From the National Tribune, 1/10/1884

The First Prisoner at Belle Isle.

To the Editor, NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

In your issue of the 3d inst., I saw a quotation from the Pittsburg Leader to the effect that Mr. George M. Meadville, a locomotive engineer on the P.R.R. was the first Union soldier to enter as a prisoner the rebel prisons at Belle Isle, Va., and Andersonville, Ga. There must be some mistake about this. The Ledger says Mr. Meadville enlisted August 26, 1861, and was in active service for over two years before he was taken prisoner. If that was the case, he could not have gone to Belle Isle prior to the fall of 1863, and I certainly have some recollection of being myself a prisoner there from the 16th of July to the 5th of August, 1862, and at that time there were several thousand prisoners at Belle Isle.

D. P. K. LAVAN,

Co. K., 11th Reg't P. R. V. C.

SOMERSET, PA

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