ate the thousand or fifteen hundred Union
prisoners in the three other Danville prisons, and push off to our lines
in East Tennessee. He had Sheridan's _elan_, not Grant's cool-headed
strategy. With proper preparation and organization, such as Hayes would
have insisted upon, it might have been a success. He called us, field
officers about twenty, together and laid the matter before us. No vote
was taken, but I think a majority were opposed to the whole scheme. He
was disposed to consider himself, though a prisoner, as still vested
with authority to command all of lower rank, and he expected them to
obey him without question. In this view many acquiesced, but others
dissented. By his request, though doubtful of his right to command and
in feeble health, I drew up a pledge for those to sign who were willing
to engage in the projected rising and would promise to obey. It was
found that at least one hundred and fifty could be counted on. Colonel
Ralston, previously mentioned, was the chief opponent of the outbreak,
but he recognized Duffie's authority and insisted upon our submission
to it. Similar appeared to be the attitude of the following colonels:

Gilbert H. Prey, 104th N. Y.

James Carle, 191st Pa.

T. B. Kaufman, 209th Pa.

W. Ross Hartshorne, 190th Pa.

Of the lieutenant-colonels, most of the following doubted the success,
but would do their best to promote it, if commanded:

Charles H. Tay, 10th N. J.

Theodore Gregg, 45th Pa.

G. A. Moffett, 94th N. Y.

J. S. Warner, 121st Pa.

George Hamett, 147th N. Y.

Charles H. Hooper, 24th Mass.

Homer B. Sprague, 13th Conn.

So the following majors: A. W. Wakefield, 49th Pa.; G. S. Horton, 58th
Mass.; E. F. Cooke, 2d N. Y. Cav.; John G. Wright, 51st N. Y.; J. V.
Peale, 4th Pa. Cav.; John W. Byron, 88th N. Y.; David Sadler, 2d Pa.
Heavy Art.; John Byrne, 155th N. Y.; E. O. Shepard, 32d Mass.; J. A.
Sonders, 8th Ohio Cav.; Charles P. Mattocks, 17th Maine; E. S. Moore,
Paymaster; Wm. H. Fry, 16th Pa. Cav.; Milton Wendler, 191st Pa.; James
E. Deakins, 8th Tenn. Cav.; Geo. Haven Putnam, Adjt. and later
Bvt.-Major, 176th N. Y.

All of the foregoing then present and not on the sick list should have
been most thoroughly instructed as to their duties, and should have been
enabled to communicate all needed information to the forty-six captains
and one hundred and thirty-three lieutenants, who, though many were
sadly reduced in vitality, were accounted fit for acti