SM. \VeLLS 
 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
 THE PETER AND ROSELL HARVEY 
 MEMORIAL FUND 
 
 
 : 
 
>x! ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 JAMKS M. WELLS, AT THE AGE OF SIXTY-FIVE. 
 
WITH TOUCH OF ELBOW" 
 
 OR 
 
 DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 
 
 A Thrilling Narrative of Adventure on Land and Sea 
 
 BY 
 
 CAPTAIN JAMES M. WELLS 
 
 1909 
 
 THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO TORONTO 
 
COPYRIGHT 1909 BY 
 JAMES M. WELLS 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The work herein contained is a simple memoir or nar- 
 ration of events coming within the personal observation of 
 the writer, beginning just before the breaking out of the 
 Civil War and continuing through those years now desig- 
 nated as the "Period of Eeconstruction " the whole 
 covering a decade in the history of our own country 
 unequaled for stirring and dramatic events and remarkable 
 for the influence it has exerted in the world's enlightened 
 progress. 
 
 The story is concluded with a description of a voyage 
 at sea and an extended sojourn among the Azorean Islands. 
 
 So far as relates to the Civil War, its leading features 
 are already familiar to the reader. The names of the 
 great generals commanding, the battles lost and won, the 
 numbers engaged and the losses sustained, are all set forth 
 in the text-books of our common schools and do not need 
 repeating in a work of this character. But of the soldier 
 himself who, with gun on shoulder and knapsack on back, 
 tramped the bloody and sodden fields ; who rode the horse, 
 wielded the pistol and saber, did the fighting and won 
 the victories; upon whose valor, patriotism and fidelity 
 everything depends in time of war, very few details have 
 been given in history. And, while it is impossible to write 
 up the individual prowess of the two million or more men 
 who took up arms in defense of the Union, the writer, in 
 the course of this narrative, offers his own experience 
 with which he is most familiar believing it constitutes a 
 fair representation of the whole, for what one soldier saw, 
 
 i 
 
ii Introduction. 
 
 so far, at least, as the same service is performed and like 
 ground covered, will not differ widely from the experience 
 of thousands who thus formed the bulwark of the nation's 
 defense. 
 
 This is the apology offered for what otherwise may 
 &eem like an effort on the part of the narrator to exploit 
 himself, and so it is believed higher and better motives 
 will appear in the progress of the narrative. 
 
 Foremost among the objects of this writing is the hope 
 of inculcating in the minds and hearts of the young who 
 may chance to read, a higher degree of patriotism and love 
 of country; that God-given spirit that makes heroes of 
 cowards and saints of debauchees; that leads men into 
 battles facing the cannon's mouth; sustains them in dun- 
 geons, and carries women through perils greater than those 
 imposed by nature upon the mothers of the human race. 
 
 When not so imbued no nation can long survive. With- 
 out love of country, independence of thought and action, 
 religion, education and every laudable ambition of which 
 the average citizen is capable is dwarfed, and, in the end, 
 tyranny usurps the place of justice, and subjugation and 
 slavery overtake the peoples who do not pay due homage 
 to the flag under which they live, and stand ready at all 
 times, no matter what sacrifice may be required, to take 
 up the gage of battle in defense of the soil upon which 
 they are nurtured and sustained. 
 
 Also this opportunity is taken to return thanks for the 
 many kindly acts bestowed upon the writer, and upon 
 others, by the men and women whose names are here 
 written and whose merits are beyond the power of a work 
 of this character to compensate. 
 
 And last, though not least, we hope to aid in perpetuating 
 and keeping alive the memories that cluster around the 
 
Introduction. iii 
 
 perilous days of 1861-1865, that the debt of gratitude the 
 country owes the men who stood "with touch of elbow" 
 in the great conflict for the preservation of the Union may 
 not be forgotten. 
 
 More than a generation has passed since the battles of 
 the Civil War were fought, and from ut the ashes of 
 those sanguinary fields there has come up on this continent 
 a mighty colossus, whose liberty-loving precepts and ex- 
 ample are one day likely to bestride the world. With 
 bright eye, erect form and elastic step the Union soldiers 
 marched throughout those terrible campaigns, sharing their 
 blankets on the cold, frozen earth at night and drinking 
 from the same canteen, while the bones of their comrades 
 fallen in that great struggle, lie mingled with the soil of 
 every State, from the Susquehanna River to the Rio Grande, 
 and there, sacred to the memory of a grateful people, they 
 will lie forever. 
 
Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction i 
 
 The Amateur Bull-whacker 1 
 
 The Turbulent Missouri 8 
 
 "The Pony Express" 19 
 
 Salt Lake, The Holy City 29 
 
 An Indian Outbreak 31 
 
 Virginia City, Nevada 38 
 
 The Start for the Theatre of War 44 
 
 "The Old Sonora" 49 
 
 "The Northern Light" 60 
 
 Six Brothers Enlisted 63 
 
 The Bounty Jumpers 67 
 
 The Passing Regiment 73 
 
 The Volunteer Soldier 76 
 
 The Morgan Raid 81 
 
 Battle at Tebbs Bend, Green River Bridge 84 
 
 Capture of the Garrison at Lebanon 86 
 
 Morgan Crosses to the Indiana Shore 91 
 
 Hobson Hot Upon the Trail 95 
 
 The Greenwoods, Mitchels and Dominicks of Cincinnati.. 100 
 
 The Michigan Brigade Again on the March 102 
 
 Battle at Buffington's Island 105 
 
 The Wily Chief Slips Through the Federal Lines 109 
 
 The Final Capture Ill 
 
 Strips of White Cloth in Token of Surrender 112 
 
 Our Victorious Troops at Steubenville 114 
 
 From Kentucky Into East Tennessee 119 
 
 General N. B. Forest 123 
 
 The Retreat and Running Fight 125 
 
 Hoping to Make Good My Escape '127 
 
 A Prisoner and Compelled to Part with My Boots 130 
 
 The Bastile of the Confederacy 136 
 
 The Tunneling Process, a Gigantic Undertaking 141 
 
 A Vast Amount of Labor Lost 143 
 
 A Pair of Stockings Such as Mother Used to Knit 149 
 
 Covering for Both Head and Feet 151 
 
 From Libby to Liberty 153 
 
 But Yet Not Free 156 
 
 Randall of the Second Ohio and McCain of the Twenty- 
 first Illinois 160 
 
 The Rescue 162 
 
 The Bivouac that Followed 166 
 
 The Hunt for Escaped Prisoners Continued 169 
 
 The Story as Told by the Richmond Dispatch 170 
 
 At Last Within the Federal Lines 177 
 
 Congratulated by Lincoln 178 
 
 Home, Sweet Home 181 
 
 The Watch and Chain Recovered . 190 
 
Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Atlanta Campaign 193 
 
 Crossing the Chattahoochee River 197 
 
 A Masked Battery 200 
 
 At the Gates of Atlanta 202 
 
 Macon and Andersonville 206 
 
 An Act of Vandalism 209 
 
 Stoneman Retreats from Macon 211 
 
 A Battle at Sunshine Church 212 
 
 Stoneman Determines to Surrender 215 
 
 A Desperate Effort to Reach the Federal Lines 216 
 
 The Mulberry River 220 
 
 Again a Prisoner of War 223 
 
 Old Acquaintance Revived 228 
 
 Under the Federal Batteries at Charleston 230 
 
 Captain Charles E. Greble 232 
 
 A Death Warrant 236 
 
 The Mortality Appalling 238 
 
 It Is Either Exchange or Death 239 
 
 We Reach Macon and Atlanta 242 
 
 Rough and Ready, the Point of Exchange 244 
 
 "Safe Within the Federal Lines, Thank God" 247 
 
 Colonel H. C. Hobart 251 
 
 Sympathizing Friends 253 
 
 A Second Home-coming 255 
 
 Again Upon Active Duty 259 
 
 The Final Muster Out in 1865 262 
 
 The Grand Review at Washington 270 
 
 The Subject of Pensions 271 
 
 The Period of Reconstruction 280 
 
 The Story of a Brave Girl 283 
 
 Shot Down Without Mercy 291 
 
 A Silent and Unwilling Witness 294 
 
 Isaac Landers 299 
 
 The Wounded Father and Daughter 301 
 
 The Suffering Girl 302 
 
 A Dangerous Operation, Death of Carolena 305 
 
 Life at the Nation's Capital 309 
 
 The Great Forum 316 
 
 How Czarism Was Evolved 319 
 
 Assassination of President Garfield 320 
 
 The Good Barque "Sarah" 326 
 
 Flores, The Isle of Flowers 330 
 
 San Miguel 335 
 
 The Island and Mountain of Pico 339 
 
 The Island of Fayal 346 
 
 The Caldeira 349 
 
 The Long Tom at Fayal 354 
 
 Final Assault and Sinking of the Armstrong 358 
 
Illustrations. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 James M. Wells, at the Age of Sixty-five Frontispiece 
 
 Steamboat Rock, Echo Canyon, Utah 29 
 
 Colonel Elisha Mix, Eighth Michigan Cavalry 69 
 
 Officers of the Eighth Michigan Cavalry Adjutant Homer 
 Manvel on the right, Commissary William H. Mills 
 on the left 74 
 
 Lieutenant Lovinas H. Patton, Eighth Michigan Cavalry 79 
 
 Libby Prison. From a Photograph taken in 1865 by 
 George S. Cook 135 
 
 Colonel Thomas E. Rose, at the Age of Sixty 145 
 
 Sectional View of Libby Prison and Tunnel 153 
 
 Special Order No. 82, War Department, Granting Thirty 
 Days' Leave of Absence to Lieut. James M. Wells.. 181 
 
 Envelope of Letter Addressed to Lieut. James M. Wells 
 
 while a Prisoner of War in Libby Prison 185 
 
 Captain James M. Wells, at the Age of Twenty-five 188 
 
 View of National Cemetery, Andersonville, where 13,710 
 
 Union Soldiers are Buried 238 
 
 Carolena Clinton ^ 285 
 
 Invitation from the Republican National Committee to 
 
 Speak in the Campaign of 1884 315 
 
 Mount Pico from Fayal, Azorean Islands 339 
 
 Fayal, Azorean Islands, and Fort on the Bay, in Front of 
 which the "Armstrong" was Sunk 346 
 
WITH TOUCH OF ELBOW. 
 
 THE AMATEUR BULL-WHACKER. 
 
 Since the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers on Plymouth 
 Rock that bleak December day in 1620 down to the 
 present time the guiding star of the ambitious young 
 American has risen steadily in the West, and, in the 
 subjugation of a continent, Americans have become what 
 may justly be denominated a race of pioneers. From 
 New England to New York and Pennsylvania, and 
 from Virginia and the Carolinas to Kentucky and Ten- 
 nessee, across the Mississippi and the Missouri, over the 
 wide prairies, out on the desert plains, over the bleak and 
 barren summits of the Rockies and the Sierras, and down 
 the western slope to the sun-kissed shores of the Pacific, 
 the irresistible tide has moved steadily on for more than 
 a hundred years. 
 
 We are indebted to the Honorable Theodore Roosevelt 
 for the laconic apothegm : "It is the red blood of achieve- 
 ment that is needed in this generation, and not the blue 
 blood of ancestry;" so the writer does not go back to the 
 Norman conquerors for his ancestral blood, but finds it 
 first in Connecticut, then in Western New York, where 
 he was born, and lastly in Michigan, where his young 
 manhood was reached, and from which State the earliest 
 movement to the westward on his own initiative took 
 place. 
 
 An expedition whose purpose was the subjugation of the 
 Mormons in Utah, then supposed to be in rebellion against 
 
 i 
 
2 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the authority of the United States Government, was the 
 impelling force that led him forth to conquer. Not that 
 it was expected the Mormons would yield obedience to his 
 unaided authority, though the enthusiasm of extreme youth 
 gave him greater confidence in his ability to subdue insur- 
 rections than the experience of more mature years has 
 taught him. 
 
 Messrs. Majors and Russell, at the time and for years 
 thereafter noted contractors for the carrying trade on the 
 desert plains, and engaged by the Government to convey 
 the supplies for the United States Army then on its march 
 to Salt Lake, were advertising for teamsters, wagoners 
 and trainmen to aid in this work, offering good wages; 
 and in answer to the call young men from all parts of the 
 country were heading for what was then the far West, 
 where the manipulating and handling of ox-teams had 
 been reduced to a science, and in the pay and emoluments 
 of its most skillful artists almost equal to the more learned 
 professions. 
 
 Now, among the earliest of my recollections as a boy 
 on the farm was the '^breaking" of a yoke of calves. It 
 mattered not that the calves were both females, for they 
 were beauties and well "matched," each having a star on 
 its forehead, and, in a boy's enthusiastic judgment, in 
 every way equally efficient with a pair of bulls; and what 
 greatly enhanced their value to me was the fact that as 
 calves, at least, they were my personal property, though 
 time disclosed the fact that as cows the title had changed 
 and they were reckoned among the general assets of the 
 farm. 
 
 From a basswood log I had hewed out a yoke suitable 
 in size and weight, with bows, staple and ring, without 
 which a yoke is as valueless as a wagon without wheels. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 3 
 
 By the aid of a lead rope attached to the "near ox" I was 
 enabled to guide and direct my team to the extent of haul- 
 ing, from time to time, on a hand sled of my own manu- 
 facture a sufficient amount of pumpkins to keep the calves 
 contented and in good order for the work in hand. 
 
 During the time the process of "breaking" was going 
 on my father had been in poor health and confined to the 
 house, and now that he was out again, I was anxious to 
 entertain him with an exhibition of the calves and my 
 skill in handling them under the yoke. Accordingly they 
 were hitched up in the barnyard when father came out, 
 no doubt expecting a masterful display of what a boy is 
 capable in the way of training the brute to some useful 
 occupation. 
 
 But the exhibition was a disappointment, and successful 
 only in arousing the dominating spirit slumbering in the 
 breast of pater familias, and in humbling the pride of his 
 dutiful son. 
 
 It had been raining and pools of water were standing in 
 the barnyard, and while manipulating with the whip and 
 directing the movement of the calves through a series of 
 complicated evolutions I lost my footing and fell into a 
 pool of muddy water. Whereupon the calves, taking ad- 
 vantage of the moment and already nettled by the extraor- 
 dinary service required of them, started off on the run, 
 dragging me at the end of the guide rope. But pride and 
 anger were both aroused and my reputation as a teamster 
 at stake, and I held on literally through "thick and thin/' 
 till placed somewhat in the situation of the farmer who 
 yoked himself up with an unbroken steer. The steer bolted 
 and ran, and the old farmer, in order that he might not 
 be dragged along and killed outright, was compelled to run 
 with him. But, getting out of breath and fearful of conse- 
 
4 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 quences at the outcome of the race, he hailed a neighboring 
 farmer as follows "Hello, there ! durn our fool souls ! 
 come and head us off or we'll break our necks/' 
 
 So around the corral I was whirled, through heaps of 
 barnyard manure and pools of muddy water, till completely 
 drenched and well-nigh exhausted, before the calves 
 brought up panting in a corner. 
 
 Taking an inventory of myself after this unexpected 
 denouement, both elbows were found badly skinned, sus- 
 penders broken and trousers torn, presenting altogether, 
 as I thought, a sight calculated to make angels weep but 
 father only laughed. This increased my pride and resent- 
 ment, and with difficulty, holding my temper until father's 
 back was turned, I proceeded to vent my spleen on the 
 calves; and, in a great passion, stripping off the yoke and 
 striking each calf a furious blow with the bow as he 
 backed away, I then took the yoke and broke it into frag- 
 ments across a near-by stump, throwing the pieces in every 
 direction as far as possible. 
 
 Unfortunately for me (or rather, as matters have turned 
 out, may I not say fortunately), just as this exhibition of 
 unbridled temper came to a close pater stepped around 
 the corner of the barn and beckoned me to him. As I 
 was responding to this call in the affirmative he directed 
 me to pick up and bring with me a large stick, a sort of 
 native whip that lay in the pathway. I was accustomed 
 to obey my father and gathered up the stick, though 
 reluctantly, and now, beginning to feel the full gravity of 
 the situation, presented myself before him. Then taking 
 me by the collar with one hand and the stick in the other, 
 in a perfectly calm and unruffled voice he said: "Now, 
 young man, I am going to flog you for allowing your temper 
 to run away with you;" and then applied the whip vigor- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 5 
 
 ously. It was the first and last time he ever struck me a 
 blow, and the lesson he sought to convey has never been 
 forgotten. My father, Samuel D. Wells, a man without an 
 enemy, at the age of fifty, died a few weeks later, and I 
 mourned his loss as I have never mourned since, though 
 the entire family, consisting of father, mother, sisters and 
 brothers, have long since passed away. 
 
 With all the advantages of this early training on the 
 farm is it surprising that, now grown ''bigger," I believed 
 myself equal to the task of driving a bull-team across the 
 plains and thus becoming a helpful instrument in the 
 prosecution of the Mormon War. Accordingly, in company 
 with Clem Stone, the eldest son of the Eev. J. A. B. Stone, 
 President of Kalamazoo College, and another neighboring 
 boy, David Carlton by name, I left the college where I 
 had entered on a preparatory course and started out with 
 the expectation of offering my services as an expert in the 
 use of the whip and the goad in handling a bull-team on 
 the plains. But fate seemed to have destined me for 
 other uses. 
 
 The outfitting and starting point for the expedition 
 against the Mormons was Nebraska City, Omaha at that 
 time having no place on the map. All the supplies being 
 shipped for the army and the great host of teams, team- 
 sters and wagoners; all the feed for stock, provisions, 
 wagons, chains, ox-yokes, shoes, and all the other para- 
 phernalia in use on the plains were brought to Nebraska 
 City at that time on the extreme western frontier by 
 steamboat up the Missouri Eiver, from points in Ohio, 
 Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. 
 
 Aleck Majors, a Kentuckian who did not drink or swear, 
 a devout Christian gentleman who could neither read nor 
 write, was the master spirit that organized, superintended 
 
6 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 and successfully carried out every detail of this colossal 
 contract with the Government. 
 
 The material in both men and animals comprising his 
 stock in trade was of the rawest and wildest which the 
 Wild West of that period produced. But this giant in 
 moral and intellectual stature, as well as in physical, proved 
 equal to every condition. 
 
