Nobody seem'd to wish anything
special to eat or drink. The main thing ask'd for was postage stamps,
and paper for writing. I distributed all the stamps I had. Tobacco was
wanted by some.
One call'd me over to him and ask'd me in a low tone what denomination
I belong'd to. He said he was a Catholic--wish'd to find some one of
the same faith--wanted some good reading. I gave him something to
read, and sat down by him a few minutes. Moved around with a word for
each. They were hardly any of them personally attractive cases, and no
visitors come here. Of course they were all destitute of money. I gave
small sums to two or three, apparently the most needy. The men are
from quite all the Southern States, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana,
&c.
Wrote several letters. One for a young fellow named Thomas J. Byrd,
with a bad wound and diarrhoea. Was from Russell county, Alabama; been
out four years. Wrote to his mother; had neither heard from her nor
written to her in nine months. Was taken prisoner last Christmas, in
Tennessee; sent to Nashville, then to Camp Chase, Ohio, and kept there
a long time; all the while not money enough to get paper and postage
stamps. Was paroled, but on his way home the wound took gangrene;
had diarrhoea also; had evidently been very low. Demeanor cool, and
patient. A dark-skinn'd, quaint young fellow, with strong Southern
idiom; no education.
Another letter for John W. Morgan, aged 18, from Shellot, Brunswick
county, North Carolina; been out nine months; gunshot wound in right
leg, above knee; also diarrhoea; wound getting along well; quite a
gentle, affectionate boy; wish'd me to put in the letter for his
mother to kiss his little brother and sister for him.
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