Masten Dashiel of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry

In the following letter Masten Dashiel of the 3rd Indiana Cavalry describes his experiences in Camp Parole in Annapolis, Maryland. Dashiel was 45 when he enlisted in Captain Graham’s Company, Indiana Mounted Volunteers on September 5, 1861. A resident of Johnson County Indiana, he furnished his own horse for the unit. This unit later became Company G 3rd Indiana Cavalry. On December 31, 1862 he was captured at Stone’s River. His journey as a prisoner and parolee took him to Richmond, Virginia, Camp Parole in Annapolis Maryland, Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio and ending at Camp Carrington in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dashiel returned to his unit in June 1863. He served with the 3rd Indiana Cavalry until mustering out on September 27, 1864. After his service with the 3rd Indiana Cavalry, Dashiel enlisted in Company E 16th Indiana Infantry on December 21, 1864 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He mustered in with the regiment the next day and served with that unit until mustering out on June 25, 1865 at New Orleans. He died on May 17, 1903 in Indianapolis, Indiana and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery there.

This letter appeared in the Indianapolis Daily Journal on February 14, 1863. The spelling and punctuation are unchanged from the original publication.

Military Items.

--The following letter is from Mr. Dashiel, of this city, formerly a carrier of the Journal. He was taken prisoner at Murfreesboro and paroled, and is now in the camp of paroled men at Annapolis, Md.: