nches, for it will disgrace us all over the world."

This logic produced a good effect, and the order was given to send us
back to our room, which, with its warm fire, never seemed more
pleasant. It was well they did not keep us out during the night, for
we had determined to scale the wall, if we lost half of our number in
the attempt.

The effects of that terrible day of freezing were soon visible. On
entering the room, the grateful warmth produced a stupor from which
most of us awoke, sick. Some died. I, myself, contracted a disease of
the lungs, which rendered me an invalid for months after regaining my
freedom.

One day we were ordered into line, and the names of all our railroad
party, with a few of the others, called over. One, whose name was
omitted, asked the reason of the omission. The officer answered:

"We can't tell, for this list came from Yankee land."

The mention of "Yankee land" started conjectures afloat thick and
fast. Why should a list be sent from the North? Could it be for the
purpose of exchange? The whole prison was in a ferment.

They soon discovered that a general exchange of political prisoners
was in contemplation. This added fuel to the flames. But as the
truce-boats went off one after another, and week after week passed by,
leaving us still in our dark and wearisome prison, hope again died
away. Every person who ventured to speak of exchange was laughed into
silence.

One day an officer came into the room, and ordered a sergeant to take
the name of every man who claimed United States protection, in order
to obtain clothes for him. Soon the clothing came. It did not
comprise a complete suit, but was extremely welcome. Never did I see a
peacock strut with more ostentation than did some of the prisoners on
donning the uniform. And it was worthy of pride. It was a token that
we were not forsaken, but that a great nation was extending its
protection over us. The ragged guards around, clad in their miserable
butternut suits, growled many uncomplimentary allusions to the
penuriousness of their own government, in contrast with the
munificence of ours.

There were only about one hundred _parts_ of suits distributed, though
the papers, the next day, stated the number at _five_ hundred! and
this I afterward found was actually the number sent from Washington.
The entire four hundred, and part of the last hundred, was kept by the
officers as a compensation for their trouble in distributing the