FromColumbusweweresentbyrailtoMacon,wherewewereplacedinaprisonsomewhatsimilartoAndersonville,butofnothinglikeitspretensionstosecurity。Isoonlearnedthatitwasonlyusedasakindofreceptionplacefortheprisonerswhowerecapturedinsmallsquads,andwhentheynumberedtwoorthreehundred,theywouldbeshippedtoAndersonville,orsomeotherplaceofgreaterdimensionsandstrength。
Whatbecameoftheotherboyswhowerewithme,afterwegottoMacon,Idonotknow,forIlostsightofthemthere。Theverynextdayafterourarrival,therewereshippedtoAndersonvillefromthisprisonbetweentwoandthreehundredmen。Iwascalledontogowiththecrowd,buthavinghadasufficientexperienceofthehospitalityofthathotel,Iconcludedtoplay\"oldsoldier,\"soIbecametoosicktotravel。
InthiswayIescapedbeingsentofffourdifferenttimes。
Meanwhile,quitealargenumberofcommissionedofficershadbeensentupfromCharlestontobeexchangedatRoughandReady。Withthemwereaboutfortymorethanthecartelcalledfor,andtheywereleftatMaconfortendaysortwoweeks。Amongtheseofficerswereseveralofmyacquaintance,onebeingLieut。Huntlyofourregiment（IamnotquitesurethatIamrightinthenameofthisofficer,butIthinkIam）,throughwhoseinfluenceIwasallowedtogooutsidewiththemonparole。
ItwaswhileenjoyingthisparolethatIgotmorefamiliarlyacquaintedwithCaptainHurtell,orHurtrell,whowasincommandoftheprisonatMacon,andtohishonor,Ihereassert,thathewastheonlygentlemanandtheonlyofficerthathadtheleasthumanefeelinginhisbreast,whoeverhadchargeofmewhileaprisonerofwarafterweweretakenoutofthehandsofouroriginalcaptorsatJonesville,Va。