Governor Vance, but a rebel officer re-arrested him; then sent on to
Richmond for exchange--but instead of being exchanged was sent down
(as a southern citizen, not a soldier,) to Salisbury, N. C., where he
remain'd until lately, when he escap'd among the exchang'd by assuming
the name of a dead soldier, and coming up via Wilmington with the
rest. Was about sixteen months in Salisbury.

Subsequent to October, '64, there were about 11,000 Union prisoners
in the stockade; about 100 of them southern unionists, 200 U. S.
deserters. During the past winter 1500 of the prisoners, to save their
lives, join'd the confederacy, on condition of being assign'd merely
to guard duty. Out of the 11,000 not more than 2500 came out; 500 of
these were pitiable, helpless wretches--the rest were in a condition
to travel. There were often 60 dead bodies to be buried in the
morning; the daily average would be about 40. The regular food was a
meal of corn, the cob and husk ground together, and sometimes once a
week a ration of sorghum molasses. A diminutive ration of meat might
possibly come once a month, not oftener. In the stockade, containing
the 11,000 men, there was a partial show of tents, not enough for
2000. A large proportion of the men lived in holes in the ground, in
the utmost wretchedness. Some froze to death, others had their hands
and feet frozen. The rebel guards would occasionally, and on the least
pretence, fire into the prison from mere demonism and wantonness. All
the horrors that can be named, starvation, lassitude, filth, vermin,
despair, swift loss of self-respect, idiocy, insanity, and frequent
murder, were there. Stansbury has a wife and child living in
Newbern--has written to them from here--is in the U. S. light-house
employ still--(had been home to Newbern to see his family, and on his
return to the ship was captured in his boat.) Has seen men brought
there to Salisbury as hearty as you ever see in your life--in a