profane, or ungentlemanly language in this room.

10. No conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman about these
premises.

11. No talking aloud at night after nine o'clock.

12. An officer of the day shall be appointed daily by the senior
officer, whose duty shall be to see that these rules are
strictly enforced, and to report to the senior officer any
violation thereof.

13. In case of any alleged violation of any of these rules, the
senior officer of the room shall appoint a Court[7] to consist
of thirteen disinterested officers, who shall fairly try and
determine the matter, and in case of conviction the offender's
rations shall be stopped, or the commander of the prison be
requested to confine the offender in a cell according to the
sentence of the Court; and it shall be the duty of every officer
to have such offender court-martialed after rejoining his
command.

For the Committee. H. B. Sprague, Oct, 26, 1864.

The prison commandant promised that he would execute any sentence short
of capital punishment. But one case was tried by such court. The offense
was a gross violation of rule 9. The culprit was let off with a sharp
reprimand by General Hayes; but my first act after the exchange of
prisoners was to prefer charges and specifications against him. The
beast was court-martialed at Annapolis in the latter part of July, '65.

The observance of these rules wrought wonders in correcting evils which
had become almost unendurable, and in promoting cheerfulness, good
behavior, and mutual esteem.

Many letters were written to us. Few of them reached their destination.
The first I received was from Miss Martha Russell, a lady of fine
literary ability, a friend of Edgar A. Poe, living at North Branford,
Conn. In raising my company (Co. H., 13th Conn.), I had enlisted her
brother Alfred. Under strict military discipline he had become a
valuable soldier, and I had appointed him my first sergeant. At the
battle of Irish Bend, La., in which I was myself wounded, he was shot
through the neck. The wound seemed mortal, but I secured special care
for him, and his life was spared as by miracle. His sister's letter
brought a ray of sunshine to several of us. It assured us that we were
tenderly cared for at home. She quoted to cheer us the fine lines of the
Cavalier poet Lovelace,

Stone walls do no