W. A. Coates, J. Hughes, I. W. Free, P. R. Piper, J. J. White, J. N. Strout, T. Newman, A. G. Newman, E. P. Moore, D. C. Smith, H. J. Carter, M. C. Bell.

I believe we are doing all we can with the means at our disposal, but could we obtain larger supplies of books and stationery we might be able to extend the field of labor so as to include many of our comrades who are now spending the long weary days of their captivity in idleness and vice.

Returning to you, and all those kind christians, who have displayed s' ch generosity in supplying our necessities, our sincere thanks, I subscribe myself, With respect, yours truly,

A. MORGAN,
Supt. P. W. C. School."

To Rev. A. B. CROSS. [Since the date of this letter, the school has gone on increasing until as many as twelve hundred are daily engaged.]

March 2nd, Gen. Butler came to the Point to make arrangements in regard to paroling for exchange a number of prisoners. After preaching in the camp Mr. Walker asked if we could not see Gen. Butler in his case. We called on him in the evening; mentioned it. "I will exchange for such a man." We said we were perfectly satisfied if he could. He said he would bear it in mind. He sent for, and had an interview with him. When the flag of truce boat came up he was proposed in exchange for one of our colporteurs. The papers made out and all in readiness as we supposed, when the provost marshal said he could not go. "Too busy to attend to it.” We said, "Gen. Butler, when here was not too busy to hear it, nor too forgetful when he went to Fortress Monroe to find a man and arrange for his exchange." It was arranged in time for him to get on the boat.

"

Captain Little, who lost his arm at Gettysburg, through some meanness on the part of officers lately from Johnson's Island, captured only a few months before, was thrown out of the list of exchange

His case

was no sooner mentioned than the General asked if his name was on the list. His clerk said, no. Put it on, and write Judge Ould, I send Captain Little, as special exchange." The bell rang, and in ten minutes the boat sailed.

That day they commenced digging ditches, hauling gravel, mending the roads, draining the ground, and a distributing of the shoes, &c. The General had upset the arrangement of the Rebel officers and directed that the oldest captured should go first. There was a sort of shout among the prisoners in the camp and many in the hospital on hearing what he had done. He had also ordered attention to the policing of the ground, &c.

Dr. Thompson, the surgeon in charge of the camp seemed grateful for the General's visit. For three months he had urged this police improvement without effect. From that visit a new face was put on the camp and the Point which has continued until this present time. The camp in general is well drained, and on the whole as comfortably fixed as is possible with so many men, and every attention is given to health, cleanliness and comfort. The Hospital department has been moved to a portion of the ground taken from the officer's camp, and in addition to the hospital tents, which are large and floored, there have been erected four barracks for hospitals, which are nice and comfortable quarters. Officers have said to us time and again, "If we were not prisoners we would like to come and stay here awhile merely for recreation and pleasure. It is this being in prison, not allowed to go beyond a certain

line, that is the trouble." In the camp time and again we have heard men say the same, "If it was not for the prison we would not mind it." Others, We would just as soon stay here until the war is over as any place."

About 11 o'clock, March 17th, the flag-of-truce boat New York, started with nine hundred and sixty-eight Rebel prisoners for exchange. As many of the wounded as could safely go were on board. · On leaving the wharf, bread and meat and coffee, all of which was in abundance, were given out, and again before we arrived at Fortress Monroe. We gathered from Captain O. H. Miller, of Georgia, the following

statement:

"He was of Longstreet's corps, Hood's division, Anderson's brigade, the Fiftyninth Georgia regiment. Colonel Brown's regiment rested on the second day at Gettysburg, in front of the railroad cut, where the first day's fight was, until about twelve o'clock. Then marched to the right, on the west side of the branch and east of the McLean House-then to the Peach orchard and Brick house. The shelling was so heavy that we had to remove on through the Peach orchard and directly across the rocks in Plum Run. By them our regiment was split in two, but we advanced. I was on the right. Went acros the little branch, over the fence into the woods, among rocks, on to where it was pretty level. Here formed the regiment, fixed bayonets and charged about sixty yards to the Union forces, where they had breast-works here and there. This was their first line. We fired about three volleys, and fell back and reformed lower down. Then made a charge on the same works and got possession of them, following up in the hollow, on the right, and got possession of Little Round Top and beyond it. Then the battery of three guns turned on us and made an awful destruction of men. We turned to the left and captured the three guns. We then came into a position where a cross fire from the enemy's infantry took us. On that little knoll I was wounded, and placed in the crevice of some rocks where I lay until daylight of the 3d. Our men at early dawn carried me away. Our men held position for two or three volleys. Reinforcements arriving we had to give up and fall back to original position. The Union men charged over me and took their old position. Several Union men sat down beside me, said it was a good place to rest and keep away from bullets. Our men made another charge and drove the Union men back about sixty yards, and continued until dark. The main body withdrew, taking with them what wounded they could and burying all they could. The Texians were on my right. The wound was a compound, fracture of the upper third of my right thigh. I was taken to Hood's division hospital, on John Plank's farm, where was a surgeon of the Eleventh Georgia. They carried me to a tent, but said it was no use, I would certainly die. They ordered me to the dead-house, where I remained fifteen days. A young man of my company got a piece of rail and with a shirt tied my leg. When they took me into Plank's house they said, I would certainly die, to give me whatever stimulants I would have. After this a surgeon from Gettysburg came, and suggested Smith's Anterior and Post-splint, which they applied with success. But in that time my leg had shortened four and a-half inches and could not be helped. On twelfth of August was taken to the Field General Hospital-third November, West's Building Hospitalfifteenth to Fort McHenry-twenty-third and twenty-fourth to Point Lookout."

