I embrace the present apparent opportunity to send you a few words as I have every other heretofore there is to be some Soldier-prisoners to be sent home in a few days I shall try to have this go with them. We were taken from RichmondEditorial Note: Richmond, Virginia the 15th and travelled night & day without leaving the cars or being allowed to stand up but very little arrived here the 17th disheartened [?] Unclear or illegible  250 miles the way we came (by WilsonEditorial Note: Wilson, North Carolina & RaughlyEditorial Note: Raleigh, North Carolina) I am now about 900 miles from homeEditorial Note: Rumney, New Hampshire and Heaven only knows when I shall be any nearer. I did expect McLellen would cut off the Southern roads and take and release us in RichmondAs Written:Ric'd as he easily could have done but his eternal tardiness has blasted that hope and we are fixed for the war beyond a possibility of an earlier release, I have written and shall continue to do so every opportunity but have heard nothing from home and have no hope to in the future. coffee is $1.25Editorial Note: $1.25 in 1862 is the equivalent of $32.03 in 2020. a pound here and in RedAs Written:Rd BlackAs Written:Blk Tea $8.00Editorial Note: $8.00 in 1862 is the equivalent of $205.00 in 2020. per lb. Brown Sugar, 30 ctsEditorial Note: $0.30 in 1862 is the equivalent of $7.69 in 2020.– Bacon 55Editorial Note: $0.55 in 1862 is the equivalent of $14.09 in 2020. My health continues very poor have no appetite As Written: apetite for boiled bacon and stale bread our daily food My cough is better and the pain in my Eye and head is slight to what it has been but I am growing very thin in flesh but am able to sit up and walk about; there is a very pleasant gentleman from MaineAs Written:Me. who is a citizen As Written: citizan of Richmond now and a fellow prisoner in the same room with me his name is Wardswell there is also a native of VermontAs Written:Vt. H. Davis here, Colonel Cochran was brought down with us I saw him two or three times. there were 2 deserters from the Northern army among the guard that took us here the citizen As Written: citizan prisoners are not looked upon with as much favor as soldiers are and do not stand half the chance to get home for they will now send them off on parole but us they will not so we are bound to be held till the final settlement; Richmond will surely fall into McLellan's hand and probably may before this reaches you might just as well have been taken a month ago as not, but O delays!! I hope you hear good news from George often and that he will soon be discharged and go and take care of you as I can do nothing for you or even myself, they asked me a few days if I would take the oath to support the Southern Confederacy, I told them I did not know but it had taken an oath to support me as they had taken me on their hands, without my consent, Pray keep your courage up as well as you can- if I ever get out of Prison I think I have received what will be a benefit to me and may never regret the incarceration I have been brought in contact with men and learned things I should not have learned elsewhere, our company is greatly improved by the change of prisons, in the room where I was in RichmondAs Written:R- there was every grade of character from a few good pious men down the scale to thieves and several murderers and Idiots and insane and it was a common receptacle As Written: recepticle for good and bad– Union As Written: union and disunionists, one of the most humane and kindheartedAs Written:kind hearted men I found there was a man by the name of Pardue a South Carolina As Written: carolina Soldier who told me he was charged with Murder and yet he manifested more of genuine noble-heartedAs Written:noble hearted kindness As Written: kimdness to me than anyoneAs Written:any one else- he made me a present of a good pair of drawers before I left– but I also found good Christian men of kindness who were very solicitous for my health and comfort and kind friendly men not Christians As Written: christians in fact I found many noble spirits in prison several of whom As Written: whome will write you if they get released before I do there was about a half Dozen of us selected from over 100 of us in the room and brought with others from other rooms and another prison together with all the United States officers were brought here, and all from our room were As Written: wer not criminals decent men and all in our room where we are now appear to be decent men many if not all are gentlemanly As Written: gentlemenly in deportment all in for Union As Written: union sentiments or refused to enter the army our room is 29 feet long 28 wide has a family of 38 persons & 2 out in the hospital making 40 in all [*]Gap: words.Reason: document deterioration. or drinking water Those who are too poor (your correspondent among the rest) to buy Tea and Coffee and Sugar sing hymns converse and walk about the room and lie down on the floor and sleep. We were in a Tobacco factory before removal but are in what was a pic[*]Gap: letters.Reason: document deterioration. room to a large factory in which are confined U.S. Soldiers and some civilians there is a large yard around the building with beautiful lar[*]Gap: words.Reason: document deterioration. trees [*]Gap: words.Reason: document deterioration. holly [*]Gap: word.Reason: document deterioration. green where the Officers and Soldiers and some civilians are given free access during the day but we are not allowed the privilege at all But now I have eaten my dinner and feel much better in body and mind it is true it was but a small piece of a [*]Gap: word.Reason: document deterioration. and of bread no Tea no Coffee – but the air is clear and balmy and I am able to breathe As Written: breath as much as I please through the window my bed is by the window I believe all will end right yet so be of good cheer God is over all and doeth all things wellMark 7:37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. give yourself no uneasiness on my account all the letters I have sent before were sent open to be read by the officers but this may [*]Gap: words.Reason: document deterioration. if it does it will [*]Gap: words.Reason: document deterioration. to you as it is too As Written: to long for them to read remember me to Mr [*]Gap: word.Reason: document deterioration. his family and all enquiring friends, tell him that the returning Sabbaths bring him and his people vividly before me – we had a nice quiet one yesterday here the most so of any I have seen since I left home there was a crew of Confederates As Written: confederates that spent their Sabbaths mostly in playing cards and teeming went on outside about the same as other days the main difference visible was more visitors around the prison in the streets and the negro girls came around and jumped the rope and appeared dressed in their best and women occasionally waved a white handkerchief in token of sympathy with us or a man his hat– and as we came in here a lady among spectators by the way looked up to me and smiled & made a low bow to me– this shows that love for the Union As Written: union is not dead here also when the train came through Petersburg, VirginiaAs Written:Va. there were a number of Ladies on the Balcony of a fine house waved their handkerchiefs long and others did the same on the way but I must close, we have some strange opposers of Slavery here Virginians As Written: virginians by birth and the strangest Secessionist and Pro-slavery As Written: pro Slavery man here was born and raised in a free State

he gave me this half sheet of paper But I must not write more, there is a company now singing "do they miss me at home"— GoodbyeAs Written:Good By