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 A Florida Boys Experience. 399

from Nashville. Whether or not their plans were well laid, it is im- possible to say. Treachery in the camp and the arrest of Castleman prevented their trial. His arrest was a pure accident. On the 29th of September, having to attend an organization at Evansville, In- diana, he left Marshal, accompanied by Lieutenant Munford, an offi- cer of a Tennessee regiment, and myself. At Sullivan, a little town on the Wabash, we saw a great many excited people. They eyed us suspiciously, and finally arrested us. We then learned that a band of scoundrels had for some months been stealing horses and com- mitting other depredations in that vicinity. The officers of the law were supposed to be in league with them. The citizens finally organ- ized a vigilance committee, and arrested every suspicious character. We happened along, and they arrested us. An examination of Cas- tleman's valise, which contained some of his correspondence, soon convinced them that we were more dangerous characters than horse thieves. Soldiers were telegraphed for, and that night found us quartered under a strong guard at Indianapolis. Before we left Sul- livan, and once afterwards, Castleman could easily have escaped, but not being able to get Munford and myself off with him, chose to stay and share our confinement. In the course of the next three weeks the authorities discovered who Castleman was, and ferreted out some of his projects. He and Munford were accordingly kept in close confinement, and I being merely an escaped prisoner and not of any importance, was placed with the common herd in Camp Morton.

The general plan of camp Morton was the same as that of Rock Is- land. It was not neair so neat however, nor were the accommodations as good. The barracks were very large, each bemg made to contain five hundred men, and were without floors. My recollection is that they had no doors, but I am not certain on that point. They were undoubtedly however, well ventilated, the cracks in the walls being plentiful and conveniently arranged to let in the winter blasts. There were twelve barracks; the prison being made to contain six thousand men. The rations were as scanty as at Rock Island, and the prison- ers were as emaciated, gaunt, and hungry as those I had left.

As soon as I had become accustomed to my new quarters, and had answered the many questions that my old comrades (for many of Morgan's men were there) propounded, I took a tour of observation for the purpose of discovering what vulnerable points, if any, there were. The prison did not seem to be so well guarded as Rock Island, and I soon came to a spot where it seemed to me I could dig