ear. From that hour
I date the birth of an immortal hope, and I believe that many of my
companions also, on looking back, will realize that they passed from
death to life in that dreary prison-room!

CHAPTER XII.

Religious Experience--Contraband Assistance--Intelligence of Negroes--Love
of Freedom--Wollam's Recapture--A Friendly Preacher--Obtain
Books--Disgusting Diet--Plays--Debates--Reading Hours--Envy the
Birds--Dreams of Home--Telegraphing--Friends from our Army--Hope
Deferred--Union Society--Difficulties of Tobacco-chewers--Precious Books.

From this time forward, we had religious exercises each morning and
evening, and they were a blessed consolation to us--sustaining our
hearts when every earthly avenue of hope had closed. Frequently we
startled the guards who were around us, by the hymns we sang, for now
the character of our songs was changed, and our thoughts and
aspirations began to point upward. It is a delicate matter to speak of
one's own religious experience, but in the hope of doing good, I will
venture. At first my hopes were not bright. For days and weeks an
impenetrable cloud seemed to rest over me, and to vail heaven from my
view; sometimes for a moment it would give way, and show light and
peace beyond, then close up, thick, and dark, and lowering, as ever.
But at last the day gradually arose, and I was enabled to rejoice in
hopes the world can neither give nor take away.

But these were long and weary days. Our room was of greater size than
that in Chattanooga, and had larger windows, yet the heat was
fearfully oppressive. Our other boys were put in the room with us,
which made fifteen in all. One of them, named Wood, was very sick. He
had been prostrated with the fever for nearly a month, and at this
time his life was despaired of. This was not thought to be any great
misfortune to him by the others, who administered consolation in a
style worthy of the best of Job's friends. They reasoned, "Now, if you
get well, you will only be hung. You had better try to die yourself,
and thus you will outwit them." Wood, however, did not relish the
counsel, and getting contrary, he recovered, "just for spite," as he
often declared. He yet lives to laugh over the advice that his
despairing associates gave him.

We had friends in the waiters of the prison, though their faces were
black. They assisted us by every means in their power. It was not long
till they found that there was nothing we desired