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you have herd that there has been a general exchange of prisonors. I wrote you that a flag of truce came in a few days ago. it must have been on the exchange, as day before yesterday two large trains loaded with poor yawning and gastly looking set of beings that were once the pride of our Country stoped near our camp and commenced unloading those beings that were once the likeness of God. many could not even crawl. some were nearly naked nearly all looked like the off scourings of earth. rags swung to and fro, for lucky was he that had rags. they were taken in the timber. some looked quite well many required the aid of a support while the stretcher was used much. Do you know how a strecher is made I will tell you. two tough sticks / 8 feet long and the size of a handspike is laid on the ground and a piece of cloath 3 feet wide and 7 long is tacked on those sticks there is a leg at each corner which is fastened with a bolt so that the leg can be folded with the strecher. this is one [picture] Many of the boys went to the cars with crackers. I took about 8 lbs. many were the Sergent give me a cracker and me. some would take one and try to eat it while his mouth was parched with a scorching fever rather poor diet for a sick man and far from a loving wife or mother to give a cheering word and use a little pure clean water with soap to take the thick crust of dirt of their bodys, while the vermine infested the mass of hair about the head. Well may the coward vote a tax on the soldiers that ar suffering such torturs to save their own precious hide. The prisonors lay on the ground all night. there was a detale made from our Reg^t to go among them and keep up fires all night. I sent a good shirt for one of them. They were cared for as well as they could be, yet 14 died during the night / yet they were better cared for than they were in the hands of the rebels. There was much rejoiceing among them to be among the blue coats again. A nomber of the 112^th were among them Mr G. C. Alden is one he looks very well only his face is a considerably bloated. Van Goble and John Adair were brought down Cape Fear River from a differant portion of the country. these two trains came from Florrance S.C. Nelson and Salem died at Sumpter near Charleston last July. I have not herd from Milton, Alonzo, Woodruff, Mathews or James Bice they may be in another Department. Bronning, Jo Stilwell, David King, John Buckly and Marvin Stewart ar not with the Company. I think that / Charles Dow intends to open a shop of some kind in Wilmington. The Negroes daily coming in our lines and occasionly a few Johnies. by the way 8 rebel guard and one enginearer (from those two trains that brought the prisonors in) deserted the trains that same evening. There is fresh fish brought in camp evry day. I have had two messes and today while the 112^th were throwing up breastworks near a house that is in our camp they struck a bbl and drag it out opened it and found it full of real good salted fish which amounted to just one large fish to two men. I have a share and much obliged to the fisherman what ever our hands findeth to do we do as all is giving to the South their rights which is /

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