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. 

"... the command of this post was turned over by Capt. Galloway to Capt. Alexander, late commandant at "Castle Thunder", Richmond."
Friday, May 13, 1864

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.

"... 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

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.  

"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

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

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

"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