Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/406

398 and often "rocked" them while walking their posts—an act for which the prisoners were blamed, and for which they were fired into on more than one occassionoccasion [sic]. Shooting into the tents of prisoners became so common that the officers of the white regiments protested at last against their (the colored troops) being allowed in camp, and accordingly they were withdrawn at night, and white patrols substituted.

Desertions among the guard were of a frequent occurrence, and they often carried prisoners with them. One night, a sharp firing was heard on the bay shore, and next morning the bodies of severelseveral [sic] Confederates and Yankees were seen lying upon the beach. One boat load had made good their escape, but this was detected and fired into. The prison pen was so closely guarded that it was almost impossible to escape. In addition to the strong guard maintained around the pen, a block house, with a barricade, extended across the point about a mile from our quarters. Gunboats were constantly patrolling the bay and river. To go up the point was impossible, as the barricade was strongly guarded, and the Virginia shore was twelve miles from us, while the eastern shore of Maryland was twenty miles distant. Notwithstanding these disadvantages some few managed to get away.