Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-06-12
-------~zs '+-~<A1 s-'- Letter from Capt. Galloway.
JoHNsos's ISLAND, NEAR SANDUsKY, OHIo,l
 May llth, 1862


 ters to you, and knowing the great uncertainty at
 tending their safe arrival, will write you again. It is rep rted here in prison that the I'd Kentucky regiment will soon be exchanged for an Iowa re- giment, captured at Corinth if such be the case, l will send this by some member of that regiment, and the probability is, you will receive it. will here state to you, in very brief manner, what has transpred since was taken prisoner.
 On the 9th day of last March the battle of V" Pea Ridge" as the federas call it, or Elk Horn,' which believe is the given by the Contede- 1 rates) commenced, and it was on the Sth, while 1 following on in the of my regiment while withdrawing from the field, tbat was cut off and taken prisoner by portion of the enemys cavalry. The particulars of that battle you have long since seen. Suffice it to say, the feds claim it as vie tory, but it was a dearly bought one. Had not the brave Gen. McCuiloch, and the daring and gallant l Mcintosh have fallen, the whole of Curtis com 1 mand would either have been killed, wounded or taken prisoners. It does really seem that the tates were against us that day. but if it the will of an alwise and overrulng Providence that such should be the case, then l submit bow with rever- ence. < His will net ours, be done."
 remained two days in the federal camps, after 1 the fight, was then sent to Springfield, Mo, in company with Col. Mitchell, l4th Arkansas regi- 1 ment, and Capt J. L. Hoowell, of McRae's re- 1 giment, and Lieut.. Washburn of Sd Louisiana, and some twenty three or four other commissioned ] officers of our army, and about three hundred or three hundred and fifty private, including citizens, ! the sick and wounded who were able to travel, and 1 hoe ifal fp hp 1 sick and wounded,
 ! The day beforelwe left the federal camp, flag of truce came in from Gen. Van Dorn, taken our nlmes and informing that it was the wish of i both generals that a speedy exchange of prisoners l should be effected-of course were all in good l spirits at the idea of being exchanged soon, and that We would not go farther than Springfield, Mo-, before the exchange would be effected. lnthiS we were sadly disappointed.
 We made the journey from the battle field to Snrncfeld on foot-the weather being very cold and wet Our men were taken upon the held and l of course, had norhng but what they had on. At nabt. when camped, had not even blanket to put around their shiyeriIg bodies, or tent to protect them from the cold rains and sleets of March, and 1 had not more than half enough to eat, greater part of the time. Our captors issued us nothing but ] flour, and then nothing to cook 1t ia. Time and ], gain have stopped at night, nearly worn out, (would make up little four, wrap itaround stick and hold it to the fire, till little crust would form on it, eat it, and then drawing my overcoat closely 1 around me, would lay down on the cold wet ground before the fire, and sleep, try to sleep, till morn ing. Such were some of the hardships that We had to endure. have stood more than ever ex- pected could possibly stand ] have been, and am vet blessed with strong constitution, had not been, the hardships that have endured, would ! long since have ended my earthly career
 1 Arriving sr Springfield, 1 remained two days, when the prisoners were again sent forward to St. i Louis un ergoing the same hardshps and fatigues l that we did while on the way to Springfield. Ar irving at R0la, Mo-, took the cars for St. Louis i RolIa is the terminus of the railroad. about l30 i miles from St. Louis, and some l50 or l75 miles 1 from "P Pea Ridge.' When Ee got to Rolla the clrs were waiting for us--gct on and was soon on l our way e,r St. Louis-arriTed there the same day i that we left Roia, shoVt o'clock that night.- 1 Was then taken to McDowel's College and con l fined there under a strong guard. The nei' 'nolu ing my first view of St. Louis through iron 1 barred windows. The morning after arrival several ladies of St. Louis came to see us-took our names and hat we wanted i'll the clothing line, etc. and said the articles would be brought to us ! in a few days. God bless the ladies of-St. Louis, l say We have many true friends there. That same evening we were ordered to be ready by o'clock to go to Alton, H., thereby depriving us of receiving from the hands of kind ladies articles live stood so much in need of. One of the ladies ! who came up to see us, was Eva Bryant whom had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with 1 her whole heart and soul seemed to be set on the ! ultimate success of the southern l passed a few minutes very pleasantly conversing with her. Just she was leaving, she asked me for one of the Arkansas buttons, which my vest. Of course it give me the greatest pleasure to comply with her request-she wanted it for q necklace which she was having made, composed of one but ton from each of the Southern States that was glory enough for me for one day. now have the cinsolation of knowing that button once worn by me, and which bears upon it the coat of arms
 and mottoe of the State of Arkansas, the banner state in defence of southern rights and southern
 honor, now decks the necklace Of & fair maiden of
 
 my own Sunny South.
 Left St. Louis about o'clock o. m. for Alton
 H., too deck passage the steamboat City of
 Alton-arived at Alton about o'clock the same
 evening. Alton is on the Mississippi river, about
 D miles above St. Louis. It was nearly 0 o'clock
 before we left the boat--was marched to the Alton
 Penitentiary-the huge gate opened, we marched
 in. the gate closed and we prisoners of war,
 elcarcerated in conyiet's prison. Alter getting
 in the inside of the walls, before breaking ranks, f we're taken to the mess room, capable of accommo-
 dating all the prisoners, where upon the tables set
 tin cups filled with coffee. We were then put into il large room, where hunks was provided for sleep ing As we passed through the door federal off,
 car was standing by to select our bunks-there was D not much selecting to be done, for they were all alke--they had no blankets on any of them, noth- ' ing but the cold hard blanks to lay upon. Capt. HolloweIl had one blanket with him. He, Lieut.. , Washburn and myself occupied one bunk, laied , on the blanket and slept till morning For break fast we had coffee with no sugar, Ohio bakers
 bread, or what we call gun aradding, nd some cold
 boiled beef-the bread and meat put on tin
 plates just enough for one man to cat, and tin
 A,f. L.t