746 NortH Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

A company composed of the students of Trinity College,
styling themselves the “Trinity Guards,” and commanded
by Rev. Dr. B. Craven, their president, arrived and went into
quarters at the garrison, with the duty of acting as guard to
the prison. The first lot of prisoners, numbering one hun-
dred and twenty, was brought in by the train on 9 December,
1861. Their arrival caused considerable excitement in town,
very few of the citizens having seen a “live Yankee soldier”
up to that time. Their imprisonment was probably attended
by as few discomforts and privations as regular prisoners of
war were ever required to bear. They were quartered in the
large brick building (which was 100 by 40 feet, with three
stories above the basement). Some of them were allowed
the parole of the town. They strolled carelessly and cheer-
fully through the grounds, laughed and chatted in their warm
quarters, tattooed their arms with the “Stars and Stripes,”
whittled on fancy toys and Yankee notions, ete. When the
commandant went in amongst them his language, his tone,
the attention and respect, the quiet discipline and genial
humor reminded one rather more of a pleasant scene in a
college chapel than of rigid confinement in a prison.

On 26 December, another train of cars came in, with the
guards upon the platforms, bringing one hundred and sey-
enty-six more prisoners.

Dr. Craven and his boys remained but a few weeks, and
Colonel George C. Gibbs was assigned to the command of the
prison. The guard was composed of several companies
raised for the purpose. A number of the citizens of Salis-
bury joined the guard.

On 7 February there was another arrival of eighty prison-
ers. These different installments came from various points—
some being captured in Virginia, some on the coast of North
Carolina and some by the Army of the West in Kentucky.
By the middle of March, 1862, their number aggregated
nearly 1,500. In December previous, Dr. J. W. Hall, of
Salisbury, was appointed Surgeon of the post. His report
for the month of March, 1862, is the best commentary on the
treatment of the prisoners, the fidelity of the officers, the
eare and attention of the Surgeons and the management of

SALISBURY PRISON. 747

the hospitals. That report states that there were 1,427 pris-
oners, of which 251 had been under treatment, and only one
had died. Compared with the daily reports of many of our
regiments in the field, this showed that the suffering and loss
among the latter was at least twenty times greater. The
quarterly report, which was dated about 21 April, embrac-
ing from 26 December to that date, stated that of the guard
there had been 509 cases of sickness, and but three deaths—
of the prisoners 408 cases, and only three deaths. Propor-
tionately, there had been more sickness among the guard.
Let it be remembered that this was the treatment the Confed-
erate Government gave its prisoners while its resources were
yet abundant, and it possessed the power to be humane in
practice as it was in principle.

During this year even the ladies visited the grounds inside
the stockade. Dress parade by the troops of the garrison was
held near the southwest corner and witnessed by many of the
prisoners. I remember attending the parade one pleasant
summer evening in company with a number of ladies. When
it was finished the officers among the prisoners came out and
presented truly a beautiful scene in their recreation. A
number of the younger and less dignified ran like schoolboys
te the play ground, and were soon joining in high glee in a
game of ball. Others, arm in arm, promenaded and con-
versed, while several sat down side by side with the prison of-
ficials and witnessed the sport and indulged in free and gen-
tlemanly intercourse. I remarked particularly the tall form
of Colonel Corcoran (captured at Manassas) who, as he
walked with measured step and sad countenance, told plainly
how deeply his pride was wounded—how severely his spirit
was chafed.

A PRISONER'S PROPHECY.

I remember a conversation with Major Vogdes, in which
he prophecied the exhaustion of the supplies of the Confed-
eracy, and marked with his cane upon the ground how the
State might, and probably would be, invaded on the lines of
the railroads, and all opposition overcome. The position of
Sherman’s army at the finale of the struggle was similar to
the diagram which he drew.