 Long-horned, fiery and untamed steers from the plains 
 of Texas, New Mexico and the Indian Territory were 
 driven in large herds to Nebraska City, where they were 
 corralled, yoked and subdued to become the motor power 
 of this great caravan. Forty-five thousand head were 
 taken into this service ; 3,500 big wagons, 3,000 mules and 
 horses mostly for the saddle and 5,000 men were re- 
 quired to handle the freight, break, drive and care for the 
 teams; and every man so employed was compelled to sign 
 a contract, the violation of which on his part was a for- 
 feiture of his pay, to abstain from the use of profane lan- 
 guage and intoxicating liquors while thus engaged. 
 
 The whole mass of freight was moved from time to 
 time in separate trains, consisting of 10 or 20 wagons of 
 from 6,000 to 10,000 pounds' capacity, with 6 to 12 yoke 
 of oxen to a wagon. The men of such an outfit numbered 
 about 30 a wagonmaster and assistant, a night herder 
 who also looked after the riding horses, and a driver to 
 each wagon. The latter were known as "bull-whackers." 
 
 Prior to the departure of a train the men detailed for 
 its conduct were assembled in camp to listen to instruc- 
 tions and a lecture from their employer along the lines 
 of temperance and general good moral conduct. 
 
 But I have before stated the steers or oxen were all wild, 
 and "How were they made available for this important 
 work?" is the question we will now undertake to answer. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 7 
 
 A large band or herd was driven into a corral made of 
 logs six to ten inches in diameter, set deeply in the ground, 
 the steers being crowded and packed together so thickly 
 they could not turn or move in any direction. Men with 
 yokes lifted high in air then went among them, cautiously 
 slipping the yokes onto their necks whenever and wher- 
 ever an opportunity presented, until the desired number of 
 steers were yoked. This was the work of experienced men, 
 and in its execution required great skill and courage. 
 
 These details completed, everybody stood from under, 
 when the corral was thrown open from different points of 
 the compass and the whole band of yoked steers turned at 
 liberty; and then followed a scene that baffles description. 
 Any attempt to control their movements at this time would 
 be both dangerous and futile, though mounted men carry- 
 ing great blacksnake whips are standing by to follow and 
 watch them as they rush out over the prairie, with tails 
 lifted in air, bellowing and shaking the ground with their 
 tremendous hoof beats. Some sulked and showed fight, 
 while others turned the yoke so that the two steers in the 
 same joke faced in opposite directions; but all were mad- 
 dened or frightened beyond control. At length, however, 
 from sheer exhaustion they begin to quiet down, and with 
 the assistance of a few yoke already "gentled" they are led 
 or driven to the wagons, hitched up and soon started off 
 on their long journey across the plains. 
 
 The amount of energy and brute force expended from 
 the time the steers are first rounded up on the range until 
 their burden is laid down at the end of the route is beyond 
 comprehension; though, in fact, this expedition, as com- 
 pared with the general movement across the continent 
 from 1863 to 1866, at which time emigration reached its 
 maximum, was but a drop in the bucket. In those years 
 
8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the estimated floating population on the plains was 250, 
 000. One firm alone Russell, Majors & Waddell em- 
 ployed 6,250 large wagons and 75,000 oxen in carrying 
 freight. But this was only one of a multitude of corpora- 
 tions, equally extensive, engaged in transportation in those 
 years. 
 
 It did not require a great length of time in this stren- 
 uous service to convince me that my early training in the 
 management of "steers" was of little practical value, and 
 that I must turn my genius into other channels, and so 
 resolved to act without further delay. A new world had 
 opened up to me, but what to do to keep "touch of elbow" 
 in the great march of events was a vexed question. 
 Nebraska City was but a frontier village far beyond the 
 reach of ordinary civilization, and there would be no 
 steamboat for the next ten days at least on which one 
 might engage passage 
 
 DOWN THE MISSOURI RIVER. 
 
 And if a' boat were to depart every hour, without money 
 one could not see his way clear for a passage, for roust- 
 abouts and deck hands at that time on the Missouri and 
 lower Mississippi were all negro slaves, and in this line 
 of employment there was little encouragement for "po* 
 white trash." 
 
 Experience teaches that in great emergencies man hesi- 
 tates to act alone, and if he can enlist the sympathy and 
 cooperation of a congenial spirit before venturing upon 
 the uncertain sea, the task is already relieved of a large 
 share of its burden. Accordingly, I sought a companion 
 like-minded with myself, and together we resolved to start 
 on foot down the Missouri River, traveling until a more 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 9 
 
 populous country was reached, there hoping to find em- 
 ployment more congenial to our tastes. George Everett, 
 my fellow-voyager on this expedition, was a telegraph 
 operator, and, where telegraph lines were in use, could 
 ordinarily find employment and demand good wages. His 
 immediate prospects, therefore, were : vach better than 
 mine, for up to this time I had never ventured upon any 
 business enterprise involving a greater c.mount of talent 
 than the breaking and handling of a yoke of calves. 
 
 We traveled all one day parallel with the river, through 
 a wilderness country, never meeting a human being until 
 nightfall, when we came upon a skiff secreted in the brush 
 on the banks of the river. Casting about, we could dis- 
 cover no owner, and resolved to appropriate the skiff to 
 our own use, for we were tired and desperately hungry 
 the scant supply of rations with which we started having 
 altogether disappeared so without further ceremony we 
 entered the skiff and cast it off. 
 
 Now, to those unacquainted with its turbulent, muddy 
 and shifting currents, the Missouri River, in a high stage 
 of water as it was then, is a very treacherous and danger- 
 ous stream to navigate, even in daylight with experienced 
 river men; but for a stranger to entrust himself upon its 
 surging waters at night and in a small boat is to invite 
 disaster; but these facts were thrust upon us when it was 
 too late to avoid the dangers upon which we had unwit- 
 tingly entered. 
 
 The currents of the Missouri are constantly changing. 
 While one bank is being washed away the opposite shore is 
 filled in with drifting sands. A farmer whose holdings 
 in reality are being swept from under him to-day may find 
 their equivalent on the opposite bank to-morrow, though 
 they may be in another State or county. So the banks 
 
IO 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 from year to year are disappearing on one side and re- 
 forming on the other. This change is constantly going on. 
 The original town of St. Joe was in this manner entirely 
 swept away, and the city was only reclaimed by the con- 
 struction of a breakwater or bulkhead at an expense of 
 many thousands of dollars. 
 
 In consequence of these changes, on the side to which 
 the mass of water trends, forest trees, stumps, logs and 
 sometimes houses and barns drop into the current. Trunks 
 of trees formerly covered by drifting sands are exposed to 
 view and often project many feet out over the river, mak- 
 ing navigation both difficult and dangerous. Floodwoods 
 are being submerged and partially hidden by the filling-in 
 process, sometimes giving rise to those most dangerous of 
 all obstacles on the river, known to river men as "sawyers." 
 These are immense trees whose roots are still anchored at 
 the bottom, and whose trunks are swayed with a horizontal 
 motion like a sawgate in the old-time mill. 
 
 Upon such a stream as this Everett and myself were now 
 launched in a frail skiff, and in an intensely dark night; 
 but in addition to the terrors already described, and as if 
 to put our nerves to the supreme test, a thunderstorm of 
 great violence arose, followed by a downpour of rain that 
 threatened to swamp our little bark and drive her to the 
 bottom at once. Fearing now to approach the shore for a 
 landing, by the use of strong paddles we kept as near the 
 center of the stream as possible, while the mad current 
 swept us along with the swiftness of an arrow ; trusting 
 to Providence to steer us clear of "sawyers" and other 
 dangers with which we were beset, we held steadily on. 
 
 It was well along into the night when, running unavoid- 
 ably close to the left bank of the river and going at a 
 tremendous speed, we shot headlong into a tree top whose 
 
With Touch of Elbow. n 
 
 base was still anchored to the shore. The skiff immediately 
 careened over, filling with water, and the next moment 
 was swept from under our feet, while both clung desper- 
 ately to the overhanging limbs. A powerful current nearly 
 carried us away, but by dint of great effort both finally 
 reached the shore, when, a few moments later, the whole 
 tree was swept out bodily into the stream. 
 
 Daylight soon coming on, we reached a near-by farm- 
 house and there told our "hard luck" story, receiving, in 
 return, a good breakfast; but, unsuccessful in finding em- 
 ployment, we started on foot for St. Joe, still six miles 
 distant. Reaching the latter place, a boat lying at the 
 wharf was about ready to start down the river, and Everett, 
 who was anxious to reach St. Louis, concluded to go 
 aboard and take chances for a passage without money and 
 without price. As he reached the deck the gangplank was 
 pulled up, the bell rang and the boat steamed away down 
 the river, and I have never seen or heard from Everett 
 from that day to this. 
 
 Meantime it was learned that teachers were in demand 
 in the country districts near St. Joe, and I immediately 
 started out to look up a school, traveling all the remainder 
 of that day, at last reaching a district where a teacher was 
 wanted. The people were kind and hospitable and I had 
 little trouble in arranging the details for a school. The 
 next day, by the circulation of a petition, thirty subscribers 
 were obtained, who agreed to pay a dollar for each pupil 
 for a four months' term of school. But before beginning 
 I must have a teacher's certificate, and the following day 
 walked to the Superintendent's home, twenty miles distant 
 in the country, where I remained over night, receiving, 
 meantime, the coveted document. The Superintendent 
 was a tall, lank Tennesseean about fifty years of age, jolly, 
 
12 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 good-natured and good-hearted, who seemed to be pretty 
 well informed as to the value of the three R's "Reading, 
 Kiting and Rithmetic" but in his philosophy not quite 
 so well grounded, believing it a debatable question whether 
 the world was flat or round,, so he concluded it might be 
 well to teach both theories in order to meet the varying 
 opinions that prevailed in the country. Circumstances 
 compelled our sleeping together that night, and the Super- 
 intendent seemed to place great stress upon the fact that 
 he had slept with a live Yankee^ ..s all men from north of 
 Mason and Dixon's line were denominated in the South. 
 
 Many patrons, though living in the most primitive way 
 and in apparent poverty, sent their children to school, pay- 
 ing their bills promptly. At the end of the term I col- 
 lected $150 in gold and silver, there not being a delinquent 
 among the subscribers. With the exception of a small 
 advance I had received for the purpose of replenishing my 
 wardrobe (as the little bundle of extra clothing I possessed 
 had been swept away by the angry waters of the Mis- 
 souri), I did not spend a cent of money or lose a day's 
 time in the four months' term of teaching. 
 
 Wholesome and very acceptable board was furnished at 
 $2.00 a week, honey, hominy, corn bread and rice being 
 the staples with which the table was supplied. 
 
 At one place where I went to live a little later, the 
 first day at dinner, after showing me the wash basin, 
 located on a stump near the well, the mother called out to 
 the daughter, a girl about eighteen years of age : "Maria, 
 go and git the gentleman a clean towel." "Th' ant nary 
 'nother clean towel in the house," was the prompt reply. 
 It is unnecessary to add, perhaps, that I did not regret the 
 absence of this young lady from my school during the 
 term. - < 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 13 
 
 There were but few slaves in that part of Missouri, and 
 as a rule the people seemed to take little interest in the 
 controversy then going on which was so soon to plunge 
 the country into a bloody war. 
 
 Becoming attached to many of the people, who were the 
 most guileless, hospitable and genuine I have ever known, 
 I had arranged to teach another term of school, but during 
 the pending vacation took a trip away that resulted indi- 
 rectly in my undoing. 
 
 A neighboring teacher with whom I had become ac- 
 quainted was the happy possessor of a Government land 
 warrant, and, as very little of the public lands of Kansas 
 were then occupied, it was his purpose, during the vacation 
 season, to go to the Territory and locate a "farm" on his 
 warrant. From where we were in Missouri to Topeka, the 
 seat of government for the Territory of Kansas, and the 
 point where the Government Land Office was located was 
 a long, tedious and somewhat hazardous journey for one 
 alone, as "foot and walker's line" was the only means of 
 conveyance. So my good offices were sought as a com- 
 panion for the trip to which I consented and, every- 
 thing being satisfactory, we started out, making no secret 
 of our movements, Bezell, my fellow-traveler, footing the 
 bills as a return for my good company, and serving as a 
 witness to the act of location, and incidentally, as I be- 
 lieved, to fight his battles, should occasion for fighting 
 arise. 
 
 This was an adventure upon which I entered with a 
 hearty good will, and only for the disaster that followed 
 soon after, would have been one of the happiest of my 
 career. We traveled down the river, most of the way 
 through a beautiful country, on the Missouri side, till 
 opposite Fort Leavenworth, where we crossed over. Out- 
 
I4 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 side of Lawrence and Topeka and the few intervening 
 settlements as landmarks, one might as well have been out 
 on the broad ocean without rudder, chart or compass. 
 
 There was an Indian reservation to cross, a good many 
 rough characters to encounter, and the question of meals 
 to be considered, but reasonably good lodgings were to be 
 found almost anywhere under the blue and starry dome. 
 But two young fellows, strong, active and vigilant, with 
 money to spend when necessary, had no reason for fear or 
 hesitation, and so altogether, the trip was enjoyed by 
 both beyond any power of mine to describe. 
 
 The weather was delightful, even to the furnishing of 
 beautiful moonlight nights. Vegetation was abundant, and 
 native grasses, knee-high, waved and undulated with every 
 passing zephyr. The variegated hues and sweet fragrance 
 of wild flowers delighted the senses at every turn, and, at 
 that period at least, nature lavished her bounties upon 
 Kansas with an unstinted hand. 
 
 Having explored a good portion of the territory lying 
 between Leavenworth, Lawrence and the Osage River, we 
 came upon an unoccupied section that seemed to possess 
 the advantages of soil and other requirements that had 
 been our dream of a suitable homestead, and here Bezell 
 decided to locate his warrant. 
 
 Accordingly, we traveled ten miles further that day in 
 search of a man with an ox-team to haul a load of boards 
 out of which we might construct a house according to 
 plans and specifications already drawn up in the mind of 
 the expectant proprietor, as certain "improvements" of this 
 character were necessary to meet the requirements of Uncle 
 Sam. We arrived at the "homestead" that evening with 
 the entire outfit, consisting of twenty boards 1 x 12, twelve 
 feet long; two pounds of ten-penny nails, an axe, a hammer 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 15 
 
 and a saw, a coffee-pot, tin cups, a pound of hard tack and a 
 jug of water. At 9 P. M. the house was completed and 
 everything made ready for occupancy; and now the ques- 
 tion of a proper dedication and a suitable name must be 
 settled. For the latter, both being teachers, we decided 
 without much controversy upon "The Pedagogue's Rest." 
 Then, proceeding to brew coffee, we drank to the health, 
 happiness and long life of the proprietor. Thus the last 
 act was performed for the acquirement of sovereign citizen- 
 ship in Kansas. 
 
 Early the following morning we started for Topeka and 
 the United States Land Office, passing through Lawrence 
 on the way. In Topeka there were but three or four one- 
 story wooden buildings, consisting of upright and un- 
 dressed boards. On this part of our journey, while sleep- 
 ing out one night on the prairie, I dreamed of being on 
 board a railroad train, when the conductor coming through 
 the car called out, "Topeka, twenty minutes for refresh- 
 ments!" On awaking in the morning, this dream being 
 fresh in memory, I repeated it to Bezell, and after deliber- 
 ating upon and revolving the matter between us for a time, 
 the conclusion was reached that the dream should be inter- 
 preted to mean that sometime in the remote future a rail- 
 road would be built from a point on the Missouri River to 
 Topeka; but that it should be done within our day and 
 generation did not at that time seem probable. In view 
 of the network of railroads spread over the State at this 
 writing for the accommodation of a teeming population 
 the prediction of that early time seems to have been lack- 
 ing in the elements of true prophecy. 
 
 It was now near the time for the beginning of a second 
 school term, and I hurried back to Missouri in anticipa- 
 tion of taking up the work with renewed vigor, but found, 
 
1 6 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 on reaching the district, that mischief had been brewing of 
 which I had received no previous intimation. 
 
 Owned by the family where I had already arranged to 
 make my home was an old negro woman who had appar- 
 ently outlived her days of usefulness, and there being 
 little service required of her, she spent a good deal of time 
 moaning and swaying her body to and fro as if bewailing 
 her fate; and while I had, as a rule, scrupulously avoided 
 talking with any slave when apart from his master, I had 
 ventured to speak to this inoffensive old "Auntie" once or 
 twice, inquiring, purely on the grounds of sympathy, as to 
 the underlying cause of her complaint. I had done this 
 as one might be led to inquire into the condition of any 
 of the brute creation whose suffering was apparent. But 
 even this slight incident had been observed and my motive 
 misinterpreted. 
 
 A man in the district, who was the owner of a number of 
 slaves and also ambitious of political honors in the county, 
 had taken occasion to find fault with the mode of teaching 
 and management of the school, and while the family at my 
 boarding house were loyal and friendly, he had, on several 
 occasions in speaking to them of the matter, reverted to 
 the incident of the old slave woman, and branded me as 
 an "abolitionist." 
 
 I had endeavored to correct the orthography and pro- 
 nunciation in vogue among many of the pupils, such as 
 saying "po" instead of poor, and "wah" instead of war; 
 but these innovations were not well received by those who 
 had been most prejudiced, and I was accused of "learning" 
 the pupils to "stuttah." This had come to me from those 
 whom I knew to be friendly, and as long as I had their 
 support, moral and material,, I determined to continue the 
 school according to contract. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 17 
 
 But "give a dog a bad name" is a trite saying that might 
 have been aptly applied to Yankee school teachers in the 
 Southern States just prior to the war, and as rumors of 
 my abolition predilections continued to be circulated the 
 attendance upon the school fell off. Finally, one fine morn- 
 ing I was waited upon by a delegation consisting of three 
 men, patrons of the school, assuming to speak for all, who 
 demanded the cancellation of my contract and the imme- 
 diate abandonment of the school. 
 
 Accordingly, I dismissed the pupils for the day and 
 returned to my boarding quarters, where the whole subject 
 was discussed by the family, among whom were the father 
 and three or four grown-up boys, all of whom pledged their 
 support in the school and protection against personal injury 
 so long as I remained under their roof. There were no 
 less than five shotguns kept in the house, in the use of 
 which all the male members of the family were experts, 
 and these were pointed out to me as a guarantee of their 
 ability to fulfill any agreement they might enter upon 
 along these lines; and, having faith in their sincerity, I 
 concluded to remain, so the next morning opened school 
 with three pupils in their accustomed places and three 
 shotguns sitting in the corner. 
 
