ften practised by the unscrupulous
secessionists in these exchanges. I will give a case that occurred at
this time.

A rebel soldier was wounded in the head at the first battle of
Manassas. It affected his brain, and disordered his intellect, so that
even after he had recovered physically, he was mentally unable to
perform the duties of a soldier. He was confined a short time in
Castle Thunder, and then sent to Camp Lee, to try him again. But he
was no better than before, and they gave up the attempt in despair.
Then they exchanged him to us, and got a _sound man_ in his place!

When the boat rounded out from the shore on its homeward way, our joy
knew no bounds. It seemed as if we had awakened from a hideous
nightmare dream to find that all its shapes of horror and grinning
fiends had passed away, and left us standing in the free sunlight once
more. Our hearts beat glad music to the thresh of the wheels on the
water, knowing that each ponderous stroke was placing a greater
distance between us and our hated enemies.

Then, too, the happy welcome with which we were greeted; and the good
cheer, so different from our miserable prison fare, and the kind
faces, smiling all around, showed in living colors that we were
freemen again.

Down the river we went, passing the historic ground of the James, as
in a delirious dream of rapture! We were scarcely conscious of passing
events. No emotion on earth has the same sweep and intensity as the
wild, throbbing sensations that rush thick and fast through the bosom
of the liberated captive!

On we went--reached the gunboats that ply up and down the river, like
giant sentinels, guarding the avenue to rebellion--reached the river's
mouth, passed onward up the bay to Washington! As we came in sight, we
thronged tumultuously to the vessel's side, and bent eager, loving
eyes on the snowy marble front, and white towering steeple of our
nation's Capitol.

On our arrival, we were requested by the Secretary of War to give our
depositions before Hon. Joseph Holt, Judge Advocate General, that the
world at large might know on the surest foundation the truth of our
narrative. We were received by the Judge himself, and Major-General
Hitchcock, who was present, with the most marked cordiality. This
interview was merely a friendly one, and was passed in familiar
conversation.

On our second visit, we found a justice of the peace in waiting to
administer the necessary oath, and also a phonog