Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 19.djvu/293

 A Plan to Escape. 287

war confined on this Island to make their escape from imprisonment, and to adopt any plan by which so desirable an object promises to be successful ; and whereas for the more effectual accomplishment of the proposed plan, we hereby agree to the following plan of organi- zation of the Confederate officers here confined :

1. The plan to be adopted shall embrace the whole or such part of the prisoners as it may be deemed necessary for harmony, efficiency and success.

2. The whole organization shall be under the command of Major- General Isaac R. Trimble, of Maryland, as commander-in-chief of all the forces thus organized.

3. Corps commanders shall be appointed to the command of the twelve blocks respectfully, viz. :

General J. J. Archer, Maryland, to the command of blocks one' three and five ; W. N. R. Beall, Arkansas, to the command ol blocks seven, nine and eleven ; Colonel R. S. Clarke, Eighth Ken- tucky Cavalry, to the command of blocks ten, twelve and thirteen. Colonel J. Miles, Thirty -ninth Mississippi, corps commander.

4. Each block shall be under the command of an officer, who shall organize companies or squads in each room or mess. Each company or squad to be under the command of a captain, who shall keep his men ready at any moment to carry out the orders and commands of their superiors in rank and position of their organization.

5. Block one shall be under the command of General J. R. Jones, Virginia ; two, of Colonel D. Howard Smith, Kentucky ; three, of Colonel B. D. Fry, Alabama ; four, of Colonel L. M. Lewis, Mis- souri ; five, of Colonel D. M. Shannon, Texas ; seven, of A. G. Godwin, North Carolina ; eight, of Captain L. W. Allen, Virginia ; ninth, of General J. W. Frayser, Tennessee ; ten, of Colonel R. M. Powell, Texas; eleven, of Colonel J. R. Herbert, Maryland; twelve, of Captain Johnson, Kentucky, and thirteen, General M. Jefferson Thompson, Missouri.

6. The commander-in-chief, the corps commanders, and of each block respectively, shall constitute a board of officers, who shall direct, arrange and superintend the formation of all plans and arrangements otherwise, concerning the escape of prisoners from this prison and of their return to the Confederate States, leaving all details of executing said plans to the direction of the commander-in- chief.