On August 20, 1864, a chosen group of 600 Confederate Officers left Fort Delaware, as POW's, bound for the Union Army base at Hilton Head, SC. Their purpose- to be placed in a stockade in front of Union batteries at the seige of Charleston. Here they were placed in a pen on Morris Island, where they remained, under shelling from friendly artillery fire. Three died here on the starvation rations issued as a retaliation for the conditions of Union prisoners at Andersonville, GA and Salisbury, NC. After 45 days under fire, the weakened survivors were removed to Fort Pulaski, Ga. Here they were crowded into the cold,damp casemates of the fort. On Nov 19, 197 of the men were sent back to Hilton Head to relieve overcrowding. On a ration of 10 ounces of moldy cornmeal and sour onion pickles as their only food, they were here for 42 days. Thirteen men died at Ft. Pulaski and 5 at Hilton Head. The remaining men were taken back to Fort Delaware on 12 March 1865 where an additional 25 died. They became famous throughout the South for their adherence to principle, refusing to take the Oath under such adverse circumstances. There had never been any sort of monument or museum exihibit to tell the story of these brave men. Mauriel Joslyn, author of two books about them, the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Ga. and many descendants of these men have lobbied Congress and the Park Service for five years, to place a memorial at the cemetery at Fort Pulaski, where 13 died and were buried. We were repeatedly turned down; the Park Service did not believe a cemetery existed and if so those buried had long been removed. Finally, thanks to some dedicated Park Service archeologists and the cooperation of the park Superintendent, they have located the site of the cemetery and some of the graves. It has been a long road, but permission has now been given to place an interpretive marker at the cemetery acknowledging the 600 officers kept as prisoners and the 13 who are buried there. It will cost $10,000 to complete this project and there was $3,200 in the fund as of 22 Sept, but I feel there is more by now. (I've been working my fingers off on this keyoard)!!! My husband's grandfather, 1st Lt. John Lumpkin Haynes of Co. "I", 14th Alabama Infantry was one of these men. We have found that another Collin County man was one of this group also, 2nd Lt. James L. Greer of Co. "D", 4th Georgia Infantry who later who moved to Anna. I am trying to contact as many of the descendants as possible to tell them of this project. Anyone who thinks you may have an ancestor that was one of these men, I will be happy to do a look-up and send you the compiled service record. We need all your help and support (tax deductible!!) on this project. Address is: Immortal Six Hundred Memorial Fund P.O. Box 652 Sparta, GA 31087 Thank you and God bless each and every one of you for reading this. Doris and John Haynes in Meadow, Tex.