 Sympathizing pupils came to me that day, repeating 
 threats they had overheard, all seeming to be pretty well 
 demoralized, and, in consequence, the purposes of the 
 school were rendered ineffectual. In addition to all this, 
 taking into consideration the fact that I had never been 
 accustomed to the settlement of difficulties by use of the 
 shotgun, I decided discretion to be the better part of valor 
 and dismissed the school at once and for all. 
 
 It was twelve miles to the nearest point where the stage 
 passed on its route from St. Joe to Hannibal, and this I 
 
1 8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 resolved to reach that night. So arranging my affairs at 
 once, and reluctantly bidding my friends good-bye, in 
 company with two of the young men of the family, armed 
 with shotguns, I reached the stage about 9 o'clock that 
 night and took passage for Hannibal, and there crossing 
 the Mississippi River to Quincy, Illinois, I reached my 
 home in Michigan by rail a few days later. 
 
 Upon the all-absorbing question of the extension of 
 slavery the sentiment of the people in the border States 
 was divided. There were undoubtedly as many opposed to 
 the institution of slavery as there were in favor of it, but 
 the latter were the ruling class. It was frequently the 
 case that two or three men, at most, dominated the politics 
 of a county, and a proportionate number the State. 
 Clothed with so much power, they became arrogant, aggres- 
 sive and overbearing, and often unscrupulous in the treat- 
 ment of those offering opposition to their demands. 
 
 These were the conditions and this was the spirit that 
 carried the people of the Southern States into the mael- 
 strom of rebellion and led to the Civil War. 
 
 The year following the events above enumerated, 1860, 
 Messrs. Gale and Parker, business men of Kalamazoo, 
 Michigan, gathered up a large band of horses to be driven 
 across the plains for the market in California, engaging a 
 number of young men in that vicinity for the passage 
 and to aid in driving and caring for the stock on the long 
 and tedious overland route. 
 
 The first westward venture along the Missouri Eiver 
 and the Kansas border not being successful in every detail 
 had served to awaken a passion for fresh fields for investi- 
 gation ; and the pace of a <f bull-team" being altogether too 
 slow to suit my ardent desires at that period of life, I 
 readily joined this later expedition. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 19 
 
 Accordingly, the horses having been purchased and the 
 company made up, all are shipped via Chicago, Quincy 
 and Hannibal to St. Joe. This was the same route taken 
 when on my way home the year before with this exception : 
 that portion from the Missouri Eiver, directly across the 
 State to the Mississippi by stage, was now covered in the 
 opposite direction by rail. Such was the progress being 
 made at this early time in the way of rapid transportation 
 into the untamed West. 
 
 St. Joe, then styled the "Jumping-off Place," but now 
 reached directly by rail as well as by river, had become 
 the chief outfitting point for the upper Missouri and 
 Mississippi country in the great exodus westward now 
 taking place, and here was the Eastern terminus and start- 
 ing point for the world-renowned 
 
 "POXY EXPKESS." 
 
 On the 23d day of April, 1860, the first Pony rider 
 started from St. Joe toward the setting sun, and on the 
 same day and hour another rider started eastward from 
 Sacramento. 
 
 The Pony Express was an organization perfected and 
 put in operation to meet the necessities of the growing 
 population of the distant West in the transmission of the 
 mails and important dispatches in the absence of railroad 
 or telegraphic communication. Letters for the Pacific 
 Coast via Cape Horn were from three to six months in 
 transmission, and, aside from this, the best that could be 
 done was to send via the Isthmus of Panama, and it re- 
 quired at least thirty days to cover this route. The Pony 
 Express, over snow-capped mountains, across desert wastes 
 and through hostile Indian tribes, reduced this time to ten 
 
20 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 days, from one extreme end of the route to the other. Two 
 hundred riders and five hundred horses Western bronchos 
 were employed in the work. 
 
 Never before nor since in the world's record was a 
 courier line established carrying mail so far with such 
 regularity and in so short a time by horse power alone, 
 and never has the art of horseback riding been reduced 
 to such a degree of perfection. Some of the men whose 
 names have since become famous in Western annals began 
 their careers on the plains in early youth as Pony Express 
 riders. William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill," then only sixteen 
 years of age, was among the most famous of these daring 
 Jehus. Cody is said to have made a round trip necessi- 
 tated by the killing of his relief by Indians of 384 miles 
 without a stop, except to change horses and swallow one 
 hearty meal. 
 
 Starting from the same point and about the same time 
 as our party did with that of the Pony, and traveling 2,000 
 miles over the same route, he becomes an important factor 
 in the progress of our story and will no doubt prove worthy 
 of the space awarded him. There were regular stations 
 kept for the pony and riders on the plains at intervals 
 where water and other conveniences could be obtained; 
 sometimes not more than twenty, but in other places as 
 far as one hundred miles apart. Often a single rider cov- 
 ered two or more stations, but at each station, to be pre- 
 pared for emergencies, an extra relay of ponies and riders 
 was kept in readiness. By day and night the pace once 
 begun was never broken. Five dollars an ounce was the 
 price for carrying letters, and no bulky or heavy matter 
 was accepted, fifteen pounds' weight being the limit. Im- 
 portant commercial papers and what is now designated as 
 the "Press Dispatches," and carried around the world in 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 21 
 
 a few seconds by telegraph, comprised the bulk of the mail 
 carried by the Pony, and this must all be written on tissue 
 paper to reduce its weight and bulk. 
 
 By day and night these courageous and tireless riders 
 were encountered as we journeyed westward, always salut- 
 ing as they went by, but on no pretext whatever would they 
 break the lope from one end of the route to the other. 
 
 The Indians were hostile that year on the plains, and 
 these solitary pony riders were often made the object of 
 their murderous attacks; and this condition also made it 
 imperative on our part to maintain vigilant watch, as 
 subsequent events will disclose. On nearing a station at 
 night, and often in the daytime, the rider would fire three 
 shots from a pistol in rapid succession in order to alarm 
 the keeper, who, thus forewarned, would have a fresh 
 mount ready on the moment, that there might be no delay 
 and the mail carried through on schedule time. Between 
 stations, where hostile demonstrations by the Indians were 
 the most frequent, two or three riders were put on for 
 mutual protection and the better to insure the safe conduct 
 of the mail. 
 
 Twice on the journey we were met or overtaken by 
 riders who had been wounded, as they informed us and as 
 their bloody shirts and pale faces plainly indicated; but 
 they held steadily to the course, determined that nothing 
 short of death should break the schedule time for the 
 mail. It was a sight to arouse the sympathy of all and 
 caused no little alarm in camp to see one day a pony go 
 loping by with an empty saddle, save only the little sack 
 of mail; the force of habit and the homing instinct with 
 the pony earning him through to the end of his route, 
 though the brave rider lay somewhere along the trail, cold 
 and stiff in death. 
 
22 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 But there were other perils equally great with those 
 caused by hostile Indians. Snowstorms on the mountains, 
 floods in the rivers and tempests on the plains had to be 
 met and overcome. Once in crossing the Platte, a very 
 treacherous stream to ford, a pony sank in the quicksands 
 and was drqwned. But the rider, with the sack of mail 
 in his teeth, swam ashore, carrying it fifteen miles on foot 
 to the station, where he arrived only an hour behind 
 schedule time. 
 
 During a terrific storm in the mountains a pony, making 
 a misstep on the slippery rocks, fell and his leg was broken. 
 The rider, as an act of mercy, shot the faithful little 
 animal, and with the sack of mail wandered eighteen hours 
 on foot in a blinding snowstorm before reaching a station. 
 
 The time will never be forgotten when we first became 
 acquainted with the means adopted by the riders for warn- 
 ing the station keepers of their approach. While encamped 
 on the trail one night a quarter of a mile from a station 
 a rider in passing fired the accustomed three shots. We 
 were in a dangerous country and close watch was being 
 kept, and the men on guard that night, thinking the firing 
 was but the preliminary skirmish of a more extended 
 attack, in great alarm fired their guns in the air, and 
 shouting "Indians !" ran hurriedly into camp. This cre- 
 ated a general alarm, and every available man was up in 
 a moment. The wagons were already corralled so as to 
 form a barricade, and behind these, according to estab- 
 lished usages, we were all hastening under arms, when 
 the horses took the alarm and stampeded in a body. It 
 was a condition that confronted us now and not a theory. 
 Already jaded and needing rest and recuperation, the 
 animals were hardly equal to this extra strain, and it 
 required strenuous effort for the next twenty-four hours to 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 23 
 
 effect a "round-up," and as much longer to rest and pre- 
 pare them for the journey yet ahead. 
 
 An alarm creating a stampede apparently passes through 
 a band of horses like an electric shock, and every hoof 
 moves in unison. Any old "skate," ringboned and spav- 
 ined though he may be, and on the verge of dissolution, 
 will be "up and a-coming" with the best of them in a 
 stampede. 
 
 The horse in his wild state, like the deer or rabbit, 
 evidently was created for flight in time of danger rather 
 than for defense, and in his intimate association with man 
 for thousands of years has not outgrown the instinct that 
 teaches him to take to his heels when alarmed, rather than 
 stand his ground and fight, if necessary, in self-defense. 
 
 One of the finest of our band of horses, a "Suffolk 
 Punch," was an importation direct from England and 
 weighed, when we started, twenty-four hundred pounds. 
 He was a thing of beauty, and in disposition gentle and 
 tractable as a dog. A boy sixteen years old was his attend- 
 ant and keeper. Punch seemed to have a fondness for the 
 boy, who fed him, rubbed his legs, climbed on his back, 
 rode and fondled him as a child might fondle any house- 
 hold pet. But in course of time the horse, on the long 
 and tiresome journey, became irritable and would allow 
 no one excepting the boy to come near him. Once breaking 
 loose he sprang upon a gelding, crushed him to the 
 ground, and soon would have trampled and bit his life out 
 had there been no interference. The horse seemed to be 
 afflicted as men often are in prolonged sieges of physical 
 endurance, when they lose their mental balance and become 
 testy and sometimes quarrelsome, and serious difficulty 
 arises. 
 
 A little later along, after this occurrence, we halted one 
 
24 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 day for fuel and rest, when the boy, as was his habit, took 
 the horse out to "bait" at the end of his halter, a few 
 yards distant from camp. The horse lay down, and, after 
 his accustomed "roll," arose and shook himself as a lion 
 shakes his mane, when the boy in turn lazily stretched 
 himself out on the ground, having hold of the end of the 
 halter. But suddenly, like some infuriated wild beast, the 
 horse sprang to his side, seized him by his clothing, and, 
 lifting him bodily between his powerful jaws, shook the 
 boy as a dog would shake a rat; and then, lowering him 
 to the ground, proceeded to trample the boy with his iron- 
 shod hoofs. A half-dozen men with neck yokes, singletrees 
 and whatever weapons could be seized upon at the moment 
 ran forward and beat the horse off. The boy, limp and 
 unconscious, was carried to the nearest wagon, where 
 restoratives were applied, and he soon revived, his first 
 words being not of himself, but "What's the matter with 
 Punch ?" Punch was then chained to the hind end of the 
 heaviest wagon, from which he was never released until 
 he reached California. There, after a little rest and quiet, 
 his wonted good nature returned. The boy's left nipple, 
 with a piece of the skin as large as the palm of one's hand, 
 was taken off, though no bones were broken, and he soon 
 recovered from his injuries, but forever after lost faith in 
 his pet. 
 
 Buffalo were plentiful along the line of our march at 
 this time, and, though wild and difficult of approach within 
 rifle range, before passing the feeding grounds I had 
 determined to have 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 25 
 
 A BUFFALO HUNT. 
 
 It was on the headwaters of the Platte that we went 
 into camp one evening, expecting to remain a day or two 
 for rest and recuperation. As indicated by the "chips/ 5 
 which were our only fuel for cooking purposes, the much- 
 coveted game seemed to be abundant, and as burning the 
 "chips" was about as close to a buffalo as any of our party 
 so far had approached, I thought this the time and place 
 to test my skill, surprise the camp and awaken a general 
 feeling of good-natured envy by killing one or more of 
 these monarchs of the plains. 
 
 The next morning before fairly light I started out, 
 armed with a Sharp's carbine and plenty of ammunition, 
 elate with the prospect of reaching a "wallow" before the 
 departure of the buffalo for the feeding grounds. I trav- 
 eled on and on, straining my eyes at every dark object in 
 the distance, till just at sunrise on the crest of a ridge 
 about a mile away the form of a monster buffalo loomed 
 up against the blue sky. His appearance to me was like 
 that of the cyclone as described by Bill Nye : "fully seven- 
 teen hands high, with a black mane and tail," and he 
 was surely "coming my way." Presently two or three 
 more came in sight, when I secreted myself in a gulch 
 and anxiously awaited developments. One after another 
 they continued to appear over the ridge until about three 
 hundred were in full view. They were feeding with heads 
 down, and in a slow, glacial-like movement came nearer 
 and nearer. 
 
 Distances are deceiving on the plains, and when the 
 herd came, as I believed, within rifle range, with as much 
 composure as possible I drew a bead on the foremost one 
 and fired. From experiences since gained in measuring 
 
26 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 distances in the clear and rarefied air of the higher alti- 
 tudes I am convinced my shot fell short a hundred yards 
 or more; but the buffalo was evidently deceived as to the 
 direction from which the report of my rifle came, for 
 instead of turning in flight, as anticipated, they raised 
 their heads, and with a rush and roar like that of some 
 immense cataract, fairly shaking the ground, they came 
 toward me head on. This was assuming an aspect on their 
 part altogether unlooked for, for at the present pace, 
 unless in some way turned or checked, the whole herd 
 would be upon me in a few moments more. Hastily 
 throwing another cartridge into the gun, without much 
 aim or thought, I fired a second shot, and still another. By 
 this time they seemed to take cognizance of my presence, 
 and, changing direction to the right, soon passed over the 
 ridge out of sight. I looked anxiously to see one or more 
 fall, and was enthusiastic enough to follow on their trail 
 for some distance, looking for ff blood" or other evidence 
 of my skill as a hunter and marksman, but was doomed 
 to disappointment. Had one fallen, so elated was I with 
 the hope of bringing back some substantial evidence of 
 my prowess I might have undertaken to drag a whole car- 
 cass with me into camp; but as matters finally turned out 
 I was glad enough to reach headquarters that night without 
 being so handicapped. 
 
 Indeed, I had traveled much farther than anticipated, 
 and on the return trip laid down to rest in a thicket of 
 willows on the river bottom, being well nigh exhausted, 
 and soon fell into a sound sleep. From this I was partially 
 aroused by a great noise and commotion of some kind going 
 on around me. There was the tramp of hoofs, and the 
 first thought was that the tables had been turned and the 
 buffalo herd was now hunting me. But my fears soon 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 27 
 
 took on a different form, for now I could distinguish a 
 babel of voices, none of which seemed intelligible; and 
 then it occurred to me possibly my sleep had been like that 
 of Rip Van Winkle, and I had awakened in another age 
 and time. But returning to full consciousness, what was 
 my surprise to find myself surrounded by a large band 
 of Indians just going into camp near the willows that had 
 sheltered me from the rays of the sun. 
 
 Here was an unlocked for turn of events, and the dis- 
 covery occasioned no little uneasiness, as it was now nearly 
 nightfall and I was yet two or three miles distant from 
 my friends, and the attitude these savages would assume 
 toward me when my presence among them was discovered 
 was a matter that could not be foretold. The women and 
 children were all busy arranging the camp, and as I arose 
 a number of "warriors" (gentlemen of leisure) came up 
 and accosted me with the customary salutation "how," this 
 word being about the extent of aboriginal acquirement of 
 the "foreign" languages up to that time. They seemed 
 about as much surprised as I was myself, and I undertook 
 to tell them there was a large encampment of white men 
 a short distance down the river, and that one shot from my 
 gun, like a blast from Roderick's horn, would be "worth 
 a thousand men." 
 
 It was plain to be seen their attention up to this time 
 was taken largely with my gun, and as I had been accus- 
 tomed to the use of a rifle from early boyhood, and at 
 any ordinary range was accounted a good off-hand shot, I 
 resolved to give them an exhibition of my skill, and at 
 the same time impress upon their untutored minds the 
 merits of a breech-loading gun. I had an earthen jug with 
 me which had contained water, and in the sign language 
 directed a young Indian to hang it on a bush about a 
 
28 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 hundred yards distant. He had barely complied with this 
 request and stepped aside when I drew up and shattered 
 the jug at the first shot, the handle alone remaining. 
 Though receiving this with the stoicism so common to the 
 Indian, it was evident an impression had been made, and, 
 following up the advantage, I slipped another cartridge 
 into the barrel and fired a second shot, this time striking 
 the remaining portion of the jug, off the limb. They 
 looked on in ill-concealed amazement as the possibilities 
 of this wonderful weapon were thus demonstrated, and 
 a leader among them made several attempts to get posses- 
 sion of the gun, ostensibly for a closer inspection, but I 
 succeeded in parrying him with trifling excuses, keeping 
 the gun in my own hands. 
 
 Being satisfied that a favorable impression had been 
 created, I took advantage of the opportunity, and, with- 
 out waiting for an invitation to "tea," bid them good-bye 
 and hurried off to camp, casting back*furtive glances now 
 and then to see if there .was anything like a hostile move- 
 ment going on behind. They were Arapahoes, a powerful 
 and warlike tribe, but friendly with the whites just at that 
 time. The monotony of the camp was relieved with stories 
 of the buffalo hunt for several evenings thereafter. 
 
 Without further adventure of any considerable note the 
 middle of June found us at the Devil's Gate, in the Wind 
 River Mountains, in what is now the western portion of 
 the State of Wyoming. Our camp is near the Pacific 
 Springs, the first water found on the route flowing toward 
 the Pacific Ocean. The altitude is great, the winds are 
 high and during our stay here a rain sets in, which soon 
 turns to sleet and snow, causing great suffering among 
 the horses, many of which have already succumbed to the 
 hardships of the journey, f - - ' 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 29 
 
 The Devil's Gate is a slit or gorge in the mountains, 
 through which flows the Wind Eiver on its eastern pas- 
 sage, emptying into the Big Horn. This gorge seems to 
 be the connecting link or outlet for the air currents from 
 west to east and vice versa as they surge up against the 
 rocky barrier of the great Continental Divide. Through 
 the Devil's Gate the winds sometimes rush with a wailing 
 sound that gives rise to the name of the gorge, while the 
 river and the mountains in which it has its source take 
 their name from the winds that seem constantly to blow. 
 The Divide, so called, is a distinctive feature in the face 
 of the country, as springs are found here whose fountain 
 heads are but a few hundred yards apart and whose waters 
 flow in opposite directions. 
 
