f Mercy--God bless these
brave, noble women--who brought in delicacies for the sick, and tobacco
for those that used it, which they gave freely to those without means to
buy, or sold to those who were able to pay. They also traded Confederate
money for our greenbacks, giving us better rates than we could get
elsewhere. Then they would take the greenbacks to the reb prisoners on
Morris Island, for they had free access through both lines in prosecuting
their christian duty, and they were worthy of the confidence of both
governments, as they never acted the part of spy for either. Braving every
danger, and only intent on doing service for the Master, and relieving
suffering wherever they could find it. How many of our poor boys, who were
brought there from Andersonville, and were suffering from disease and
starvation, were soothed, nursed and comforted by those noble women. May
God reward them for all their self sacrifice, all their tedious
pilgrimages, from one camp to another, all their weary watching beside the
squalid pallets of the wretched suffering heroes, despite the hurtling
missiles of death, that were flying in every direction about the city;
nothing daunted or deterred them from making their regular daily visits,
though I know of one instance, (and it was probably only one of many,)
where a shell struck and burst only a few feet in front of the carriage
that was bringing them to our quarters.

They were frightened badly, and what woman would not be, but this did not
deter them from making their daily visits to the sick and suffering
soldiers of both armies, and doing all in their power to alleviate
distress, feeding the hungry, and watching by the bedside of the dying,
administering the consolation of Christian faith and hope to those who
were passing away, their only reward the consciousness of a duty well
performed. "Verily they shall have their reward."

On the 5th of October we were again on board a train, and this time our
destination was Columbia, the capital of South Carolina. We were placed in
box cars, with two guards at each door, some of the same men who had been
guarding us while in Charleston, and with whom we had been on terms of
intimacy, we having been allowed many privileges while on parole, and had
not been under as strict surveillance as heretofore, being permitted to go
in and out during the day, whenever we pleased, and had gained the
confidence of our guardians to such an extent, that they