y free from all signs of the trouble.

Among the many schemes devised for escape from our prison were
innumerable tunnel devices, and many of these were planned and worked
upon, but nearly all the various workings were discovered in one way or
another, and but one was a success, although many men escaped at
different times in other ways.

The stockade was full of rumors about probable parole, and these
stories, evidently prompted and encouraged by our captors to prevent
attempts to escape, kept many of us from risking recapture, and
possible death, by uncertain attempts to regain our freedom.

The Fourth of July was soon near at hand, and we asked permission to
celebrate the day within the stockade. The consent being given, a number
of us went out under guard and cut poles and brush, with which we built
a large bower in our public square, as well as a grand stand. When
finished we had shelter for over 500, and an enthusiastic crowd gathered
about the stand on the Fourth. Colonel Leek had prepared an oration, and
Colonel Dugan had written an original poem for the occasion. We
applauded both oration and poem; when several speeches were made by
those among us who were gifted and inclined that way. Long before we had
finished one of the men on the outside of the crowd got so excited that
he took off his red shirt and raised it on a pole, amid the cheers,
hoots and yells of those about him. Our captors promptly marched a squad
of soldiers into the stockade and broke up our gathering, giving as a
reason that we had flown the American flag. This was not so. We had
several flags among us, but were very careful to keep them out of sight.

While we had several flags, we knew that any display on our part of the
stars and stripes would cause appropriation, and we possessed our souls
with the knowledge that Old Glory was in no danger while kept in hiding.

CHAPTER VI.

INCIDENTS.

It was the custom of our captors to bring in guards and count us daily.
Our town was divided into wards, and the men of each ward fell in at a
certain place to be counted, several guards being assigned to each ward
to do the counting, which was done by roll-call. We worked this
roll-call in various ways to facilitate exchanges, having some man
impersonate another who was dead and whose chances of exchange had been
good, and covering up escapes by answering to names of those not
present. I personally know of one case where a resemblance cau