 After a fifteen days' march from the Wind Eiver we 
 reach the Wasatch Mountains, and from their summit 
 obtain the first glimpse of Zion, 
 
 THE HOLY CITY. 
 
 The route leads through Echo Canyon, the only direct 
 pass from the East through the Wasatch Range to Salt 
 Lake, the Mormon capital. This pass was seized upon by 
 the Mormons for defense against the United States Army, 
 sent across the plains as alluded to in a former chapter. 
 Active preparations were made to make Echo Canyon the 
 Mormon Thermopylae, and many of their crude fortifica- 
 tions were still there. Great piles of rocks had been placed 
 along the rim of the steep bluffs to cover their sharp- 
 shooters and to hurl over the precipice into the ranks of 
 an invading army. Indeed, this spot was well chosen, and 
 had they made a determined stand it would have required 
 a great sacrifice of men to have dislodged them. An army 
 
30 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 not very large at most, two thousand miles from its base, 
 over a trackless desert, might, by a few determined men, 
 have been baffled and detained there months, if not years. 
 But either the Government had been misinformed as to 
 their intent and purposes or the Mormons must have come 
 suddenly down from the high horse they had so recently 
 mounted in opposition to the constituted authorities. 
 
 A Peace Commissioner was sent out from Washington 
 in advance of the army to inquire into the political status 
 of the new "State of Deseret," as the Mormons had named 
 the territory upon which they were the first white settlers, 
 claiming sovereignly as they did against all comers. The 
 report of this Commissioner was made the basis for final 
 adjustment of the pending difficulties. So, with the assur- 
 ance of good faith on the part of the Mormons, the army, 
 under a special stipulation to that effect, passed directly 
 through and beyond Salt Lake to Camp Floyd, forty miles 
 south and west from the city, and there went into per- 
 manent camp. 
 
 But in filing through the streets of Zion a very strange 
 sight met the view. A place under normal conditions of 
 about twelve thousand inhabitants, was deserted, except for 
 the presence of a few men, who stood with torch in hand 
 ready to fire the combustibles that had been previously 
 prepared and placed in every house for the total destruc- 
 tion of the city in case the army should halt there and 
 take possession contrary to agreement. But no such con- 
 ditions arose and the so-called Mormon War came sud- 
 denly to an end. 
 
 We had been over three months on the road, and the 
 Great Salt Lake basin, as viewed from the summit of the 
 Wasatch, looked to us beautiful as the fabled Garden of 
 the Gods. The rations of flapjacks, in the preparation of 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 31 
 
 which our cooks had become expert, with the simple addi- 
 tion of salt horse and coffee, were no longer regarded as 
 delicacies, and when we reached the valley, where milk, 
 butter and eggs were plentiful, though held at fabulous 
 prices, a day of rejoicing had surely come. But even this 
 welcome change had its bitter accompaniment, for all prod- 
 ucts of the dairy, including eggs, had a salt and brackish 
 taste, against which an overcrowded stomach soon rebelled. 
 Although assured by the prophets that this trifling 
 peculiarity, incident to the close proximity of the Great 
 Salt Lake itself, would wear away with prolonged acquaint- 
 ance, we did not tarry long enough to test the truthfulness 
 of the prophecy. 
 
 It was about the first of July that we passed around the 
 southern end of the lake where Garfield and the big 
 smelters now stand. The Indians to the westward were 
 known to be hostile and there had been no Pony through 
 for at least ten days. The settlers we chanced to meet on 
 the road coming in to Salt Lake in great alarm all gave 
 the same account of existing conditions, predicting a 
 general 
 
 INDIAN OUTBKEAK. 
 
 Beyond the settlements was a desert waste, in crossing 
 which water had to be carried, and as the necessity arose 
 rations of water mixed with flour were parceled out to the 
 teams, for upon keeping up the strength of the animals 
 all human hope depended. In this extremity we traveled a 
 part of a day and all of one night before reaching a country 
 where water and feed could be obtained, and then in no 
 great abundance. On this "trek" all who were able to do so, 
 in order to conserve the strength of the horses, were com- 
 pelled to walk through alkali beds and hot, burning sands. 
 
32 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Grave matters were now being presented for our con- 
 sideration. The train had been augmented by the addition 
 of two or three smaller ones; and, while this gave about 
 thirty able-bodied men, fairly well armed, it also brought 
 with it the responsibility of caring for and protecting the 
 lives of a dozen women and children, whose safety de- 
 manded the very best we were able to give. There were 
 five or six large wagons containing the supplies, and two 
 light spring wagons which served as ambulances for the 
 accommodation of any who might become sick or in any 
 way disabled. Besides the working teams, there were a 
 hundred head of lead and saddle horses, all of great value 
 if safely landed in California, and these must be watched 
 and guarded by day and night at whatever cost. What 
 added to the general disquietude and increased anxiety 
 feed for the stock and our own provisions as well, were 
 running low. 
 
 The outlook, then, was not a flattering one as we passed 
 out to the westward beyond the Great Salt Lake. Ap- 
 parently two propositions were open to us, one of which 
 must be adopted without delay: either to go into camp 
 and exhaust our supplies while awaiting developments, 
 and eventually turn back disappointed, humiliated and 
 defeated, or to go forward and brave the dangers of which 
 we were apprehensive. 
 
 While revolving these reflections in our minds the Fourth 
 of July came, when we laid up for a day to deliberate and 
 to celebrate. It is difficult to conceive of a situation so 
 grave that a patriotic American, in possession of all his 
 faculties, would fail to take cognizance in some way of the 
 birthday of our national independence. Not having a copy 
 of the Declaration to read, patriotic songs were substituted 
 and a general good feeling was awakened in the camp. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 33 
 
 Ahead, some fifteen miles distant and within plain view, 
 a spur of mountains lay across our track, which could only 
 be crossed by following a steep canyon to its summit, where 
 there was a tableland or mesa extending some little dis- 
 tance before descending on the opposite side of the range. 
 As we had been informed, a band of renegade Indians, 
 bearing the suggestive cognomen of the "Goshoots," occu- 
 pied the mesa and held this pass as a vantage ground for 
 purposes of robbery and plunder. The Pony had already 
 been attacked there, as was known, and now for some 
 reason had been cut off entirely for over two weeks. 
 
 At a council held that afternoon, at which time the 
 situation was fully canvassed, it was decided to go on, and 
 every possible preparation for defense was made. As a 
 means of safety the flour and bacon in the big wagons was 
 arranged so as to form a temporary barricade, inside of 
 which the women and children were lodged, and, having 
 divided the fighting forces into two companies of fifteen 
 men each and chosen leaders, we lay quietly down, allow- 
 ing the fires to go out as if for an all night's rest. The 
 plan was to pull up stakes a little later, and by a forced 
 march reach the canyon before daylight, and pass through, 
 thus outwitting the wily savage and avoiding an attack on 
 his chosen ground. 
 
 Signal fires were burning in the mountains all night, 
 which fact we regarded as an evidence that our movements 
 were being watched. In accordance with the plan adopted 
 we pulled out about 10 o'clock, and, after having put our 
 teams to the limit of endurance through the night, day- 
 light came on and found us still out on the open plains 
 about three miles distant from the canyon and in full 
 view of the Indians, should any be awaiting our approach. 
 That they were so in waiting will soon appear. 
 
34 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Fresh tracks of Indian ponies in great numbers leading 
 toward the pass could be seen along the trail, and an 
 attack before reaching the summit seemed inevitable. All 
 the horrors of Indian warfare were now confronting us 
 like living pictures, but there was no other alternative 
 the gauntlet must be run. 
 
 On reaching the mouth of the canyon five men were 
 advanced as skirmishers on either flank, the balance 
 remaining at intervals on each side of the train. Not a 
 bird, bee or insect of any description gave forth a sound, 
 no word was spoken, and the silence that prevailed was 
 oppressive and ominous. The sun had just reached the 
 tops of the bald mountains and the last man and horse of 
 the train had entered the canyon, the teams and wagons 
 ahead and the lead horses in the rear, when the dread 
 silence was broken by a dozen rifle shots ringing out upon 
 the still morning air, accompanied by the yells of fifty 
 savages secreted under the low-lying scrub cedars that 
 grew far up on the mountain side. Two of the team 
 horses on the front wagon fell dead at the first volley, 
 thus blocking the passage of the train, as the dead animals 
 had to be lifted out of the way and two lead horses brought 
 up, harnessed and hitched in their places before a wheel 
 could be turned. This occupied fifteen or twenty minutes, 
 during which time the yells from the savages and their 
 murderous fire was kept up. All the wagons were peppered 
 with rifle shots and among them some arrows which 
 penetrated the covers, but lodged in the flour and bacon 
 and other heavy material, behind which lay the women and 
 children, paralyzed with fear, but receiving no further 
 injury. The delay seemed interminable, but finally the 
 teams moved on, and meantime the men, with rifles in 
 hand, skirmished up the sides of the canyon, driving the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 35 
 
 Indians back so that their shots became less frequent and 
 less effective. 
 
 Throughout the entire length of the canyon Indians 
 were in sight on the bald mountains above and out of range, 
 and by signals directed the movements of those who were 
 doing the shooting from among the cedars below. As soon 
 as the summit and level plain was reached the wagons were 
 corralled and preparations were made for a siege, but the 
 Indians were too cowardly to come within range of our 
 guns at this time, and, after a few parting shots, disap- 
 peared, though we knew not at what moment the attack 
 might be renewed. It was the vigorous and active resist- 
 ance made by our sharpshooters undoubtedly that saved 
 the train from eventual capture and all our people from 
 massacre. 
 
 In the progress of the skirmish it was impossible to tell 
 by the report of a gun from which side of the canyon 
 a shot was fired. The Indians doing the shooting were 
 secreted in the thick tops of the cedars, so that the smoke 
 from their guns could not readily be seen, while the entire 
 canyon was filled with the echo of every discharge. In 
 this way our men were often deceived and led into dan- 
 gerous situations, sometimes narrowly escaping death. A 
 member of our party, Sam Pitts by name, a country-raised 
 young fellow, whose number eleven brogans had often been 
 made the subject of good-natured banter around the camp- 
 fire, in his over-zealousness to get a "fair cr*ack at an 
 Injun," as he expressed it, exposed himself unnecessarily, 
 and while standing in the open a bullet from under a cedar 
 bush struck the dry earth between his feet. "By gosh!" 
 exclaimed Pitts, falling a little back behind a bush, "I 
 believe that Injun shot at my feet !" Whereupon the 
 "Injun," emboldened by this retrograde movement, sud- 
 
36 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 denly appeared upon a jutting rock, and, clapping his 
 heels together as he sprang into the air, emitted a series 
 of "whoops" that resounded in the canyon like the howling 
 of a band of coyotes. But this was his last war dance, and 
 had the effect of making a good Indian of him, for while 
 gyrating as above described he was struck by a bullet from 
 Pitts' rifle that brought him tumbling limp and lifeless 
 upon the boulders beneath. Only for the intervention of 
 his comrades Pitts would have been foolhardy enough to 
 have gone for the Indian's scalp or some other trophy. 
 
 The smoke of battle having cleared away, we were 
 enabled to count noses and arrive at the following sum- 
 mary: At least one Indian had been killed, and five of 
 our horses, while two others, wounded to the death, fol- 
 lowed to the summit and there died. It was pitiable to 
 see the wounded horses staggering along, apparently dread- 
 ing to be left alone to die, and, after falling to the ground, 
 lifting their heads and watching the train till it passed 
 out of sight, as if in mute appeal for sympathy and aid. 
 
 Fearing now to travel by daylight, we renewed the 
 journey after nightfall, keeping out a strong advance 
 guard, and in our hearts praying for some intelligence 
 from the Pony, for his appearance on the accustomed 
 route would be accepted as evidence that the atmosphere to 
 the westward had cleared and that the Indians had in a 
 measure ceased from their hostile demonstrations. The 
 writer remembers that night in the advance we walked 
 cautiously in the middle of the road, keeping eyes and 
 ears open for any unwelcome visitor or sound, for how 
 should we know but there was a "lurking devil" behind 
 every rock and bush. Signal fires as before were seen 
 in the distance, and an attack from ambush was greatly 
 feared. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 37 
 
 Presently the click-i-ty-click, click-i-ty-click of a horse's 
 hoofs on the gallop came to our ears. Sounds in the 
 mountains at night seem to travel as easily and almost as 
 far as the sight does in the daytime, and this might be an 
 Indian runner sent ahead to warn his henchmen some- 
 where on the trail of our approach, or it might be the 
 Pony rehabilitated and once more on his accustomed route. 
 As the hoof-beats drew near we divided the squad and 
 secreted ourselves on opposite sides of the trail. The moon 
 at its full was shining brightly, and presently a man on 
 horseback came galloping toward us. It was the Pony 
 from Carson, the first to come through after the outbreak. 
 
 We hailed him, asking the news from the West. He 
 had come through a hostile country from Carson City, a 
 distance of two hundred miles, on one pony and alone. 
 The Indians, he said, had been dispersed by the volunteer 
 miners, and the route for the time being was clear. The 
 courageous rider had made the extraordinary trip with no 
 covering over his shoulders but a flannel shirt, and carrying 
 no equipment but a six-shooter and a chunk of dried beef. 
 But he knew the country well ; the sinews of both pony and 
 rider were of steel, and when rest and feed became a neces- 
 sity he led up a ravine away from the trail, and, letting 
 the pony out on one end of a lariat, tied the other to his 
 wrist and lay down to sleep, while the pony grazed on the 
 bunchgrass that grew in abundance along the mountain 
 sides. But the rider had been entrusted with an important 
 mission, the execution of which was to bring into play the 
 highest order of physical courage and a deep sense of the 
 moral obligation he had assumed, and therefore no danger 
 was so great or hardship so severe as to cause him for a 
 moment to hesitate or turn from the duty assigned him. 
 Such was the material of which the pony and the Pony 
 
38 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 riders were made that carried the mail and dispatches 
 across the desert and over the mountain trails to the far 
 West in 1860. 
 
 Taking courage from the example set by this man who 
 had braved the dangers alone, we kept on our course to the 
 Sink of the Carson, where the writer left the train and 
 proceeded on foot to 
 
 VIRGINIA CITY. 
 
 The news of the first battle of Bull Run was carried 
 across the plains from St. Joe, Missouri, to Carson City, 
 Nevada, a distance of fourteen hundred miles, by means 
 of the Pony Express, in five days and twenty-two hours. 
 The interest which this extraordinary feat must at any 
 other time have aroused was lost sight of in the more 
 startling intelligence which the Pony carried across the 
 continent with the velocity of a swift-moving train. 
 
 While this message was being heralded all the way up 
 the grade, from Carson to Gold Hill, Silver City and 
 Virginia City, two young men, who upon a brief acquaint- 
 ance had become friendly and intimate (one from the 
 Southern States and the other from the North), were 
 sitting together at the base of Mount Davidson enjoying a 
 commanding view of the picturesque camp below and of 
 the plains and desert beyond. 
 
 Virginia City at that time consisted for the greater part 
 of one main street, on either side of which was a row of 
 cabins made of cloth stretched over frames of rough and 
 unhewed timbers, with now and then a more pretentious 
 building, constructed entirely of undressed boards set up- 
 right and battened to keep out the chilling blasts of that 
 mountain region. The place represented in its general 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 39 
 
 appearance what it was in fact, a typical mining camp of 
 the Wild West of that early period. Slight evidences of 
 a more advanced civilization were now and then seen, such 
 as a burying ground, set apart though not fenced, and, 
 according to tradition, its only occupants up to that time 
 were men who had been either shot or stabbed to death. 
 
 The summer of 1860, the period from which this writing 
 is taken, the group of mines on the great Comstock Lode 
 the Virginia, the Gould and Curry, the Ophir and the 
 Savage (mines whose fabulous wealth was soon to astonish 
 the world) were little more than prospects. There being 
 as yet very inadequate means in the country for reducing 
 the ore, it had accumulated on the dumps in large quan- 
 tities, and the writer found his first employment after 
 reaching Virginia City assorting and shoveling ore into 
 piles on the dumps according to grade, receiving $4.00 a 
 day as compensation for his labor; and later sold on the 
 streets for twenty-five cents each, all the way from Vir- 
 ginia to Gold Hill and Silver City, copies of the first issue 
 of the Virginia City Enterprise. 
 
 Every pound of food for man or beast, and every article 
 of utility, including machinery for stamp and sawmill 
 purposes, powder, blankets and clothing, had all to be 
 conveyed from California on the backs of mules, across 
 the Sierra Xevada Mountains, over rough and dangerous 
 trails on which the lives of both men and animals were 
 often sacrificed. A heavy pack, striking a jutting rock 
 on one side of the trail, would sometimes throw the mule 
 out of balance down into the canyon on the opposite side, 
 hundreds of feet below. In an emergency like this no 
 attempt even was made to recover the pack, the mule being 
 dead beyond the shadow of a doubt. 
 
 Many men whose names have since become famous in 
 
40 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 mining circles and in the development of the West walked 
 the streets of Virginia at that time in gum boots and clad 
 in the plain garb of the every-day miner. Mackay, Floyd, 
 Fair and O'Brien were then on the bottom round of the 
 financial ladder upon which they afterward ascended like 
 a rocket, outstripping the dreams of avarice. 
 
 The Territory of Nevada was just being formed from a 
 part of Utah, and the writer had the privilege of listening 
 to the inaugural address of General Nye, of New York, 
 the first Territorial Governor, delivered at Carson City in 
 the early summer of 1861. Judge Terry, a Southern 
 leader and a man of great force of character, having 
 already become notorious in the politics of California, and 
 as the slayer of Senator Broderick in a duel fought on 
 political grounds, undertook clandestinely to carry the new 
 Territory into the slave-holding ranks, but his scheme was 
 discovered and defeated through the efforts of loyal and 
 patriotic men, and Nevada was thus saved to the Union. 
 
