Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/136

 March 17th and 18th.—Captain Browne, Captain Hewlett, Lieutenant Arrington and I changed our quarters to Division 27, and are messing together. Twenty-seven is known as the "Kentucky division," as most of its inmates are from that State and belonged to Morgan's cavalry, having been captured during the famous Ohio raid, and for awhile confined in the Ohio State Penitentiary, their heads shaved, and dressed in felon's garb. A majority of them are of fine personal appearance, intelligent, social and well dressed. They receive money from relatives at home, and live well from the sutler's stores. Lieutenant William Hays, of Covington, Ky., better known as "Doctor" Hays, having been a practicing physician at home, is chief of the division. He has lost one eye, but is a handsome man, very polite, and universally popular. He acts as postmaster also. We luckily found bunks next to a window on the second tier, and quite near the stove, in the centre of the room. The light from the window is excellent for reading and writing purposes, and I shall not lose the opportunity. On the other side of the window are the bunks of Lieutenant Joe G. Shackelford and Lieutenant H. C. Merritt, of the Third Kentucky cavalry, with Lieutenant J. D. Parks and Lieutenant S. P. Allensworth, of Second Kentucky cavalry. Shackelford is just across from my bunk. He is a tall, well built, plain spoken, honest fellow. He has been in prison over twenty months, but remains unterrified and resolute in his allegiance to the Confederacy. I enjoy his strong, expressive language much. Browne, Arrington and Fannin play chess nearly all day. I play it very indifferently, and prefer reading. Colonel R. C. Morgan, a younger brother of General John H. Morgan, Captain C. C. Corbett, a Georgian in the Fourteenth Kentucky cavalry; Lieutenant M. H. Barlow (the wit of the room), and Lieutenant I. P. Wellington, both of the Eighth Kentucky cavalry, are among the inmates of 27. Colonel R. W. Carter, of the First Virginia cavalry, a large, military-looking man, and Captain R. T. Thom, of General Page's staff, are also inmates of the division. Captain David Waldhauer, of the Jeff. Davis legion from Savannah, and commander of the "Georgia Hussars," occupies a bunk near mine. He has lost his right arm. I find him to be a very agreeable gentleman. Lieutenant J. E. Way, of the same cavalry legion, is with Captain Waldhauer. He is a very amiable and modest officer.

March 19th.—To my surprise I received a letter from Abe Goodgame, a mulatto slave belonging to Colonel Goodgame of my