but a little
while, and frequent cuttings had made the shoes very low.

"'Toward the last of January, Capt. Cook received
intelligence that a special exchange had been effected in
his case and he was to start at once for the North. Here was
an opportunity to communicate with our comrades and friends,
for up to this time we did not know whether any of our
letters had been received. Capt. Cook had a pair of good
stout brogans. These shoes he urged me to take in exchange
for my dilapidated ones. At first, I felt reluctant to do
so, but finally made the exchange and he left us with a
light heart, but his anticipations were not realized, for
instead of going directly North he was detained in Libby
Prison until just before the rest of us arrived, and when we
reached Annapolis he was still there awaiting his leave, and
had been obliged to wear my old shoes until two days
previous.

"'Rumors of a general exchange began to circulate, and a few
boxes of provisions and clothing, sent by Northern friends,
were delivered. Among the rest, was a well-filled box from
the officers of our regiment, and twelve hundred dollars
Confederate money (being the equivalent of sixty dollars
greenbacks) which they had kindly contributed. Could we have
received the box and money in November, instead of just
before our release, we could have subsisted quite
comfortably all winter. As it was, we lived sumptuously as
long as the contents of the box lasted, and when about a
week later we started for Richmond to be paroled, we had
drawn considerably upon the twelve hundred dollars.

"'February 17th, we left Danville for Richmond and were
again quartered in Libby. On the 19th, we signed the parole
papers.

"'The second morning after signing the rolls, one of the
clerks came in and said that for want of transportation,
only a hundred would be sent down the river that day, and
the rest would follow soon; that those whose names were
called would fall in on the lower floor, ready to start. As
he proceeded to call the roll there was a death-like
stillness, and each listened anxiously to hear his own name.
Of our mess only one name was called. As he stopped reading
and folded his rolls and turned to leave, I thought, what if
our army should commence ac