 In the literary world Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Joaquin 
 Miller and others drew their early inspiration from the 
 heights of the Sierras near the spot and amidst the scenes 
 of which we now write. 
 
 No matter how well or peaceably disposed the great mass 
 of miners and prospectors may have been at that time, 
 the gambling house and saloon was the only place where 
 they could assemble evenings during their leisure hours to 
 exchange gossip concerning the latest "discovery" and dis- 
 cuss the topics of the day. The gambling houses were 
 generally made of cloth, through the walls of which a pistol 
 shot would pass without impediment of speed, finding its 
 way into the street and thus endangering the life and 
 limb of the innocent bystander or passing pedestrian. So 
 one's protection was about as well assured within the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 41 
 
 gambling house as on the outside. Twenty-dollar gold 
 pieces were the chips generally used in the numerous games 
 going on around the room, and when fifteen or twenty 
 tables were in operation at one time the clink of gold 
 coin at the tables and of glasses at the bar could be heard 
 above the din of voices and the shuffle of feet. Whenever 
 a shot was heard on the streets or elsewhere the people 
 paused in instant dread, for no one discharged a gun in 
 Virginia City at that time except it be with deadly intent 
 and purpose. 
 
 The whole side of the mountain and plateau surrounding 
 the city was honeycombed with prospect holes and shafts 
 ranging from ten to two hundred and fifty feet in depth. 
 These being open and unguarded, accidents from their 
 exposed positions frequently occurred. A peculiar instance 
 of this character is recalled. An old habitue of the saloon 
 and a familiar figure on the street had been three days 
 missing from his accustomed haunts. A search being made, 
 his hat was found at the bottom of a forty-foot shaft. Into 
 this, by the aid of a windlass, one of a searching party was 
 lowered, but further than the hat no evidence of the miss- 
 ing man was anywhere to be seen. But, prosecuting the 
 search further, the sound of deep and labored breathing 
 was heard. Astonished and somewhat alarmed at hearing 
 strange noises so far beneath the ground, where no trace 
 of any living thing was evident, the affair began to take 
 on the appearance of a mystery as deep, perhaps, as the 
 shaft itself. Continuing the investigation, however, a drift 
 was discovered, at the farther end of which the object of 
 the search was found. The stifling air of the drift was 
 redolent with the fumes of whisky, and an empty jug, 
 hugged close to the side of the prostrate man, in mute 
 eloquence told the story of his thraldom. 
 
42 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 It appears that on his way home, after a round-up of 
 the saloons, he had lucklessly fallen into the shaft, carrying 
 with him to the bottom a jug of whisky, his sole and only 
 solace and companion, whether lying prone in his lonely 
 cabin or helpless at the bottom of a forty-foot shaft. Not 
 having been killed by the fall, he had crawled into the 
 drift, and there managed to keep up his spirits until the 
 contents of the jug was exhausted, and then with meek 
 resignation quietly awaited developments. By the aid of 
 the windlass he was lifted out to the open air, and after 
 imbibing a couple of additional drinks which were 
 kindly offered, he walked unaided to his cabin. 
 
 Some time after this occurrence a man on horseback 
 rode into a shaft two hundred feet deep, and the dead 
 bodies of both rider and horse were found at the bottom 
 some weeks thereafter. 
 
 Probably no city in the Union founded within the last 
 half century has contributed so much in actual wealth or 
 furnished such interesting data to be woven into the history 
 of that stirring period as Virginia City, Nevada. Many 
 of the men who, a little later, expended their energies and 
 lavished their wealth in making San Francisco and Cali- 
 fornia great and prosperous drew their capital from the 
 base of Mount Davidson, the estimated output of the Corn- 
 stock Lode amounting to the fabulous sum of $750,000,000. 
 
 The mirage out on the desert had been unusually attrac- 
 tive and brilliant, and the two young men introduced at 
 the beginning of this chapter had been watching this 
 phenomenon and exchanging views upon its appearance and 
 the impressions it had made upon their minds; for Vir- 
 ginia City, it should be remembered, was favored with the 
 most wonderful of these exhibitions in nature. The 
 decision reached was that a battle in actual progress had 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 43 
 
 been represented. As remembered now, the view was a 
 fair reproduction of the moving pictures on canvas, as 
 seen at the present day. The vision was realistic. The 
 smoke of battle was there; "the steed, the mustering 
 squadron and the clattering car" were as plainly visible as 
 when, a few days earlier, they had been seen and heard 
 on the plains of Manassas, three thousand miles away, in 
 the first great conflict of the Civil War. The two friends 
 little dreamed at the time that war between the States 
 had actually begun. 
 
 But just at this moment both young men were startled 
 by the cry of a carrier with a bundle of papers an extra 
 of the Virginia City Enterprise shouting as he ran : 
 "The first great battle of the Eebellion fought at Bull 
 Run, Virginia ! Union troops defeated and in retreat !" 
 
 While war seemed inevitable and a collision between the 
 opposing forces not altogether unlocked for (before this 
 we had had no direct information from the East for many 
 weeks), this news came upon the writer like a crushing 
 blow, and by it a feeling of patriotic pride was aroused, 
 and a sense of the deep obligation every citizen is under to 
 his country was awakened ; and while giving audible expres- 
 sion to these sentiments he had also determined, at the 
 first opportunity, to take up the gage of battle in the 
 pending struggle for the preservation of the Union. 
 
 The Southern man with equal promptness expressed a 
 like sentiment, but in an opposite direction. He would 
 return to his home in Louisiana and there enter the lists 
 in behalf of his native South. These opposing views, 
 though warmly expressed, in no manner changed the 
 friendly and amicable relations existing between the two 
 young men. 
 
 We now bid farewell to the West of ante bellum days, to 
 
44 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the plains, to the Pony and the Pony riders, for their 
 memory is to be preserved in bronze and marble and with 
 the painter's brush; and, trusting these have all proved 
 worthy of the space awarded them, we take up the long 
 journey to the Atlantic seaboard and the 
 
 THEATEE OF WAE. 
 
 From Carson westward the Sierras rise abruptly, the 
 California stage taking a zigzag course along the mountain 
 side a distance of ten or twelve miles to the summit or 
 highest point reached by the road. 
 
 On a fine morning early in August I boarded this stage 
 at Carson my ultimate destination being San Francisco 
 and the East, by way of Panama. This route over the 
 Sierras was made famous by Horace Greeley only the year 
 before in the account given by him of the wild and pre- 
 cipitous stage ride he took down the western slope of the 
 Sierras with the redoubtable "Hank" Monk as driver. 
 
 The ascent from Carson to the summit was slow and 
 tedious enough, the timber and dense undergrowth often 
 shutting out the view, and passengers, getting tired of the 
 heavy drag up the grade, often left their seats, and by a 
 much more direct route over a trail reached the summit 
 and the intersection of the road ahead of the stage. Mr. 
 Greeley, it seems, not aware of this "cut-off," became im- 
 patient of the slow progress being made, and so complained 
 to the driver, whom he had already "tipped" with a twenty- 
 dollar gold piece he being especially anxious to reach 
 Placerville that night, where he had an engagement to 
 speak. But for more than an hour the six magnificent gray 
 horses attached to the coach (especially selected for the 
 trip) moved at a provokingly moderate jog, seldom faster 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 45 
 
 than a walk. Mr. Greeley, anxious to end the journey 
 and fearing to miss his appointment, did not hesitate to 
 make his impatience at this seeming delay audibly mani- 
 fest. He was assured, however, that the ground would be 
 covered in due time, and that there was no occasion for 
 worry. But this assurance did not seem altogether satisfy- 
 ing, and the nervousness of the distinguished passenger 
 increased as time and distance wore slowly away. 
 
 At length the summit was reached, and here, as if to add 
 fuel to the flames, a halt was made for a breathing spell 
 and to water the grays. At this delay Mr. Greeley is said 
 to have broken forth in some choice expletives that have 
 not been made a matter of record. Finally, at the cry 
 of "All aboard!" the driver sprang into the box, and, 
 drawing up the reins, threw the "silken braid" swishing 
 through the air, emitting loud reports like the fire of 
 musketry on the skirmish line. In response to this the 
 grays, now fresh and champing the bit, sprang off down 
 the western slope of the Sierras at a rate of speed that 
 soon changed Mr. Greeley's thoughts from his late appoint- 
 ment into new and altogether different channels. 
 
 The grade, narrow at all times, in places had been 
 washed away by recent rains, leaving deep gulches, into 
 which the stage plunged and rebounded like a rudderless 
 bark in a tempest-tossed sea, making it extremely difficult 
 for a passenger to remain in anything like a dignified or 
 recumbent position. In one of these sudden lurches Mr. 
 Greeley was thrown from a seat in the rear to the front of 
 the coach, where he saved himself from an immediate 
 retrograde movement by clinging frantically to a strap. 
 
 Forgetful of his appointment, and now thoroughly 
 alarmed, he thrust his head out of the coach and shouted to 
 the driver to exercise great caution and slacken his speed. 
 
46 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 But Monk, with the assurance of a master hand and 
 greatly enjoying the discomfiture of his "tenderfoot" pas- 
 senger, replied: "Keep your seat, Mr. Greeley; there is 
 no occasion for alarm. I will see you safely landed in 
 Placerville on schedule time/' and under the stimulus of 
 a resounding crack of the whip the grays forged ahead 
 with renewed energy. Down the steep and narrow passage, 
 with boulders a thousand tons in weight hanging threat- 
 eningly overhead on one hand, while on the other, around 
 sharp curves, the coach ran on two wheels along the brink 
 of yawning chasms a hundred fathoms deep. To use the 
 vernacular of the period, the situation soon became suffi- 
 ciently alarming to "raise the hair on a bald head," espe- 
 cially if it be one unaccustomed to mountain roads and 
 the mode of travel peculiar to that time and place. Mr. 
 Greeley, alarmed for his life, and hopeless so far as any 
 abatement of speed was looked for, clung grimly to the 
 straps, and with Christian resignation awaited the final 
 overthrow of the coach, which he now believed would be 
 the inevitable outcome. At length, however, descending 
 from the barren, snow-clad summit of the Sierras into the 
 timber belt below, the projecting limbs of the giant cedars 
 along the track presented a fresh source of alarm, threaten- 
 ing to rake off the entire top of the coach as it swayed 
 and lurched from one side of the road to the other in its 
 headlong downward passage. 
 
 With smoking nostrils and flaming flanks, the grays 
 are suddenly brought to a stand in. front of a relay sta- 
 tion, where a rapid change of horses is made, but not of 
 drivers. Casting about during the brief respite given here, 
 Mr. Greeley ascertained the fact that the coach had dropped 
 three thousand feet in coming a distance of twelve miles, 
 and that the ground had been covered in fifty-five minutes. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 47 
 
 The remainder of the journey was uneventful until 
 about three miles out the stage met a large number of 
 citizens in carriages, headed by the Mayor, who had come 
 to escort Mr. Greeley into Placerville, but Monk had given 
 his word to carry the distinguished passenger safely 
 through to the end of the route, and, having accepted a 
 valuable tip as an earnest of good faith, could not afford 
 at this stage of the proceedings to hazard his reputation; 
 so, completely ignoring the delegation, and never making 
 a halt, he drove on at full speed clear into the city. 
 
 Like Mr. Greeley, I had become impatient in making 
 this ascent and took the "cut-off" as above described. 
 Among my fellow-passengers was a man who had been 
 pointed out on the streets of Virginia City as a gambler 
 and desperado, having already, though not of middle age, 
 several "notches" cut in the stock of his revolver. The 
 trail taken led through dense thickets, in places entirely 
 out of sight and hearing of the stage or the road, and 
 when fairly out of hailing distance from all others who 
 should come up behind me on the trail but the <f bad man" 
 from Virginia City. He was armed to the teeth, and, as 
 it appeared to me, a very ugly looking fellow; and the 
 fact that I was wearing a buckskin shirt that contained 
 about $800 in gold coin, carefully sewed up in rows, did 
 not act as a sedative upon my nerves. 
 
 We were entirely alone he being in the rear where we 
 were compelled to walk by file and, of course, it occurred 
 to me this desperate man might take a notion to demand 
 'the immediate surrender of my money, or to arrive at it 
 in some more direct manner. We worked our way along 
 up the trail, very little being said; but meantime I took 
 furtive glances over my shoulder to see if any prepara- 
 tions for carrying out such a purpose were openly evident. 
 
4 8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The route was difficult, the weather warm, and the per- 
 spiration that poured off my back and ran down the trail 
 was in much greater volume than I had ever experienced 
 before. 
 
 At last, reaching a broad flat rock where there was room 
 for two, we sat down and a conversation ensued, in the 
 progress of which my traveling compatriot volunteered the 
 information that he owned a saloon and gambling house 
 in Virginia City and another in Placerville, the terminus 
 of the stage line. But before moving on he gave me a 
 nervous shock of an altogether different character by ask- 
 ing the loan of ten dollars. Whether this was a pretext 
 for getting me to expose my purse, thereby making it a 
 little more easy of access, I could not tell; but remember- 
 ing "the Lord loves a cheerful giver/' and thus making 
 a "virtue of a necessity," I handed over the ten dollars 
 without hesitation and with as much "cheerfulness" as I 
 could command under the circumstances. Whether the 
 promptness with which I separated from my coin had any 
 effect upon the consciousness of my new-found friend must 
 be left to further developments. At any rate, a sensation 
 of relief was felt when, soon after, we reached the junction 
 of the road and there met the stage. 
 
 Before reaching our destination we had become quite 
 intimate, he sharing with me on the way the greater por- 
 tion of the ten dollars borrowed in lunches, cigars, etc., 
 etc. On disembarking at Placerville I was not altogether 
 surprised to see the "bad man" greeted on every hand 
 and hailed as a good fellow by every one he met. Aside 
 from returning promptly the ten dollars borrowed, he did 
 not allow me to spend a cent for any purpose while I 
 remained in the city, and our final separation the next 
 morning was one of apparent regret to both. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 49 
 
 Reaching San Francisco by boat direct from Sacramento 
 on the evening of August 6th, a cold wind with a fog 
 sweeping up the bay (whereas the weather in Sacramento 
 had been intensely hot) chilled all the passengers to the 
 marrow. 
 
 San Francisco, with a population of about 50,000, was 
 then just entering upon the period of its greatest pros- 
 perity. Aside from the rich products of the mines of 
 California, the wealth that soon came pouring in from 
 the Comstock Lode was centered here; a ceaseless flood of 
 emigration had set in across the plains, while two endless 
 chains of white sails one coming and one going choked 
 up the passage of the Golden Gate, filling the great bay 
 and enriching San Francisco with the commerce of the 
 world. 
 
 Taking advantage of the first vessel to sail, on the llth 
 of August I took passage for Panama on 
 
 "THE OLD SONOKA." 
 
 This was said to have been the first passenger steam- 
 ship to reach the California coast by the way of Cape 
 Horn. It was a surprise to me and a pleasure as well on 
 going aboard to find Lanier, my Southern friend and 
 former associate of Virginia City, who had also engaged 
 a passage and was about to embark on the journey to New 
 Orleans by the way of Panama ; and, though our objects in 
 life were so widely at variance, we were still to be friends 
 and companions. 
 
 Among the passengers, men largely predominated, mostly 
 fortune-seekers returning to the States after having braved 
 the dangers and hardships of the plains or the long journey 
 by water around the Horn, and buffeting with fortune with 
 
 
50 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 varying degrees of success for months or years in the new 
 Eldorado. Out of the seven or eight hundred passengers 
 of the class above described, a very limited number had 
 "struck it rich" and amassed a competency for those early 
 times, while a few, like myself, had saved a few hundred 
 dollars ; the great mass, however, were as destitute as when 
 they reached the coast, being barely able to pay for a 
 return passage in the steerage. But rich or poor, and 
 disappointed though many had been, all were happy now in 
 anticipation of soon reaching home, there to meet the loved 
 ones waiting with open arms to receive them. 
 
 For the fifteen days en route for Panama the weather 
 was delightful, and the fact that Confederate cruisers were 
 already sweeping both oceans kept up a lively interest 
 among the passengers, alert in anticipation of some adven- 
 ture of a warlike character. On a long voyage at sea, to 
 watch for passing sails becomes an all-engrossing pastime 
 under the most ordinary conditions, but with the Sonora's 
 passengers every species of craft seen in the distance took 
 on an added significance and aroused the curiosity of all 
 on board. 
 
 In the bow of our steamer was a very large gun, and, 
 although rusty and unserviceable for any belligerent pur- 
 pose, to the unpracticed eye it looked formidable enough. 
 Besides, we had with us, as freight en route for the East, 
 a large supply of muskets and ammunition that had been 
 brought to the Pacific Coast to meet the emergency of the 
 war threatened at Salt Lake. As an escort for all this 
 Government property and what also afforded a good deal 
 of satisfaction, in case of being overhauled by a Confed- 
 erate cruiser there was on board a small company of 
 United States soldiers. Being thus equipped, it was 
 believed in our innocent hearts we would be able to man 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 51 
 
 the big gun, and, with a loaded musket in the hands of 
 every warlike passenger, the Sonora could successfully 
 resist any force the enemy could send against her. 
 
 We had already had several little scares, and the interest 
 in imaginary privateers continued unabated until one fine 
 morning when off Acapulco a sail on our port bow was 
 sighted by the lookout. She was square rigged forward, 
 "rakish" looking, and upon closer inspection the fact soon 
 became apparent that "she" was a man-of-war. Our offi- 
 cers, if they in any way recognized the stranger, were 
 non-committal, and the excitement on board the Sonora, 
 already great, reached a climax when a little later a thick 
 cloud of smoke burst from the side of the strange ship, to 
 be followed almost instantly by the report of a gun that 
 came booming across the intervening water, a distance of 
 a mile or more. 
 
 Among the lady passengers, now huddled together in 
 little groups on both decks, "there was whispering with 
 white lips, 'The foe, they come, they come !' >: For my 
 own part I calmly awaited developments with as much 
 composure as possible. 
 
 Our big gun, which up to this time had lain on the main 
 deck like a sleeping lion, after being loaded with a blank 
 charge of powder, was run out, and belched forth an answer 
 to the challenge just received ; and at the same instant the 
 stars and stripes were displayed from the masthead of the 
 Sonora. Whereupon the stranger, first letting go her 
 sheets, hove to, and in turn ran up the national colors. It 
 proved to be an American frigate carrying six guns on a 
 side and about three hundred sailors and marines, at that 
 time cruising off the coast of Mexico and Central America. 
 They were short of provisions and had hailed for the pur- 
 pose of procuring an additional supply. 
 