We give the particulars of this case in full, because first, it is the best description of the engagement on Round Top which we have come across all the lines of which we had seen before; in the next place, it is one case of ten thousand, where a man has been left fifteen days in the dead-house and yet lives, and shows neglect by surgeons of their own

men

This from Captain Little, of Fifty-Second North Carolina:

"The fifty-second North Carolina and sixty second Mississippi, had a skirmish with the Union cavalry June 30. July, we moved toward Gettysburg. General Pettigrew had gone on expecting a heavy force, finding the Union force larger, he sent

back for fifty-second North Carolina, forty-second Mississippi and himself fell back two or three miles, having staid where we were all night. Early on morning of first, we came with the rest of Hill's corps. The whole road was filled with artillery coming where General Hill had selected his position; we turned to the right, were the extreme regiment. Company E was the extreme right of the line to observe the motions of the enemy and report.

Generals Archer and Davis to the left, were first annoyed by cavalry and sharpshooters, but kept position until the charge in the afternoon, when the whole line advanced to the hollow before you come to the Seminary ridge. We fell back and were relieved by Lane's brigade.

The McLean House was burned by order of Col. Marshall because of the sharpshooters firing upon us. The men burned it very reluctantly, but it was the only way we could get them out. We had no artillery. Burnt it as we were making the advance.

The fighting was principally to the left and very heavy. The eleventh and twenty-sixth of this brigade were very heavily pressed and the forty-seventh next to the fifty-second; Colonel Leaventhorp here. Colonel Burgwin of twenty-sixth killed in charge of this day. To the left Colonel Conally of fifty-fifth was in Davis' brigade. The next morning where the eleventh and twenty-sixth met ours in a piece of woods there was desperate fighting. Some of the men who were in the fight said: The men met within ten steps and fired. Some places we could distinguish the line by where the men fell, one was a Pennsylvania regiment. The ground was covered with men. A great many of both sides. The eleventh and twenty-sixth, very large, were perfectly riddled of officers and men; the twenty-sixth carried in above. one thousand men. That evening we went back to where we had advanced from in the charge and staid until late next afternoon. Second morning Pickett's division went down to our right, took position and staid that night. We could see artillery on Round Top, and cemetery hill. Some shells from these hills hit us.

Third, our brigade put in position to the left of Pickett's division, directly behind artillery, moved about and got in place about eleven. Generals Lee, Longstreet, Hill and a number of general officers met in a shady bottom near a little branch. Lee sat on a stump, was reading a paper of some kind a long time before the action. After one gun, the whole artillery, from the whole line opened on cemetery hill, with tremendous force, from one to three and a half, when it slackened and the order was given for advance. The whole line two deep. In the advance Pettigrew's brigade of Heath's division was to the left of Pickett's, as they advanced. Pickett doubled on Pettigrew. As they got up close they were thinned out very rapidly. Going over a fence on the Emmittsburg road was shot in arm. After firing was over, and Union men came out to take prisoners one of them with one of my men helped me to a house on the Taneytown road and afterwards on account of shells, back across a marsh and rocky place where laid all night; next morning was taken in ambulance to hospital of sixth corps, where Drs. Oakley and Chamberlain gave me every attention and through that saved my life. It was at John Trostle's house. I took the names of men who I hope to see when the war is over."

This is a republican government in which we all have some personal interest and right, and no man is worthy of his place in the country who will not feel for her honor as well as her justice--and no officers are fit for ruling in such a government who do not in some measure appreciate the words of Seneca, sine bonitate nulla majestas, "without goodness there can be no such thing as majesty," -no government can be honorable and majestic, which will do mean things. If our government should pay men to furnish vaccine matter to prevent disease and suffering, must we wink at a man who would furnish bad vaccine matter? Just on the same principle, our prison camps are to hold secure our prisoners, and our hospitals to minister to and take care of the sick and wounded.

We feel thankful that our surgeons have been able to treat with success cases of wounded and suffering men. However much may be said of neglecting wounded men, Jesus did not blame the Samaritan (Luke) 10: 34) for binding up, or pouring in oil and wine.

