became the general belief amongst the prisoners that we were going back to corn meal and pickle retaliation on Morris Island. Lieutenant Maury, one of our number, an old naval officer and familiar with the ocean, gave it as his opinion, from what he could see of the stars, that the ship was steaming south. This helped to confirm our belief that we were not done with the retaliation measures of Stanton. The anxiety and suspense became so intense amongst the prisoners that Col. Van Manning called the captain in charge of our guard and asked him to tell him candidly where we were going. The captain said very frankly that General Lee had begun an attack on Fort Steadman, in General Grant's front, the morning of our arrival at Fortress Monroe, and he (the captain of the guard) had orders to deliver us at Fort Delaware; that no more exchange of prisoners would be made.
It was the most dejected and broken
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