52 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Yielding to this request, the Sonora stood by until the 
 required necessaries had been transferred to the deck of 
 the frigate. This was done by means of a lighter or small 
 open boat, and occupied not more than an hour's time, at 
 the end of which both vessels proceeded on their course. 
 When about a mile apart the masts and spars of the frigate 
 were seen to be filled with sailors, looking, at that distance, 
 like a swarm of ants running up the rigging. They were 
 barely visible, and as they swung caps in the air there came 
 to our ears in a faint murmur the regulation three cheers 
 "Hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah I" 
 
 A sensation of relief was felt among the passengers 
 generally at the outcome of this little episode, but there 
 was one down deep in whose heart a hope had found lodg- 
 ment from the first that the strange ship, with her grinning 
 broadsides, would prove to be a Confederate cruiser. That 
 one was my friend and companion, and the only Southerner 
 on board with whom I became acquainted. 
 
 Of course, in our intimacy the causes leading up to the 
 rebellion were never discussed, and neither was in the 
 habit of boasting of his ability to whip, single-handed and 
 alone, five of the other fellows; but the warm friendship 
 that sprang up between us has always appealed to me 
 as the best reason why the two sections should never have 
 gone to war. For were we not of the same race and blood, 
 trained in the same chivalric school and imbued with the 
 same spirit of liberty, justice and humanity; in short, a 
 people of a common destiny to be worked out under one 
 flag and one constitution? The capture of the Sonora 
 and the confiscation of her cargo by a Confederate cruiser 
 would have given my friend an opportunity to embark at 
 once in a cause already dear to his heart, and which, from 
 his standpoint, was as patriotic and just as that which 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 53 
 
 impelled me to travel six thousand miles for an oppor- 
 tunity to join the lists in defense of the Union and the 
 flag. 
 
 The aspirations that moved the one no doubt were iden- 
 tical with the spirit that animated the breast of the other, 
 but at the same time one must have been right and the 
 other wrong, and friends and brothers though we were, the 
 differences between the sections could only be adjusted 
 through the arbitrament of the sword. 
 
 A burial at sea is looked upon with superstitious dread 
 by sailors generally, and the most indifferent observer can 
 but be more or less affected by that most melancholy of 
 ceremonies ; but when a young man or boy, among strangers 
 thousands of miles from home, sees the remains of an only 
 friend and companion of a long voyage weighted with old 
 iron and sunk out of sight into the dark waters, the impres- 
 sion made is likely to be a lasting one. The thousands 
 that go down annually, victims of old ocean's maw, are the 
 evidences of her infinite capacity to engulf and destroy; 
 and what other means are there by which the remains of 
 mortal man can be so effectually disposed of and blotted 
 from earth and from memory as through consignment to 
 the fathomless deep. 
 
 Being steerage passengers, the meat on which we fed 
 was not of that savory and vitalizing kind that was thought 
 to have contributed so much to the greatness of Julius 
 Caesar, and a slight indisposition of which Lanier occa- 
 sionally complained was believed to be nothing more than 
 a temporary indigestion. Cheerful and buoyant as he was 
 at all times, I little dreamed my friend was so soon to be 
 stricken with a fatal malady. But one evening about 9 
 o'clock, while walking the main deck in the full enjoyment 
 of a semi-tropical night, he was seized with a vertigo and 
 
54 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 came near falling to the deck. Eunning to his side, I 
 assisted him to a seat, and at once sought the ship's sur- 
 geon. There was some delay, however, as that functionary 
 had already retired for the night, and when aroused he 
 seemed indignant there should be any intimation that 
 haste was necessary. But what added most to my surprise 
 was to find in the ship's surgeon a boyish-looking fellow 
 whom I recognized at once as a former school friend from 
 Michigan Dr. Sam. Whittemore. The incident going to 
 show, even in that period of inadequate means of rapid 
 communication, that the world was not very large. 
 
 At last we reached the place where I had left my friend 
 but a few minutes before, and found him lying apparently 
 lifeless on the deck. A few rough sailors with blanched 
 faces were standing near, and a hasty examination by the 
 physician, aided by the dim light of a lantern, soon 'dis- 
 closed the fact that Lanier had already passed to that 
 bourn beyond the reach of war's loud alarms. What mat- 
 tered the cause of the Confederacy to him now ; where was 
 the spirit that animated his breast but a few moments 
 before; and was this to be the fate of his beloved South? 
 These and a thousand thoughts passed quickly in review. 
 But there was little time given for reflection here. With- 
 out an autopsy or any investigation as to the cause of 
 death, further than the oral statement made by the sur- 
 geon, the corpse was sewed up in coarse gunny cloth, 
 lashed to a plank (having heavy weights attached to the 
 feet), and there left for the remainder of the night, the 
 mate announcing at the same time that final disposition of 
 the body would be made at sunrise. 
 
 At that early hour a few sailors and passengers of the 
 steerage had assembled, and just as the sun, like a blaze 
 of fire, rose out of the water to light up the melancholy 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 55 
 
 scene, the ship's machinery was stopped and the ponderous 
 "walking-beams" lay idle. By order of the first officer 
 the body was carried out and laid on the wheel house, with 
 feet toward the stern of the ship, when the mate, with 
 bared head and in a subdued voice, read a short prayer 
 and a verse from the Bible, closing, not with "Earth to 
 earth and dust to dust/' but with that other passage hold- 
 ing out a hope for the time to come, when "the sea shall 
 give up the dead which are in it." This ceremony ended, 
 a sailor lifted the head of the plank, and sliding over feet 
 foremost, the corpse disappeared; and, 
 
 "For a moment like a drop of rain 
 Sank into the depths with bubbling groan, 
 Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined and unknown." 
 
 The great walking-beams were again in motion, the 
 wheels began to turn, churning the dark waters into an 
 angry foam; the ship moved on, and the sailors, with a 
 "heave ho, hio," returned to their accustomed tasks. 
 
 Many times it occurred to me after Lanier's death, and 
 during the four years of bloody war that followed, how 
 easy it would have been at the beginning, had the people 
 of the North and South known each other as he and I, to 
 have settled their differences. 
 
 At Acapulco we anchored for a day beside two foreign 
 ships of war and one American. Of the many harbors it 
 has been the good fortune of the writer to visit, that of 
 Acapulco seems to be the most complete. Beginning with 
 a narrow entrance of ample depth, the harbor, shaped 
 like a bowl, with no jutting rocks or promontories to inter- 
 fere or mar its symmetry, is surrounded by high walls, 
 making it a place of delight to look upon, and safe retreat 
 for vessels of every class. 
 
56 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The city lies in amphitheater shape; the streets in ter- 
 races rise one above another in semi-circles to a height of 
 several hundred feet. A sleepy Mexican town in those days, 
 to be sure, but a situation of great natural beauty, with a 
 climate unsurpassed. 
 
 The passengers were entertained here with swimming 
 exhibitions by natives, who take to the water and live in 
 it as naturally as a duck. The waters are transparent to 
 a great depth, and coins or other valuables thrown in can 
 be seen descending in a zigzag course till the bottom is 
 reached. But these trophies, when thrown in, were in- 
 variably recovered and brought out by the native divers, 
 who swarmed after them like a shoal of minnows after a 
 luckless fly that accidentally strikes the smooth surface of 
 the water. 
 
 An exhibition of another character was afforded here 
 that proved more exciting than any other incident of the 
 voyage, save only that of the Confederate cruiser that 
 proved to be an American man-of-war. A number of 
 beeves were taken on board alive to be slaughtered as the 
 appetites of the seven or eight hundred passengers seemed 
 to demand. They were of the lean, long-horned and 
 hungry sort common to Mexico, and pretty active on foot. 
 Three or four of this kind were "trolled" out to the ship, 
 where, by means of a tackle and pulley attached to the 
 horns, they were drawn up bodily, a distance of twenty or 
 thirty feet, to the main deck, and there secured in stalls. 
 The operation altogether, though novel, was a gruesome 
 one. The weight of the animal suspended by the horns 
 caused the eyes to sink in their sockets out of sight, and 
 on being restored to their feet they seemed blinded and 
 stupefied, generally having to be forced into their stanch- 
 ions. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 57 
 
 While suspended in mid-air their limbs were limp and 
 motionless; but one fellow rebelled and struggled to free 
 himself, and when at last he reached his feet again and 
 the pulley was thrown off, he shook his head, snorting 
 viciously a couple of times, and then started off across the 
 deck with a mad rush. A good many passengers had gath- 
 ered around, and right into their midst the bull plunged, 
 throwing his horns to the right and left, without regard 
 for the social status of any whether those from the cabin, 
 who were entitled to the first cut off the loin, or those of 
 the steerage, who were glad enough to get steaks off the 
 shoulder and neck. 
 
 The panic caused by this movement was universal 
 throughout the main deck. Passengers, the ship's officers 
 and sailors alike, climbed upon the bulwarks and out on 
 the yardarms to escape the infuriated beast. Having 
 demolished the chicken coop, the bull at last landed in 
 the hog pen, where he was roped and "hauled taut" by 
 the sailors, who secured him with a "half hitch" between 
 the stanchions. 
 
 At Panama were found three more ships with grinning 
 broadsides, one English, one French and one Spanish. 
 The presence of these ships hovering near our shores had 
 to me even then an ominous significance, and, though 
 young, I believed the great powers had sent them to keep 
 watch along our borders like birds of prey, ready to gather 
 up the dismembered fragments when the final dissolution 
 of the Union should come. Indeed, the progress of the 
 war soon disclosed the fact that every civilized Government 
 of Europe and the Old World was against us, save only 
 one. 
 
 But one ruler sent his ships to our shores in those 
 darkest days of our national existence with a friendly and 
 
5 8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 sympathetic message, and that was the Great White Czar, 
 Alexander II of Eussia. In those days, at least, in any- 
 thing like an international imbroglio Eussia was a power 
 that must be reckoned with ; and the sending by that Gov- 
 ernment of two powerful fleets of battleships, one to San 
 Francisco and one to New York, under sealed orders, waa 
 interpreted by France and England to mean just this: 
 "Keep hands off in the contest now going on in the United 
 States for the supremacy of the Union, for the day that 
 you officially recognize the so-called Southern Confederacy 
 as an independent belligerent power, that day Eussia's 
 ships of war will be placed at the disposal of the American 
 Government/' 
 
 That any man who periled his life in defense of his 
 country in that great struggle should, at a later period, 
 turn his sympathy away from and his hand against Eussia 
 in the dark hour of her adversity cannot well be regarded 
 in any other light than that of the grossest ingratitude, 
 no matter what may have been Eussia's faults in the 
 government of her own people or her attitude toward 
 neighboring powers. 
 
 Ships of the larger class on reaching Panama are 
 obliged, on account of shallow water, to anchor a distance 
 of three miles out, near the Island of Pireco. A ship 
 larger than eighty tons burden cannot get closer to the 
 landing than two miles out. From this point passengers 
 are conveyed in small, open boats until more shallow 
 water is reached, and thence on the backs of half-clad 
 natives to the landing. 
 
 Panama was strongly fortified and a large cathedral 
 erected as early as 1760; but these, like every other mark 
 of Spain's early enterprises in the Western Hemisphere, 
 have gone to decay. Entering the streets of Panama, a 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 59 
 
 noticeable feature at that time was the native soldier or 
 gendarme serving as police, barefooted and coatless, loung- 
 ing on dry goods boxes, with guns leaning up against the 
 nearest wall. A travesty on the name of "soldier/* Com- 
 pared with this fellow, the "hay-foot, straw-foot" recruit 
 of our Civil War was a paragon. 
 
 A delay of twelve hours in Panama and we cross the 
 Isthmus to Aspinwall (now Colon), and there remain three 
 days, awaiting reshipment of Government arms and other 
 freight included in our lists before taking passage for 
 New York. Many of the houses in Aspinwall are provided 
 with commodious balconies, in which the inhabitants live 
 and sleep a great portion of the time. 
 
 On being escorted to my room at a hotel by a young 
 boy carrying a candle, I found a large bed of the seven- 
 teenth century pattern covered with a canopy and enclosed 
 on all sides with a heavy mosquito netting, a single sheet 
 of linen constituting the only covering. The boy, after 
 opening the bed, lifted the pillows and looked along the 
 wall as if in search of some object of special concern. 
 This suggesting the possibility of the bed being already 
 occupied by "natives" that are so often encountered in 
 more civilized communities and in all climates, I inno- 
 cently asked if he was looking for "bugs" of any kind. 
 "No," he said, "no buggy scorpion !" Learning that he 
 was only looking for scorpions, I retired for the night, 
 but not to sleep very soundly, for often during the lonely 
 hours before the blessed dawn came to my relief I arose 
 to renew the search for scorpions. 
 
60 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Taking passage on the steamship 
 
 THE NORTHERN LIGHT, 
 
 Captain Tinklepau, master, we passed through the Carib- 
 bean Sea and within sight of a number of the West Indies 
 Islands, the nervous anxiety felt by all on account of pos- 
 sible interference by Confederate privateers was never 
 abated. 
 
 While on the Isthmus many of the steerage passengers 
 had secured parrots, monkeys and other birds and animals 
 to take to their homes for household pets. These were 
 kept in cages down on the main deck, where every morning 
 there was to be seen quite a menagerie of these interesting 
 little natural specimens of the tropics. Outside the ship 
 and just forward of the wheelhouse was a large washstand 
 securely railed in, where the passengers, many of them 
 foreigners, performed their ablutions and gave their pets a 
 bath. The cabin passengers were in the habit of gathering 
 around to witness this curious exhibition, and one morn- 
 ing in rough weather, when the sea was running high, a 
 passenger who had a large cage containing several birds of 
 brilliant and variegated plumage, having risen quite late, 
 came on deck with matted hair and only partly dressed, 
 and, without taking an observation of the weather, seized 
 his cage of birds and rushed out to the washstand to give 
 his pets a bath. But just at this moment a tremendous 
 sea rolled in, breaking in front of the wheelhouse, and in 
 a resistless torrent swept clear over the deck. The unlucky 
 passenger seized the railing, and with great difficulty held 
 on, but the cage, with its burden of pets, was carried off 
 on the crest of the wave and soon sank out of sight. The 
 man, fortunate in not being carried away with his birds, 
 with a look of deep disappointment, and gesticulating in 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 61 
 
 the direction the birds had gone, called out: "Zee leetle 
 bird he go to be ze sailor, I d'know, or he mak ze leetle 
 fish his break/' 
 
 When off Cape Hatteras we encountered a violent storm 
 that raged for a day and a night, threatening to engulf 
 the ship and send her to the bottom; and in the midst of 
 this my reflections were not so much of the dangers con- 
 fronting us as upon the loss of a dear brother who, only 
 two years before, went down in these same waters, never 
 to rise again. 
 
 The anxiety felt by returning passengers a long time 
 absent in a foreign land, to leave the ship that has carried 
 them safely over, and once more set foot on native soil, 
 has been the experience of many; but to one whose coun- 
 try is in the throes of a bloody war, the outcome of which 
 must of necessity be a matter of conjecture, anxiety be- 
 comes a burden and the feeling one that is difficult to 
 describe. This was the experience of many passengers on 
 board the Northern Light as she neared New York harbor 
 the middle of September, 1861. 
 
 It seemed that the delays of quarantine and custom- 
 house inspection would never end, and on going ashore at 
 last, an atmosphere as of some pending calamity seemed 
 to prevail. The body of General Lyon, who was killed at 
 the battle of Wilson's Creek the 10th of August, one of 
 the first officers of distinguished rank to fall in defense of 
 the Union, had just arrived, and preparations were being 
 made for burial with civic and military honors. Flags 
 were at half-mast, public buildings draped in mourning, 
 and through the rush and turmoil of a great city, a gene- 
 ral feeling of depression was manifested. 
 
 It seems that at almost every turn of the long journey 
 from Virginia City, Nevada, to New York by the way of 
 
62 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 San Francisco, Panama and Aspinwall, circumstances had 
 combined to fasten attention upon the distressing condi- 
 tion into which the country had fallen and to increase 
 patriotic ardor. It is frankly admitted that up to this time 
 the spirit of adventure had entered largely into the 
 motives that impelled me to undertake other enterprises, 
 but a higher sense of duty was fast setting in, and I re- 
 solved, after making a brief visit to my mother and 
 friends, to venture at once upon the uncertain sea of war. 
 
 But, as in case of many others moved by a like impulse, 
 my mother was a widow, and owing to her influence and 
 other ties, I was induced to remain at home; and, to meet 
 necessities, as on a former occasion, engaged in the more 
 prosaic and peaceful occupation of teacher of a public 
 school. This was a great falling off from the height of my 
 original ambition, but the opportunity was improved and 
 my desires satisfied for the time by the introduction of, 
 and repeating in tableau form for public exhibition, many 
 of the events then transpiring at the front; such as, "The 
 Assassination of Elsworth, the Confederate Spy," and 
 other scenes calculated to increase patriotic ardor and 
 arouse the war spirit. Representations of this character 
 required the donning of uniforms and the presentation on 
 the stage of old muskets and rusty sabers, the heirlooms 
 of a century gone by; and this mimic warfare, so popular 
 at the time, seemed a fitting prelude to the real drama in 
 which so many were to act a part later on. 
 
 It is no disparagement to any other class of enlistments 
 to say in this connection that sixty-five per cent, of the 
 2,500,000 men who took up arms in defense of the Union 
 were country and village raised boys, not yet out of their 
 "teens;" and it was in this class that the calamities of the 
 war struck home with the greatest force. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 63 
 
 On the arrival of each daily mail at the country village 
 there were gatherings of the people at the corner store, 
 which was also the post office, to hear the news from the 
 front, and to read or listen to the reading of such letters 
 as may have been received from the soldier hoys. Not 
 many were able to subscribe for a daily paper; in fact, but 
 few were printed in those days, and generally not more 
 than one in a village or country precinct. The fortunate 
 possessor of this, however, generous and public-spirited, 
 would read, for the benefit of all, the details of the latest 
 battle; or, from the number assembled, a reader would be 
 called for that purpose, and often the teacher or the vil- 
 lage pastor responded, in these gatherings women with 
 pale and anxious faces predominated; and not infre- 
 quently a shrill cry or wail breaking in upon the attentive 
 listeners told the oft-repeated story that hope had sud- 
 denly gone out of some poor mother's heart, as she heard 
 the name of her boy read out in the long list of the killed 
 and wounded. 
 
