escape and get to the Union Army; and four of us boys of the same company had entered into a secret covenant, as soon as we were sure that the Union forces were near enough we would go to them and leave Mr. Secesh. Our names are as follows: J. S. Lamb, Calvin Garrett, William Martin, and myself, Josel B. Crawford. We were taken before we knew they were so near. I send this to you and I wish you as my friend to do the best you can for me. I am willing to take any oath that the War Department may require.

I am, respectfully, yours,

JOEL B. CRAWFORD.

I know most of the above statements to be true, as Crawford is a neighbor of mine.

J. S. LAMB.

FROM PRISON Numbers 3, MESS Numbers 1,

Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio, July 3, 1862.

Honorable HORACE MAYNARD, Washington, D. C.:

We, the undersigned, wish to give you as full account of the cause as possible of our being prisoners in Camp Chase, as we were Union men, as J. S. Lamb has already referred to us as his "Union fellow-sufferers in East Tennessee," by the secesh military depostism that reigned for some time in our country. We know you and our fathers were your warm supporters as well as Union lovers, and so would we have done the same, but William Martin was too young to vote, I did myself, Calvin Garrett. I know you are acquainted with our fathers, Reuben Garrett and Jonathan Martin, that live (Garrett) on the top of Copper Ridge and Martin at the foot of the same, Union County, Tenn., on the road leading from Knoxville to Maynardville, Tenn. We were with Joseph S. Lamb when he started to cross Cumberland Mountains to join the U. S. Army, but as J. S. Lambhas already informed you we were stopped by the secesh army and defeated, but we made the second attempt and again found we could not go through. We got home and were about to be taken. We scouted in the ridges for some time. We were informed that if we would give orselves up and agree to go into the service we would not be hurt. As we saw no other prospect, by their giving us our choice of company and some time to choose, we agreed to it and put off the time as long as we could and finding no possible way to get out of it we concluded to go into a company of sappers and miners, as we were informed that that company was to work and not to fight. We had concluded to enter that company, and if any possible chance offered, if the Federal Army got close to us, we would desert and go to the Union Army. Four of us boys had entered into that covenant secretly ourselves. The names are Calvin Garrett, William Martin, Joseph S. Lamb and Joel B. Crawford. We would not wish you to publish this to the world kill us secretly. The prisoners, some of them that are here, have threatened, particularly if an exchange takes place, that J. S. Lamb and Martin are to go up, Martin for conducting the Union boys to camp where Lamb was waiting on the sick when I (Garrett) was taken, and for telling them that there were two horses and some Union boys who would be glad to go with them, or going and getting the powder and giving it to them in order as he said to defeat the secesh pursuit; and none of us four ever wish, as you and the War Department may judge, to be exchanged.