Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/49

 Prison Reminiscenses. 41

have enabled the South, instead of the North, to determine the terms of reunion and reconstruction. Had it not been for the delinquency of some of our generals, Lee's Army would have won a complete and decisive victory on the first and second days of that battle, as I have explained in my address on "Gettysburg Pickett's Charge."

We arrived at Johnson's Island about the I9th of Septem- ber, 1863. The following officers of my regiment, the Qth Va. infantry, had already reached there: Maj. Wm. James Richard- son, Captains Henry A. Allen, Jules O. B. Crocker, and Harry Gwynn ; Lieutenants John H. Lewis, John Vermillion, Samuel W. Weaver, John M. Hack, Henry C. Britton, iVI.-L. Clay, Ed- ward Varnier and Henry Wilkinson. I was assigned to a bunk in Block 12. This building consisted of ferge rooms with tiers of bunks on the sides. Subsequently I with four others occu- pied room 5, Block 2. My room-mates and messmates were, Captains John S. Reid, of Eatonton, Ga., and R. H. Isbell, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Lieutenants James W. Lapsley, of Selma, Ala., and John Taylor, of Columbia, S. C.

The first incident of personal interest to me after my ar- rival in this prison occurred thus : I met on the campus Colonel E. A. Scovill, the Superintendent of the prison. I said to him: "Colonel, you have an order here that no one is allowed to write at one time more than on one side of a half sheet of letter paper. 1 have a dear, fair friend at my home in Portsmouth, Va., and I find it impossible for me to express one tithe of what I wish to say within the limits prescribed." He replied: ''Write as much as you wish, hand me your letters to your friend, and tell her to answer to my care." That kind act of Col. Scovill made him my personal friend, and he afterwards did me other important kindnesses. I believe that the surest way to become a friend to another, is to do that other person a kindness. A kindness done has more effect upon the donor, than upon the recipient, in creat- ing mutual interest. This gracious favor of Col. Scovill was highly appreciated, and it added happiness to me and to my dear friend.

I brought my battle-wound with me, unhealed, to Johnson's Island. I had not been there long before gangrene appeared in