 For four long years the nation mourned and the burden 
 of sorrow increased, while billions of treasure were poured 
 out and, meantime, 500,000 of the best young blood of the 
 land went down to a glorious death. 
 
 In this struggle my mother had little to offer save only 
 a loyal heart and her boys, and before the war ended 
 
 SIX OF US 3NLISTED. 
 
 Aside from my own brother, four cousins who were left 
 orphans some years before the breaking out of hostilities, 
 having to look to my mother as their guardian, became 
 members of the family, and the six grew up as brothers, 
 and all went into the army. All but one enlisted in the 
 
64 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ranks; the eldest at the age of thirty, and the youngest 
 at thirteen. 
 
 Before peace was declared four of them became com- 
 missioned officers, as follows: 
 
 Captain John H. Wells, 25th Mich. Infantry. 
 
 Captain Chas. H, Wells, 38th 111. Infantry. 
 
 Captain Almond B. Wells, 1st Nev. Cavalry. 
 
 Captain James M. Wells, 8th Mich. Cavalry. 
 
 Sergt. William S. Wells, 8th Mich. Cavalry. 
 
 Drummer boy Elmer E. Wells, 25th Mich. Infantry (age 
 thirteen). 
 
 Three of the number were prisoners of war, and three 
 were wounded; but all survived and returned to civil life 
 but one, Captain Almond B. Wells, who, after peace was 
 declared, went into the Eegular Army, and at this writing 
 is retired on account of age, with the rank of Brigadier- 
 General. 
 
 Of all the sacrifices which a successful prosecution of 
 the war entailed upon the country, that of raising men to 
 bear arms weighed heaviest. It is surprising to learn from 
 the official records of the Adjutant-General's Office, War 
 Department, that 2,431,770 men were enrolled in the 
 nation's defense. These, however, were not all called to 
 the front, many thousands having seen very little service 
 beyond the routine duty of a military camp or rendezvous 
 for training purposes. But they enlisted in good faith, 
 left their homes, and the avenues of industry formerly 
 occupied by them were left vacant. 
 
 With this heavy drain upon the country's industrial 
 wealth, to say nothing of the desolation brought upon 
 thousands of hitherto happy homes, it was in time found 
 to be impossible to keep up the decimated ranks of the 
 army by volunteer enlistments, and so on the 3d day of 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 65 
 
 May, 1863, Congress passed what was known as the "Con- 
 script Bill," making every able-bodied man between the 
 ages of eighteen and forty-five years liable for military 
 duty, wherever and whenever called upon to serve. On 
 the 1st of April that law went into effect. 
 
 The delinquent States, counties and municipalities, in 
 order to fill the quota of troops demanded, offered large 
 sums of money for able-bodied men to volunteer, and when 
 this means failed, the "Draft" was applied, unrelenting 
 in its scope and purpose; and, like the ill-omened bird, 
 when men of wealth, of luxury and ease heard the flutter 
 of its wings, there was consternation and mourning in 
 Israel such as never had been felt before. The thought 
 of leaving their cushioned chairs, luxuriant offices and 
 beds of down, to don a coarse uniform and occupy a bar- 
 rack for a long and tedious course of drill, living on the 
 prescribed ration of bacon and hard-tack, was bad enough; 
 but add to these disagreeable features the probability of 
 being soon compelled to expose their tender bodies as 
 targets for the enemy's shot and shell, and consternation 
 in some quarters assumed the proportions of a panic. 
 
 Provost marshals and secret agents of the Government 
 were stationed everywhere to enforce the draft and to see 
 that no guilty men escaped. A rule of proscription and 
 surveillance was inaugurated irksome as martial law it- 
 self. But in this case, as in most others, the law was so 
 framed as to allow the rich an avenue of escape. The 
 "drafted" man who was able to do so could hire a "sub- 
 stitute" to go and fight in his place, and so the original 
 suffered the dangers and hardships of war by proxy only. 
 Whether any of this class ever reached the point of suf- 
 fering wounds or death, even by proxy, is doubtful, for 
 the "substitute," generally speaking, made no better 
 
66 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 soldier than his principal would have done had he been 
 forced into the ranks. 
 
 Against all this, and opposed to the prosecution of the 
 war under any pretext whatever, there was a very strong 
 feeling existing in all the Northern States. Meantime, 
 and what added materially to the ranks of this number, 
 the contest was going vigorously on; new levies of troops 
 were being made; and almost every battle of any con- 
 siderable importance thus far, had resulted more or less 
 disastrously to the Union troops. Many of the timid and 
 disgruntled (for reasons best known to themselves) fled 
 to Canada; while others sought a safe retreat and a life 
 "close to nature" in the mountain fastnesses of the Wild 
 West. 
 
 Others doubtless timid and opposed to the war on 
 principle, yet dominated by a spirit of national pride so 
 far as the integrity of the States and the honor of the 
 flag is concerned, either volunteered, or, when the draft 
 came, "took their medicine" and went to the front, mak- 
 ing good soldiers. 
 
 But there was another class which the exigencies of the 
 time brought to the surface, whose history is unique and 
 little understood at the present time. The greenback, 
 the currency of the war period, had come into general cir- 
 culation, and money was "flush," to use a current phrase, 
 and the large bounties offered for substitutes aroused the 
 cupidity of a class of vampires, barnacles and vagabonds 
 generally, that came to be known, classified and distin- 
 guished from all others as 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 67' 
 
 BOUNTY JUMPERS. 
 
 Many of these had already "served time" in the peni- 
 tentiaries for various offences ranging from murder and 
 robbery down to petty larceny; and all were conscienceless 
 rogues or criminals of the lowest type. Coming mainly 
 from the large cities of the Northern States and Canada 
 they engaged in a system of enlistments for the sake of 
 the bounties, and when opportunity offered, deserted and 
 escaped to other States or cities, and there, under as- ; 
 sumed names and otherwise disguised, repeated the opera-"' 
 tion, until in some cases quite a fortune had been accu- N 
 mulated. 
 
 A true estimate of the vagabondage which the army 
 called together may be formed when it is known that 
 170,316 desertions took place during the war, and that of 
 this number 187 were commissioned officers. New York 
 alone furnished 35,999 of the total number of deserters, 
 but her percentage of desertions, owing to the greater 
 number of her large cities, was greater than that of any 
 other State. 
 
 The city of Detroit, of easy access to the Canadian 
 border, offered an inviting field for this class of enlist- 
 ments, and it is not surprising that disciplined troops had 
 to be called in to aid the authorities in holding them in 
 leash in strong barracks erected for the purpose, until 
 such a time as they could be shipped in carload lots to 
 Governors Island, and from there to the Department of 
 the Gulf where opportunities for desertion and escape to 
 the Northern States or to Canada were reduced to the 
 minimum; for, to seek an asylum anywhere in the Con- 
 federacy would be like jumping from the frying pan into 
 the fire; the Confederate Government had no more use 
 
68 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 for sneaks and deserters than our own, and the punish- 
 ment they inflicted for such offences was much more swift 
 and terrible. 
 
 In some localities the amount paid for substitutes and 
 the different bounties offered ran up into the four figures 
 mark; but it is only justice to state that many from the 
 States and Canada as well, attracted by this large sum of 
 money, enlisted in good faith, determined to take the 
 hazards of war if only assured of a comfortable support 
 for their families meantime. 
 
 At Detroit, barracks were erected and headquarters es- 
 tablished for the care and safe keeping of substitutes and 
 all that class of involuntary enlistments, until such time 
 as they could be forwarded to the front; and the winter of 
 1862-3 Company F. of the 8th Cavalry was detailed for 
 provost duty at these barracks, the writer at the time 
 being 1st Sergt. of the company. While engaged in this 
 service many curious incidents occurred characteristic of 
 the men with whom the Government had to deal. Here 
 is a case in hand: 
 
 A Canadian who had received a bounty of about $1,200, 
 and whose wife and two little children, a day or two before 
 the time set for his departure for Governors Island, ar- 
 rived in Detroit for the purpose of bidding the husband 
 and father good-by. They were not permitted to enter 
 the barracks, and the "substitute" could only meet his 
 wife and children by gaining a permit to join them on the 
 outside under guard. The writer was detailed for that 
 service, and all day and night remained with his little 
 charge, taking in the city and its strange sights; the re- 
 cruit, meantime, paying all bills for oyster lunches, thea- 
 ters, etc. When the small hours of the night came, and 
 with them the necessity for rest and sleep, we repaired to 
 
COLONEL ELISHA Mix, EIGHTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 69 
 
 a hotel where all occupied one room with two large beds; 
 the recruit with his little family occupying one of these, 
 and I the other. After locking the door and placing the 
 key under my pillow, I retired for the night and slept 
 soundly until morning; and on separating the man and 
 his wife the next day, she with her little ones to go back 
 to her lonely home in the forests of Canada, and he to be 
 held under guard and treated as a common felon until 
 safely landed at the front, I could but share with them 
 the sorrow which this parting caused. 
 
 Meantime promotions were in line and Elisha Mix, 
 originally Captain of Co. F., had reached the rank of 
 Major, and 1st Lieutenant Samuel Wells was made Cap- 
 tain of the company; and by the unanimous choice of the 
 company the writer was promoted to the rank of 2d Lieu- 
 tenant, and, soon after, in a new and shining uniform, was 
 sent home for ten days on recruiting service. I never 
 shall forget the gratification I felt, and the pride and 
 delight manifested by my mother, on presenting myself 
 before her the first time as indeed it was the last in 
 the full dress uniform of an officer of the United States 
 Army. 
 
 But events were crowding each other in rapid succes- 
 sion, and I was compelled to return to my post of duty at 
 Detroit. 
 
 A squad of some twenty-five or thirty bounty jumpers 
 of the class already described had been collected and were 
 now to be sent on to Governors Island. "Hub" Smith, 
 formerly a policeman on the regular force at Detroit, but 
 now a Captain of the Provost Guard, was detailed to take 
 charge of this shipment. Both strong and fearless, he had 
 been accustomed, as a policeman, to dealing with rough 
 characters, and was well chosen for this work. Three 
 
70 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 enlisted men and myself were selected by Captain Smith 
 to aid in guarding the prisoners for such they really 
 were on the journey by rail from Detroit to their destina- 
 tion. It should be borne in mind that travel by rail at 
 that time was not what it is now, as fifty-six hours were 
 consumed in the passage from Detroit to New York. 
 
 Before embarking, every man of the motley group was 
 thoroughly searched for everything that could be made use 
 of as a weapon of offense or a means of escape. The con- 
 nections by rail were uncertain, and our car was often 
 sidetracked on the route for hours at a time. But there 
 was no relief guard, and while the prisoners slept (or 
 pretended to sleep) the vigilance of those having them in 
 charge could in no manner be relaxed. At stations where 
 halts were made a window on one side of the car was 
 raised, through which food and soft drinks were passed to 
 the prisoners. Many of these desperate men belonged in 
 New York and Philadelphia, and it went without saying 
 that as they neared the scenes of their former operations 
 no opportunity for escape would be allowed to go unim- 
 proved. 
 
 So one day while traveling on the New York and Erie 
 Railroad, the train moving slowly up a heavy grade in a 
 blinding snowstorm, guards as well as prisoners seemed 
 to have relaxed and fallen into a quiet state bordering 
 close upon sleep. Captain Smith, taking advantage of this 
 relaxation, had gone forward into the smoker to catch a 
 cat nap, leaving myself and one other guard stationed at 
 each door to look after the car containing the prisoners. 
 I was at the rear door reclining on a box of wood, with 
 one foot resting on the floor, and while thus dozing, about 
 half asleep, my attention was arrested by a group of pris- 
 oners in the center of the car apparently engaged in a 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 71 
 
 consultation of some kind. This made me a little appre- 
 hensive, but, being very tired, did not instantly move, and 
 one of the group, a leader among them, came sauntering 
 toward me in a listless manner; when, a little more awak- 
 ened, I began sliding down from the box of wood in order 
 to plant myself squarely upon my feet. My hands were 
 folded across my breast, the right hand near a six-shooter 
 in an inside pocket. 
 
 While in the act of rising upon my feet, the tall pris- 
 oner, advancing quickly, stood over me, brandishing a 
 knife, the blade of which looked to be as long as a cavalry- 
 man's saber, and, hissing through his teeth as he did so, 
 said: "Don't you move a muscle or I'll cut your throat 
 from ear to ear." This was a line of attack I had not 
 been taught to guard against in the regular routine of 
 drill, and so stood completely at the mercy of this desperate 
 man; and why he did not carry out his threat at once I 
 have never known. 
 
 Among the many reflections that passed through my 
 mind, the first was of Captain Smith, in command of the 
 expedition, in whose strength and valor I greatly relied, 
 and inwardly exclaimed: "0 'Hub/ unless instantly 
 favored with a glimpse of your stalwart form, my term of 
 service will be cut suddenly short." It is said that prayer 
 is no more than a desire of the heart, and this prayer must 
 have been answered, for simultaneously with the thought 
 Captain Smith appeared upon the scene, but he was still 
 nearly sixty feet away, while the murderous knife was 
 being held within a few inches of my throat. 
 
 As quick as a flash, and with the stealthy tread of a cat, 
 Smith came down the aisle, and before I had time to 
 realize fully what was passing my tall assailant began a 
 backward somersault, in which his head and shoulders 
 
72 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 went quickly to the floor, while his heels approached the 
 ceiling, the knife, meantime, falling out of his hand. 
 Smith, holding him by the collar and the throat, then 
 called for a pair of handcuffs, which were supplied at once 
 and slipped upon the prisoner's hands. While this was 
 transpiring the guard at the other door had leveled his 
 pistol at the prisoners in the center of the car, who, see- 
 ing their leader manacled, sank quietly into their seats. 
 
 It was the purpose of the conspirators to have over- 
 powered the other guard and myself in the absence of 
 Captain Smith and then jump off the slow-moving train, 
 making good their escape. But they had not had time to 
 mature a plan and there was no instant cooperation among 
 them, otherwise the affair might have ended differently. 
 Of course, we were all greatly surprised that the prisoners 
 had in possession such a knife, but it had been smuggled 
 through the window, doubtless by friends outside. 
 
 They were preparing for another break, as was evident 
 from their movements, when the train should reach Jersey 
 City the following night, but Captain Smith telegraphed 
 the commandant at Governors Island, asking for a 
 heavier guard, and when the train reached the long depot 
 in Jersey City the prisoners were allowed to file out at 
 one door, but in doing so they stepped between two files 
 of bayonets extending clear around the car. Thus all hope 
 of escape was cut off and our responsibility as guards came 
 to an end, after which we were not slow in finding a hotel 
 where all took rooms, sleeping soundly until the middle 
 of the next day. 
 
 A day or two later, in company with the three other 
 guards, I made the return trip via the "New York Central 
 and the Great Western railroads through Canada to 
 Windsor and Detroit. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 73 
 
 What with deserters, bounty jumpers and sneaks from 
 our own borders, and refugees from the Southern States, 
 encouraged as they were by the sympathy which the Cana- 
 dian and British Governments everywhere gave our 
 enemies, a man wearing the United States uniform, in 
 passing through Canada at that period, was reminded at 
 every turn that he was traveling in a foreign and hostile 
 country. Our party on the way was repeatedly accosted 
 and surrounded by groups of men, often bold and defiant 
 and sometimes insulting, but by keeping close together we 
 gained what advantage there was to be found in concert 
 of action, and doubtless looked a little too formidable for 
 a successful attack, except it be the occasion of a general 
 riot, and we did not remain long enough in any one place 
 for a belligerent force of that character to gather; but the 
 disposition to so assemble was made manifest on every 
 hand. 
 
 Such, in brief, is the history of the "Conscript Bill" 
 and its legitimate child, the "Bounty Jumper," and now, 
 to keep "touch of elbow" with events as they transpire, 
 we take up the story of 
 
 "THE PASSING KEGIMENT." 
 
 The above heading is the title of one of the most pop- 
 ular and engaging paintings to be seen in the Corcoran 
 Art Gallery, Washington, D. C. It is done in oil by a 
 master hand, and, between the work of art and the sub- 
 ject represented, the picture elicits great admiration. A 
 full regiment of cavalry twelve companies of one hundred 
 men each armed cap a pie marching by platoons or in 
 column of fours through the streets of a populous city 
 affords a spectacle of stirring interest. In the imagination 
 
74 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 of the uninitiated each company of one hundred assumes 
 the proportions of at least a thousand men, even though 
 is be but a holiday parade in time of profound peace. But 
 when a regiment whose ranks are made up from among 
 the people starts out from its rendezvous to take up the 
 gage of battle, plunging at once into the vortex of a bloody 
 war, the interest is intensified and the imagination is none 
 too expansive to cover the range of possibilities suggested 
 by such a picture; familiar as these scenes became during 
 the war, and almost of weekly occurrence, the interest in 
 "The Passing Regiment" never abated until the end. The 
 good-byes and the God-speeds were as heartfelt and as 
 warmly extended to the regiments that went out later in 
 the contest as to those responding to the first call. Fa- 
 miliarity with the preparations for, and the terrible scenes 
 incident to the war itself, only increased the admiration 
 for those who braved its perils; for, indeed, the dangers 
 increased as time advanced. 
 
 After the winter of '62-3 the great battles were yet to 
 be fought. Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Spott- 
 sylvania Court House, Atlanta, Chattanooga and all the 
 great cavalry raids formed no part of the war's history at 
 that time. The bravery of the Southern soldier, however, 
 and his determination to fight to the bitter end was no 
 longer a question of doubt, and those who went out to 
 confront him in those later years surely were not looking 
 for holiday parades. 
 
 So the 8th Michigan Cavalry, in the early spring of 
 1863, was greeted on the march from Mount Clemens to 
 Detroit, there to embark by rail for Cincinnati. Crossing 
 the Ohio River at the latter place, the regiment first went 
 into camp at Covington, Kentucky, and thence marched 
 via the Lexington pike to Nicholasville and Camp Nelson. 
 
f := 
 
 2 > 
 
 I I 
 s: H 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 75 
 
 Colonel John Stockton, who organized the regiment at 
 Mount Clemens and carried it to this point, being a very 
 old man, here resigned and returned home. The com- 
 mand then fell upon Lieutenant-Colonel Grover S. Wormer, 
 who was soon made full Colonel; but after a few months 
 in the field he was detailed on recruiting and organization 
 service at Jackson, and there remained. The command 
 then devolved upon Major Elisha Mix, originally Captain 
 of Company F, who had meantime been advanced to a 
 full Colonelcy, and who commanded the regiment through 
 all its campaigns till the close of the war. 
 
