under the same delivered over to our own forces. Part of us arrived at Huntsville May 28, but the majority of us May 30. We were kindly received and treated by our soldiers at Huntsville. May 31 we started toward Columbia, distant from Huntsville eighty miles. The train was loaded with cotton, and we had to march seventy-five miles in three days. We from close confinement and insufficient food were hardly fit for this march; yet though difficult it was accomplished and we arrived at Nashville June 3.

At Nashville from some unaccountable circumstances which appear very mysterious to us privates who have no means of seeing the workings of the hidden machinery [we were detained until] June 30, notwithstanding an order was posted up emanating from the War Department to the effect that all paroled prisoners were considered on leave of absence and were to report their post-office address to the Governors of the respective States to which they belonged. No countermanding order was made public to us, yet were told that in our case this order was revoked. But in the face of all this the Ohio troops were sent home on furlough.

On the 24th of June another change took place in the programma; furlough were made out dated June 3 and countersigned by the commanding officer at Nashville. These we have never received. Payrolls were made out and our descriptive lists taken that when the propitious moment should arrive all would be ready. June 30 an order came for our removal to Louisville, but on reaching that point we were put aboard a boat and reached Cairo July 2 and were quartered in dirty barracks little or no better than a hog pen, and if our senses of sight and smell did not deceive us these barracks had previously been occupied by this and some other animals, and it is doubtful if any of the lower apartments of the barracks had not been visited more than once recently by some of the brute creation and yet there were no means furnished us of cleansing them.

We were here informed by the commanding officer that he would treat us as brothers; that we would be paid off and discharged; that he would see to it that we should have every cent which rightfully belonged to us and the machinery which the Government had put between them and us should not deprive us of it, either; that we should get all the conveniences allowed us and even that ice should be furnished us. And then as at Nashville the inducements, threats, or both, to break our parole by standing guard were depicted to us in glowing colors. Yet 1,300 or 1,400 paroled prisoners well know that here (Cairo) as at Nashville we have never got full rations; that we had to carry three-fourths of all the water used from the Ohio River, distant three-quarters of a mile; that the citizens locked or nailed up their wells so we had to get water as we best could from the river and the so much longed for ice was a muth.

July 9 much to our astonishment the Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin troops were ordered to Saint Louis, while an extract from a newspaper gained credence amongst us that we were to report at Jefferson Barracks for such duty as might be assigned us. The officer in charge of us reported at that point and we were ordered to Benton Barracks. Since being taken prisoners no camp equipage or cooking utensils whatever have been furnished us either to cook or eat our victuals with, except a cup and plate apiece to the prisoners at Tuscaloosa, Ala., and one plate, one cup, one knife, one fork and one spoon to every seven prisoners at Macon, Ga. Since coming within our own lines nothing of this kind has been furnished us but a few pans and far