these and take the artillery here right along with us. The
principal obstacle is here; make the beginning right; master these
prisons and these camps, and we are safe. Organize is the word;
_organize_. If any one shall betray us, or aid the rebels, or be
guilty of robbery or other outrage, I am in favor of a drumhead
court martial and a summary execution. Now, gentlemen, I am ready to
serve in any capacity, whether to lead or to follow.

Colonel Ralston of the 24th N. Y. "dismounted cavalry," as they were
called, spoke next. He was an energetic and dashing officer who fell
near me in an attempt to break out of Danville prison on the tenth of
the following December. He entered into the particulars of a plan of
action, showing how easy it would be, with the probable loss of but few
lives, to capture the three camps with the Salisbury arsenal and the
artillery. As his particular share in the work, he said he would
undertake with a small company to disarm the twenty or thirty sentinels
inside the enclosure, and instantly thereupon to capture the
headquarters of Major Gee.

Other officers gave valuable suggestions. Being called upon for my
opinion, I spoke of the duty we owed our enlisted men to extricate them
from their shocking condition, for they were beginning to die every
night on the bare ground, and would soon be perishing by scores. I urged
the effect the escape of some eight thousand prisoners would have upon
the nation, being equivalent to a great victory; and, better than
victory, it would add so many thousands of trained soldiers at once to
our armies in the field. I insisted that this success would be cheaply
bought, even if it cost, as it probably would, a hundred lives.

Of all our thirty field officers, only one opposed the scheme
(Lieut.-Col. G----). He was acknowledged to be brave,[5] but seemingly
lacking in enterprise. He said in substance, "I have carefully examined
the situation, and have come to the conclusion that it is utterly
useless to attempt to escape by force. It can't be done at present. We
should be slaughtered by the hundred. If you all vote to try it, I will
join you; but in my opinion it is perfect madness."

With but one dissenting voice it was resolved to go ahead. A committee
of five was immediately appointed to prepare and present a plan of
action. This committee were Colonel Ralston; Col. W. Ross Hartshorne,
190th Pa. (the famous "Bucktail Regiment," whose f