We ask proper treatment for our men in prison. Let us do what is right to those in our hands. With those whose home, friends, and associations are all south, we can bear, but not with northern men who have gone south and hold up for this rebellion. We found in this camp a man named Edey, from New York or Brooklyn, a zealous rebel, from a Texas regiment. It was in the severity of the winter when attention was needed promptly. We said to him in a company of others, go through the camp and find out any case of suffering. Let it be known that you are on the lookout for such cases, and if there be any and the provost marshal or quartermaster has not what is necessary, we will see that it is gotten. Mr. Edey never reported

us one case.

One day Mr. Morgan, the teacher, said a man had come in two or three nights before, without a blanket-that he had come to his tent and he had to give him part of his, so that it was not comfortable to either of them. One of them was not well and was suffering from chills. He said he had gone to the keeper at the gate but he had damned him and ordered him off. He did'nt blame the keeper of the gate, because he had so many annoyances from so many continually knocking and asking for things; but said he could'nt stand up against such a speech as some others could. We stated the case to the Captain. He said, "it it was a lie, and he didn't care a damn-that nobody had gone in without a blanket." Having the man's name and ward, we gave it to the Surgeon of the Hospital, requesting him to go and see the case, which he did immediately, and ordered the man to the Hospital. Not satisfied with this we continued our investigation until we found out the truth. It appeared that this man had come in late at night; the Captain was not there, and whoever was in charge of the gate had permitted him to go in without inquiring whether he had a blanket.

The kindness, care and regard for the condition of the men, on the part of Drs. Thompson, Walton and others, is a credit to them as surgeons. The whole camp is in small divisions, over each of which is a surgeon from among the prisoners, whose business is to see to any man who is sick and needs attention-to report his case to the Surgeon of the Hospital, who for that day is in charge of the camp, who goes and examines into his case, and if needing care orders him to the Hospital, where he is attended to regularly and promptly.

Swearing is a qualification with some men for office. To keep such a gate, without cursing occasionally, would seem like forgetting his business. Some of the prisoners, of their own accord, said that the Captain was quite clever to them and did a great many things for them. Not long after we said something to him about wanting to get a pair of pantaloons for a man. He went in and brought out a pair, of his own accord, which we took and gave the man.

About once a week there is an inspection of the camp. All the prisoners take out all their goods of every kind from their tents, and each man displays his worldly all upon the gravel street. As the Cap

tain, or Provost Marshal rides along, and each man standing up, he sees who seems to need pantaloons, or shirt, or jacket, or shoes-orders him out of the ranks, and away he goes toward the gate-so another,

and another, until you will sometimes see a small regiment of men, some for shoes, pantaloons, shirt or coat. In this way they are seen to. Of course here, like in every other department, one officer will think there is not much need for a thing that another will think important. Swearing officers would not always think giving a Bible, or preaching the Gospel to prisoners, a very important matter.

The Officer's camp of about ten to fifteen acres, lies parallel to the Prisoner's, with two rows of tents, and a cook-house in one corner of the camp. We do not recollect of there being over four hundred men in it at any time, unless for a night, when an exchange was being arranged.

On the

The officers were in the wards among the wounded in the Hammond Hospital until late in March or early in April. Everything was quiet and went along very comfortably until about the middle of March. thirteenth of this month about three hundred and fifty rebel officers came from Johnson's Island or Elmira-among them General Jeff. Thompson and J. C. Breckinridge, son of General Breckinridge, who was in a few days exchanged, and General Thompson sent to Fort Delaware. Many of these officers were very gentlemanly and clever, behaving themselves as well as men could. Others were on the lookout for a way of escape. On their arrival the guards were doubled and greater strictness required in all who came in or went out of the lines of the hospital.

In a few days a suggestion was made to the Commander that a conspiracy was on foot, and an attempt would be made among the prisoners to escape, which led to an examination of the camp. As usual, in all such investigations, innocent persons suffer. When a man's worldly estate consists of the clothes on his back, a blanket or two, a few books, Bible or Testament, a few pieces of boards put together in the best way he can for chair, or bedstead, or table, to turn all out and break up all his fixtures is a very serious item, when he does not know where or how he can replace them. It is all vain talk for men to say, prisoners have no need for such things. They are men, and have minds and affections which must work out on something. Baron Trenk brought his soul to a mouse, another eminent prisoner to a spider, and another watched daily the growing of a blade of grass that came out between the bricks and mortar of his cell. To destroy these little things, to torture and torment by depriving a prisoner of all comfort is as base and infamous as the spirit of the Church of Rome, which, in her desire to wreak vengeance upon those who leave her and protest against her, has systematized torture, and placed before the world the incarnation of satanic cruelty in her inquisition.

The prisoners at a sudden notice were ordered out of their tents. A company or two of a regiment, on guard, came in with axes, picks, spades, &c. They entered every tent of those suspected, dug up the ground in and around, threw out every thing. In the search they found one or two small box-boats prepared to float on the river or bay, and a rope-ladder with which to escape or scale the fence. In other tents nothing objectionable. Hurried out, they had left their little all of treasure which, when the house was dug up, could not be found. For a time some complained of the needless destruction.