Not long ago, a letter from a captured Confederate officer was offered on e-Bay written while in prison at Fort Delaware. The letter was dated August 7, 1864 and written to a local Newcastle, Delaware Baptist minister asking him to come and visit the prisoners, there being several of the "old Baptist" faith present with the writer.

I do not know who bought the letter, and am only interested in the informational content.

The writer was tentatively ID'd as "D. F. Thomas" but the NPS CMSR Index shows only two Confederates with this name and both were privates. Reexamining the letter which was posted on e-Bay, I came to the conclusion that the middle initial might actually be a capital "P" as in Philadelphia.

The NPS CMSR Index lists a 2nd Lieutenant D. P. Thomas, Company C, 24th Battalion Tennessee Sharpshooters. Does anyone happen to have this soldier's CMSR and can you verify that he was a POW at Fort Delaware in August 1864.

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society