most reckless manner. This, of course, was very interesting
for us, who were obliged to lie in our tents, surrounded with armed men,
and take all the chances of a fight without being able to participate in
it. The melee finally ended by four of the guards who were crazy drunk,
being bucked and gagged to keep them quiet.

On the third day of May, twenty-nine officers were brought into camp, who
had been taken at Chattanooga. This gave us some news from our western
army, and for a day seemed to divert our minds. I see by a diary kept by
me in prison, that on that day I paid ten dollars for a coffee pot, and
three dollars for a cup, and on the 5th of May I bought one quart of
strawberries for three dollars, and four dozen eggs for ten dollars. This
was for our mess, which consisted of Captain R. B. Hock, 12th New York
Cavalry, Captain Cady, 24th New York Independent Battery, and myself. I
make this statement for fear some one who had kept track of my receipts
and expenses, would think I was buying too much with the money received
from the sale of that pair of shoes, and I will say here, although it may
seem paradoxical, that although I had when I arrived at Macon, only one
dollar in Greenbacks and a ten dollar North Carolina bill, still I spent
while in prison, over ten thousand dollars in Confederate money, and got
it all honestly too. And I wish to say here, that I had enough to eat
nearly all the time I was a prisoner. We were always pleased to welcome
new arrivals, for then we could get news from our armies that we could
rely upon, and were cheered to hear by every _fresh fish_ that came, that
our bully boy Grant was pushing Lee back on to Richmond, and that
Petersburgh was beseiged. New arrivals were almost daily coming in, and we
always crowded about them to hear the latest news from the front. It was
noticeable that every one gave us something that was cheerful. Never
while I was a prisoner did I hear any doubt expressed as to the ultimate
result, either by those Union prisoners or the new arrivals. Naturally of
a hopeful and cheerful disposition, and always looking upon the bright
side of every question, I (to use a slang phrase) soon "tumbled to the
situation," and tried to accommodate myself to the circumstances that
surrounded me.

I found that in prison, as at home, there were some who were fitted for
one thing and some for another. The same adaptability for different
pursuits were found there as are found in