Ferguson lost his hat, which had been already twice stolen
and recovered. One of the rebs came up behind him and taking
the hat from his head replaced it with his own and ran off.
The lieutenant consoled himself with the reflection that at
last he had a hat no one would steal.

"'At about 7 P. M. we arrived at Libby Prison _and were
separated from the enlisted men, who, we afterward learned,
suffered untold hardships, to which many of them succumbed.
Some were claimed as slaves by men who had never known them;
others denied fuel and shelter through the winter, and
sometimes water with which to quench their thirst; the sick
and dying neglected or mal-treated and even murdered by
incompetent and fiendish surgeons; without rations for days
together; shot at without the slightest reason or only to
gratify the caprice of the guards,--all of which harrowing
details were fully corroborated by the few emaciated wrecks
that survived_.

"'We were marched inside the prison, searched, and what
money we had taken from us. I was allowed to retain
pocket-book, knife and watch. Our names were recorded and we
were told to follow the sergeant. Now, I thought, the
question will be decided whether we are to go up stairs
where we knew the officers were quartered, or be confined in
the cells below. As we neared the corner of the large room
and I saw the sergeant directing his steps to the stairs
leading down, I thought it had been better had we fallen on
the battle-field. He led the way down to a cell, and as we
passed in barred and locked the door and left us in
darkness. Here, without rations, the bare stone floor for a
bed, the dampness trickling down the walls on either side,
seven of us were confined in a close room about seven feet
by nine. It was a long night, but finally morning dawned and
as a ray of light shone through the little barred window
above our heads we thanked God we were not in total
darkness. About 9 A. M. rations, consisting of bread and
meat, were handed in, and being divided into seven parts,
were drawn for by lot. About noon we were taken from the
cell and put in with the other officers. Here we met Capt.
Cook, of the Ninth Regiment, who had been captured about a
month previous while reconnoitering the enemy's line.