cussions historical, literary, political, or religious; many of us
quite regular physical exercises in brisk walks on the empty lowest
floor; story-telling; at times, though not often, the reading aloud of a
Confederate newspaper, to a group of fifty or more listeners; at
evening, sweet singing, riddles, jests, or loud-voiced sarcastic
conundrums and satirical responses. Many found interest and pleasure in
carving with the utmost nicety wood or bone.[12]

Something like military discipline prevailed among the two hundred in
the upper room where the superior rank of General Hayes was often
recognized. Among a hundred and fifty or more in the lower room, where
for a month or two I was the senior but was unwilling to assume
precedence, I secured with the aid of Major Byron, Captain Howe, and a
few others a sort of civil government with semi-military features.

These measures and the favoring circumstances that have been mentioned
tended of course to the preservation of health among the officers. There
was severe suffering from hunger, cold, rheumatism, and scurvy, from all
of which I was for weeks a victim and at one time seemed doomed to
perish. I recall, however, the names of but two officers (there were
said to be four) who died at Danville. Some of us, though enfeebled,
were soon able to rejoin our commands; as Putnam his at Newbern in
April, Gardner and I ours at Morehead City the day after Lee's surrender
at Appomattox.

Of the effect in after-life of these strange experiences it is safe to
say that to some extent they were a spur to intellectual effort. At
least they should have made all sadder and wiser; and they certainly
were in some cases an equipment for descriptive authorship. Major (Adner
A.) Small wrote a valuable account of prison life. Dr. Burrage's
narratives of his capture and its results are entertaining and
instructive. Major Putnam's _A Prisoner of War in Virginia_ (reprinted
in his _Memories of My Youth_) is an important contribution to our
military history.[13] Lieutenant Estabrooks's _Adrift in Dixie_ is
charmingly told.[14] "Dutch Clark" (Adjutant James A. Clark, 17th Pa.
Cav.), one of the four who nightly tried to sleep under my blanket,
started and edited with ability at Scranton _The Public Code_, for which
I was glad to furnish literary material. He afterwards became prominent
in theosophic circles. Others distinguished themselves. Captain (Frank
H.) Mason, in prison our best chess player, w