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While in prison, James had contact with various Confederate Officers, some of
whom are listed here:
To meet James' prison mates from other areas, click one of the
categories below:

Captain George W. Alexander
Biographical Sketch
George Washington Alexander was born in 1831 in
Francisville, PA, now a suburb of Philadelphia. He enlisted in the
U.S. Navy in
1848 as a Third Assistant Engineer and was promoted several times.
During that time he married Susanna Ashby of Portsmouth, NH. He resigned from the
U.S. Navy in June 1861 and immediately joined the Confederate Navy. He was
apprehended in July 1861 and confined to the prison at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore,
MD. With the aid of his wife, he escaped
on September 7, 1861, sustaining a badly sprained ankle in his leap from
the fort's parapets. He finally returned to Richmond, VA in early October 1861.
Captain Alexander was appointed Commandant of Castle
Thunder, Richmond, in August 1862. Two years later, on May 1, 1864, he was assigned Commandant of Salisbury Prison,
NC. On Saturday, June 18, 1864, Alexander resigned this position
and was replaced by Col. J. A. Gilmer. James had already left
Salisbury by train on May 27 destined for Andersonville.
After General Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865,
Alexander, being a wanted man, made his way to Canada and taught French
for a number of years. With the amnesty of 1872, he returned to
the United States and became the editor of a newspaper in Washington,
DC.
He died February 20, 1895 and was buried near his home in Laurel, MD.
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Excerpts from James' Diary
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"... the command of this post was turned over by Capt. Galloway to
Capt. Alexander, late commandant at "Castle Thunder", Richmond."
Friday, May 13, 1864
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Captain Swift Galloway
Biographical Sketch
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Swift Galloway, a resident of Brunswick County, N.C., enlisted as a 2nd
Lieutenant in Company H, 3rd North Carolina Infantry on October 1, 1861.
He was severely wounded in the left thigh at Malvern Hill, Virginia, on July 1,
1862, He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on September 17, 1862, and
promoted to Captain on October 29, 1862. He was detailed to Salisbury Prison on
September 14, 1863, and was again hospitalized on April 5, 1865, in Danville,
Virginia.
James notes in his diary that Galloway surrendered his command of Salisbury to Lt. Col. Kent
on March 25,
1864, that he resumed command of Salisbury in April 1864, and again
surrendered command of Salisbury in May 1864 to Captain Alexander.
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Exceprts from James' Diary
"... held in the C.S. Military Prison at Salisbury, N.C.,
Capt. Swift
Galloway commanding."
Summary entry in diary prior to February 27, 1864
"On Friday of this week Capt. Galloway transferred the command of this
post to Lieut. Col. Kent."
Friday, March 25, 1864
"... the command of this post was turned over by Capt. Galloway to Capt.
Alexander, late commandant at "Castle Thunder", Richmond."
Friday, May 13, 1864
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Lt. Colonel Frederic M. Kent
Biographical Sketch
Frederic M. Kent was born in 1814 in
New Hampshire. He was a resident in the state of Louisiana, and
during the war was a member of the 1st Louisiana Regulars (Infantry).
He was briefly Commandant of the Prison at Salisbury, North Carolina,
succeeding Capt. Galloway on March 25, 1864. According to James' diary,
Kent died suddenly and was buried Sunday, April 3, 1864, in the English
Cemetery at Salisbury.
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Excerpts from James' Diary
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"On Friday of this week Capt. Galloway transferred the command of this
post to Lieut. Col. Kent."
March 25, 1864
"Forgot to mention on the date of Sunday (3d) that our new commander
[Lt. Col. Kent] was buried in the afternoon, from "headquarters",
having died quite suddenly a day or two before."
Saturday, April 9, 1864
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Captain Rufus D. Senn
Biographical Sketch
| Captain Senn was Commander of Richland Jail, Columbia, South
Carolina, at the time of James' confinement there. This fact was
confirmed through the Official Records as noted below: |
Headquarters, Columbia,S.C.
September 16, 1863
Major C. D. Melton:
Sir: I would respectfully report to you that the jail is not
sufficiently large to contain the number of prisoners we now have
confined here. The dimensions of the building is seventy by fifty
feet. The third floor is occupied by the sheriff of the district,
which leaves us but the middle and lower departments. We now have
273 Federal and 27 Confederate prisoners making an aggregate of
300. We have packed them in as best we could for the present, but
to remain as they now are will, I am fully satisfied, cause much
sickness, not only among the Yankees, but the guard. To this
our surgeon, Dr. J. Ford Prioleau (with whom I have consulted), will
bear testimony. My guard is entirely crowded out of any place for
the reliefs to sleep, and are now compelled to sleep on the ground in
front of the jail. Under these circumstances, I would earnestly
recommend that quarters be at once erected on the college green near our
camp, where we could guard them and others who might be sent to us. If
this cannot be done, a part of them might be sent to Richmond or some
other place.
Very respectfully,
R. D. Senn,
Captain, Commanding Post Guard
Official Records Union and Confederate Armies, Series II, Vol. VI, p. 296
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Headquarters Post, Richmond, VA
August 18, 1864
Major Garnett Andrews, Assistant Adjuntant-General:
I found Captain Rufus D. Senn performing the duties of commandant of
the prison (Columbia, South Carolina)... The building used as the prison
is the county jail. There are 132 officers and 99 privates... There are
also 27 Confederate deserters confined in the same prison, but in
different departments from Federal prisoners. The jail, being the
county jail, is also used for the confinement of civil prisoners, which
gives access to several different authorities, which is very
inconsistent with the character of a military prison...
John C. Rutherford,
Captain and Assistant Adjuntant-General
Official Records Union and Confederate Armies, Series II, Vol. VII, p. 611 |
Excerpts from James' Diary
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"Capt. Senn, the officer in command, treated us in the best manner &
shewed himself a perfect gentleman."
"Capt. Senn presented Barlett & myself with copies of the New
Testament (English edition) which we were very glad to receive."
Both statements are summary entries in the diary prior to February
27, 1864
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