“[excerpt from 1 Mar 1864 letter by John's brother-in-law CSA Assistant Surgeon Dr. Ira Lawson Gunter, from Receiving & Distributing Hospital, Atlanta, GA to his family near Zebulon, GA.] “. . . Tell sister Margarett that I received her letter and had it fixed up all right and mailed it myself. I put a Confederate and a Yankee stamp on it, leaving the envelope unsealed and directed it: John A Allen, Prisoner of War, Point Lookout, Md. I then put it in another envelope which I sealed putting a postage (Confederate) stamp on it also. And directed it Wm H. Hatch, Assistant Agent of Exchanges, Richmond, Virginia, who, after examining it to see that there is nothing wrong in the letters will send it through. They would not let me send the paper and envelope; because they said under visiting orders it would prevent the letter from going through. The order also states that the letter itself must not be over one page in length and as your was written on both sides making two pages, they expressed some fears about it getting through safe. So you had better write again complying with the above directions, and send it to me as you did before. I found several Yankee stamps in the letter and as you did not inform for what purpose you sent them, I concluded you wanted them sent to John. So I let them stay in the letter, though the authorities here said the Yankees would be sure to steal them before the letter reached him. One Yankee stamp is all that is necessary to put on the letters. I.L. Gunter . . .

[original letter held by Nancy Elliott Lee, found July 2015, transcribed 7/18/2015 by John Allen's GG Grandnephew Jim W. Latimer.]

Margarett Williamson Allen (wife of John A. Allen) is sister to Dr. Gunter's wife Anne Williamson Gunter. Confederate records show Pvt. John Allen, Co. A, 13th GA Regiment, was captured Gettysburg July 5, 1863 and later incarcerated at Fort Delaware July 9, then Pt. Lookout from Oct 22, 1863 through Feb 18, 1865 [Yes, nearly 1 1/2 years!].”