Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/53

 Prison Reminisces scs. 4.~>

hands of a number of my friends at home then within the'- lines of the enemy, full of substantial and delicious things. The mail of the same day carried to Lt. Col. Scovill the following note:

PORTSMOUTH, VA., January i$th, 1865. Lt. Col. Scovill:

Colonel : To-day by express I send a box of provisiont for my friend, Adjutant J. F. Crocker. If there should be any djffi- culty in regard to his having the articles sent, will you do me the favor to use your influence with the surgeon in obtaining his permission for their delivery? If you will, I shall take it as a new kindness added to that one granted by you in the past, and shall not feel less grateful for this, than I did, and do still feel for that.

Yours respectfully,

This note was sent into me with the following endorsement :

'"/any. 17 th, 1865.

Adjt. : Make an application to Surgeon Woodbridge and enclose it to me.

Yours, &c.,

A. E. SCOVILL, Lt. Col. & Supi."

Application was made, and that box was sent in immediately to me. Yes, it was a new and added favor from this warm, generous-hearted officer and man; and I have ever since borne in my heart and memory a kind and grateful feeling towards him. My messmates and I had a royal feast.

I cannot omit to notice the religious feeling that prevailed in the prison, and I cannot better do so than to copy here a letter written by me at the time.

JOHNSON'S ISLAND, Sunday, July loth, '64.

This is the holy Sabbath, my dear friend. Can I better in- terest you than by giving you a religious view of our prison? There are many things in prison life, if properly improved, that conduce to religious sentiments. A prisoner's unfortunate