 From headquarters at Nicholasville the regiment was 
 set at work at once, often in small detachments, hunting 
 guerrilla bands in Eastern Kentucky and in chasing raid- 
 ing parties of the enemy, who were constantly invading 
 that country for forage and other sinews of war; and 
 from this time forward the regiment knew no rest until 
 mustered out in September, 1865. 
 
 Our first arm was the Spencer rifle a magazine gun 
 of great power a saber and a Colt's "Navy Six." A well- 
 drilled and disciplined regiment so armed would seem to 
 be almost invincible, and the belief generally prevailed 
 among the men that such was the case. The early success 
 in routing and capturing small bands of the enemy added 
 greatly to this confidence, and the enthusiasm to get into 
 a general engagement knew no bounds. 
 
 These Confederate raiders through Kentucky, however, 
 being among friends and kindred, had us at a great dis- 
 advantage. Their horses were the best, and, knowing the 
 ground and the country well, with friends at almost every 
 turn, they could more easily elude pursuit or give battle 
 in positions most favorable to themselves. The Union 
 soldier, meantime, on unfamiliar ground among strangers, 
 
76 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 was compelled to act on his own initiative, and at the same 
 time observe the regulations and orders governing the army 
 when in territory claiming the protection of the United 
 States Government. 
 
 At length near Tripletts Bridge came the first approach 
 to a general engagement. Surprising and routing a large 
 raiding party of the enemy, we were successful in killing, 
 wounding and capturing about thirty of their number. 
 The deeds of bravery and acts of individual heroism ex- 
 hibited by officers and men in that engagement (as related 
 by themselves around the camp fire the following night) 
 were as entertaining as the Arabian Nights Tales, and 
 enough to establish the fighting status of the regiment, 
 had no other service ever been required of it. 
 
 Active operations of this kind soon develop the peculiar 
 characteristics of 
 
 THE VOLUNTEER SOLDIER. 
 
 Those traits that not only render him of great value in 
 the field, but which often constitute him the life of the 
 camp and the bivouac or the good-natured butt of his 
 comrades are soon made apparent ; for when a soldier can't 
 have fun, even under the most trying circumstances, his 
 duties become irksome and his service less valuable. The 
 volunteers are a crowd of rollicking fellows whose names, 
 among themselves, are often transposed or set on end in a 
 manner apparently to suit the character of the one to 
 whom applied. It would be interesting to know by what 
 rule of genealogical research he arrives at these apt and 
 curious cognomens. 
 
 "Uncle Bill/' Sherman, "Pap" Thomas and "Black 
 Jack" Logan were the names applied to three favorite 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 77 
 
 Generals in the West; and any one of those names was 
 an inspiration to the men who were brought under the 
 command of those officers. In the French army Napoleon 
 was the "Little Corporal/' and so the list runs on. Judson 
 Brown, of Company F, addicted to the use of whisky, and 
 who had been arrested when coming in from a mountain 
 distillery with a jug half full of applejack, soon came to 
 be known as "Little Brown Jugson." W. D. McElhenney, 
 who had been caught with a beehive full of honey rolled 
 up in a blanket, forever after answered to the name of 
 "Mucklehoney ;" and in this manner the long and curious 
 role of apt names was known and perpetuated. 
 
 One evening, going into camp hungry and with little 
 prospect ahead for immediate relief, there was some com- 
 plaint among the men, and in a brief talk the commanding 
 officer urged them to stand to the work and take their 
 medicine as he was doing himself, concluding his remarks 
 by saying: "A soldier cannot expect to be fed, groomed 
 and blanketed like a race horse/' Whereupon John Wil- 
 lerton, a big Cornishman, in the broad vernacular of his 
 kind, said : "Tha's all werry weil, Cap'n, but wen a mon's 
 got note to hate and note to derrink (nothing to eat and 
 nothing to drink) an' werry leetle to warre, ye kaant expect 
 'im to ma-ak mooch of a ra-ace." Having no ready answer 
 for these pertinent suggestions, the officer closed the inci- 
 dent without further remark. 
 
 Probably not since the invasion of the British Isles by 
 the Eomans has there been found an army of any conse- 
 quence, savage or civilized, that did not contain an Irish- 
 man. Indeed, the righting forces of Christendom would 
 be weakened if the Irish element therein contained were 
 eliminated. 
 
 The story goes that Napoleon, confronted by an over- 
 
7 8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 whelming force, was debating whether to continue the 
 fight or retreat, and, standing in front of his army, de- 
 manded to know if O'Shaughenssy were in the ranks, and, 
 if so, he said: "Let him step three paces to the front." 
 Whereupon a stalwart son of the Emerald Isle stepped 
 out, and, saluting, answered, "Sorr I" Upon this Napoleon 
 is said to have exclaimed, "I am satisfied. Let the battle 
 go on I" 
 
 The 8th Cavalry was favored with the presence of a 
 good many Irish soldiers, and among the number Martin 
 McCune, whose ready wit and unbounded good nature had 
 helped him out of many scrapes, was, nevertheless, fre- 
 quently in trouble, and especially at times when there was 
 a mountain distillery within a day's march. Martin, unlike 
 the majority of his race, was slow to go under fire, and 
 frequently invented excuses for avoiding that irksome 
 duty. One day, while calling for volunteers to join in a 
 scout likely to prove both fatiguing and hazardous, the 
 officer in command, already mounted, was calling upon the 
 men to "fall in," when Martin was discovered limping 
 away in the distance. He had been complaining of a boil 
 on his ankle, a trifling ailment, but hearing the call for 
 volunteers, he was suddenly seized with a lameness. 
 Whereupon the Captain called and asked him if he did 
 not intend to join the scouting party. Martin, first rub- 
 bing his shin caressingly, looked up with an air and expres- 
 sion as of extreme disappointment and said: "'Pon me 
 soul, Oi'd be the first mon to fall in, but Oi'm no more 
 fit to go on duty than a dead mon; me shane is swelled 
 clear to me hap !" A comrade standing near gave Martin 
 the laugh, as if in doubt of the real condition of his 
 "shane." Upon this, as if suddenly seized with a thought, 
 Martin spoke up and said: "Never moind, Oi'll go, but 
 
LIEUTENANT LOVINAS H. PATTON, 
 EIGHTH MICHIGAN CAVALRY. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 79 
 
 it's very warrum, hadn't I better take some contanes and 
 go for wather ?" He was ordered to gather up the canteens 
 and go to the spring for water, some distance below, and 
 so disappeared, but did not return until the party of 
 volunteers had been made up and left on the scout. 
 
 Where all are so worthy it may seem unjust to designate 
 by name any one soldier as being foremost in the ranks of 
 the brave and meritorious; but it sometimes happens that 
 acts of heroism and devotion to duty stand out in relief 
 so bold as to challenge admiration and demand special 
 notice. 
 
 In one of the many engagements in front of Knoxville 
 the regiment, while in the advance, had been compelled 
 to fall back, but again rallied and took a position behind 
 a barricade of rails. Between the opposing lines was a 
 spring which afforded the only water for both commands. 
 Along the slope between the lines wounded men were 
 begging for water, but the spring, now covered by the 
 enemy's sharpshooters, was inaccessible. Beside, the 
 utmost effort on the part of all was required to hold the 
 position and prevent a general retreat. 
 
 Up to this time Lovinas H. Patton had never done any- 
 thing to especially distinguish him from others of his 
 worthy comrades. But now, as will appear, the supreme 
 test had come. The cries for water were plainly heard 
 above the din of battle, and Patton, in a quick and impetu- 
 ous manner, threw down his carbine, exclaiming as he did 
 so: "Boys, I can't stand this any longer; I'm going to 
 give those men some water or die trying;" whereupon he 
 gathered up some canteens and started for the spring. A 
 storm of bullets whistled around him as he hurried on; 
 but, reaching the spring unharmed, he had filled his can- 
 teens and was in the act of stooping over a wounded man, 
 
8o 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 when he was struck by a rifle ball and fell desperately 
 wounded. 
 
 The shot had entered on the right-hand side of the 
 neck and, ranging upward, passed between the windpip'e 
 and spinal column, shattering the left jaw as it passed 
 through the cheek bone just under the left eye. For- 
 tunately he fell face downward and also head foremost on 
 the sloping ground, so that the blood flowed outward, thus 
 preventing immediate strangulation from his own blood. 
 Night came on soon, when the wounded were all relieved 
 and the troops fell back. Patton, after having been fur- 
 nished with a horse, rode twelve miles that night, reach- 
 ing a field hospital about daylight, having had no atten- 
 tion or aid of any kind, excepting that of a comrade to 
 lead his horse. 
 
 Within three weeks he was discharged from the hospital 
 and went home on leave of absence, where he remained 
 three months on sick leave; at the expiration of which 
 time he returned to the regiment and again took up his 
 place in the ranks. He afterward performed repeated acts 
 of bravery, for all of which he received notice in a special 
 order, and was soon commissioned a First Lieutenant. 
 Some years after the close of the war Patton died a hor- 
 rible death while fighting a forest fire in northern 
 Michigan. 
 
 William S. Wells, himself already wounded, had also his 
 horse shot from under him. The troops retiring, Wells 
 had fallen considerably in the rear, where he became a 
 special target for the enemy, but true to his soldiery in- 
 stincts and training, the preservation and care of his equip- 
 ments occupied his mind rather than his own safety. Ap- 
 parently without thought as to the best means of saving 
 himself, he began to unloose the saddle girth and at the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 81 
 
 same time, called out to the officer in command: "Cap- 
 tain, what shall I do with my saddle?" 
 
 Constantly on the move, in many hard marches and 
 sharp contests with the enemy, the regiment had already 
 seen sufficient service to establish that confidence between 
 officers and men, and in the mettle and staying qualities 
 of the animals, which must exist before cavalry can be 
 made effective in the field, when the 8th was called upon 
 to take a hand in one of the most notable events of the 
 war; and now known to history as 
 
 THE MORGAN RAID. 
 
 General John H. Morgan, a native of Kentucky, was 
 one of the most unique and striking figures on the part 
 of the Confederates during that period remarkable for its 
 stirring events and the illustrious names it has given to 
 posterity. A detailed account of Morgan's adventures at 
 the head of his daring raiders; or as a scout and spy within 
 the Union lines, reads like a romance of the Dick Turpin 
 school. And when early in July, 1863, the fact was 
 heralded throughout the border States that this noted 
 chieftain had left his retreat in the Cumberland Mountains 
 of East Tennessee and at the head of three or four thou- 
 sand troopers, superbly mounted, was swooping down upon 
 Kentucky and other border States, destined nobody knew 
 where; the alarm created in all the States bordering on 
 the Ohio River assumed the proportions of a panic. 
 
 The tocsin of alarm once sounded, all available troops 
 located in Kentucky and along the Ohio River, from 
 Paducah to Cincinnati and Covington, were hastily put in 
 readiness for action on the line of defense or in pursuit of 
 the invader, as circumstances might direct. The news- 
 
82 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 papers of Louisville and Cincinnati gave wide circulation 
 to the wildest rumors as to Morgan's ultimate purpose and 
 destination, all of which, of course, were matters of con- 
 jecture only. 
 
 Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside, in command of 
 the Department of the Ohio, headquarters at Cincinnati, 
 was the officer upon whom devolved the perplexing duty 
 of directing the campaign against the bold raider. 
 
 Though Morgan left the Cumberland Mountains the 
 latter part of June, the raid, it may be said, was only 
 fairly launched when at the head of his troops then sup- 
 posed to be invincible he struck a detachment of the 
 25th Michigan Infantry in command of Colonel Orlando 
 H. Moore, at Tebbs Bend, Green Eiver Bridge in southern 
 Kentucky, the morning of July 4th. 
 
 The origin and purpose of the raid, are fully disclosed 
 in the following official correspondence between the Con- 
 federate Generals having the matter in hand. That 
 Morgan himself was the originator of the plan, and keen 
 to enter upon its execution, is clearly set forth in this 
 correspondence. 
 
 SPECIAL ORDERS 
 No. 44. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS, 
 
 NEAR SHELBYVILLE, June 18, 1863. 
 
 General Morgan will proceed to Kentucky with a force of 
 2,000 officers and men, including such artillery as he may deem 
 expedient. In addition to accomplishing the work which he has 
 proposed, he will, as far as possible, break up and destroy the 
 Louisville and Nashville Railroad. He will, if practicable, 
 destroy depots of supplies in the state of Kentucky, after 
 which he will return to this present position 
 
 By order of Major-General Wheeler. 
 
 E. S. BURFORD, 
 Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 83 
 
 Prior to General Morgan's departure, I (General Wheeler) 
 wrote him one or two letters in which I urged his rapid move- 
 ments, stating that I hoped his movements would be so rapid 
 that he would be on his return to our army before General 
 Rosecrans could be certain he had left for Kentucky. 
 
 In these letters to General Morgan and in General Morgan's 
 letters to me, not one word was said about his crossing the 
 Ohio River; but on the contrary, he was urged by me to ob- 
 serve the importance of his returning to our army as rapidly 
 as possible 
 
 JOS. WHEELER, 
 
 Major-General. 
 
 COL. GEORGE WILLIAM BRENT, 
 Assistant Adjutant-General, 
 Army of Tennessee. 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 McMiNNviLLE, June 15, 1863. 
 MAJ. GEN. JOSEPH WHEELER : 
 
 Your dispatch is just received. Can accomplish everything 
 with 2,000 men and four guns. To make the attempt with less 
 might prove disastrous, as large details will be required at 
 Louisville to destroy the transportation, shipping and govern- 
 ment property. Can I go? The result is certain. 
 
 JOHN H. MORGAN, 
 
 Brigadier-General. 
 
 On the 27th of June, Gen. S. D. Sturgis, in command 
 of the military district of Kentucky, then for the first time 
 informed of Morgan's approach, ordered Col. J. I. David, 
 of the 9th Michigan Cavalry, to proceed with his regiment 
 to Sanford, scout the country beyond that point, and 
 watch the movements of the enemy. The 20th Kentucky 
 Infantry, numbering about 350 men, under Col. Chas. S. 
 Hanson was stationed at Lebanon; Gen. S. P. Carter with 
 
84 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 a small force at Somerset, and Col. Moore with 200 men 
 of the 25th Michigan Infantry at 
 
 TEBBS END. 
 
 These outlying troops were stationed so as to cover the 
 avenues of approach likely to be followed by an invading 
 enemy. Morgan must have been well informed as to the 
 location and strength of these various commands, and 
 believing that little opposition to his steady advance could 
 be offered, after an all night march on the 3d, the head 
 of his column reached Green Eiver in front of Colonel 
 Moore, early on the morning of July 4th. The anniver- 
 sary of our National independence was not an auspicious 
 day for the Confederates. The garrison at the river had 
 made the best possible use of the little time allowed them 
 in which to prepare for defense, after receiving warning 
 of Morgan's approach. There was a narrow neck of land 
 that formed the entrance to the bend, which was flanked 
 on either side by the stream, and through this pass, on 
 over the bridge, the road ran upon which Morgan was 
 rapidly drawing near. Across this neck of land, which 
 afforded a very strong natural defense, the Union troops 
 were entrenched behind a temporary abatis; and there, 
 crouching among the fallen timber, the little Spartan band 
 awaited the shock of battle. There was no delay on the 
 part of the enemy, and Colonel Moore had not long to wait.- 
 The early sun of that glorious anniversary had not kissed 
 away the dew, when slumbering denizens along the peace- 
 ful valley of the Green Eiver were rudely awakened by the 
 roar of artillery; and over the gentle slopes and hilltops 
 the smoke of battle settled like a pall. Early in the 
 engagement, under a flag of truce, a Confederate officer 
 handed Colonel Moore the following dispatch: 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 85 
 
 HEADQUARTERS, MORGAN'S DIVISION. 
 IN THE FIELD IN FRONT OF GREEN RIVER STOCKADE, 
 
 July 4, 1863. 
 
 To the Officer Commanding the Federal Forces at Stockade, 
 near Green Eiver Bridge, Kentucky. 
 
 SIR : In the name of the Confederate States Government, I 
 demand an immediate and unconstitutional surrender of the 
 entire force under your command together with the stockade. 
 I am, 
 
 .Very respectfully, sir, 
 
 (signed) JOHN H. MORGAN, 
 
 Commanding Cavalry, 
 C. S. Army. 
 
 The enemy's artillery at the first attack had been 
 brought into play, thus early developing his superiority in 
 numbers and equipment (Colonel Moore having no artil- 
 lery), and when this message was received, breathing in 
 every syllable the supreme confidence of the Confederate 
 leader, two Union soldiers were lying wounded; but firm 
 in his purpose not to surrender, there immediately went 
 back from Colonel Moore the following laconic reply: 
 
 "To-day being the 4th of July, I cannot entertain your prop- 
 osition." 
 
 The attack was then renewed with increased vigor, and 
 repeated charges were made, but every assault was re- 
 pulsed with equal courage and determination on the part 
 of the Union troops, who seemed inspired with the mem- 
 ories of the day, and fought with desperate energy against 
 overwhelming numbers. 
 
 Morgan and his command represented the flower of 
 Kentucky chivalry. They were on their native heath, 
 trained to horsemanship, and had the reputation of a 
 brave and chivalrous people to uphold; but with all their 
 dash and spirit they were unable to dislodge this little 
 garrison of embattled farmers from Michigan. The bat- 
 
86 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 tie raged unabated until far into the day, when Morgan 
 was forced to withdraw his troops after a loss of 50 men 
 killed and 250 wounded. The casualties on the Confed- 
 erate side were found to be greater than the whole number 
 of troops opposed to them. The Union losses were 6 
 killed and 53 wounded. So determined was the fighting 
 conducted by the assailing forces that little attention had 
 been given to their killed and wounded; and after a ces- 
 sation of hostilities a flag of truce was sent in asking per- 
 mission to bury their dead, still lying where they had 
 fallen, in front of the Union line of works. This privilege 
 was granted, but without waiting to avail himself of the 
 opportunity, Morgan, badly defeated, though little 
 daunted, left his dead and the seriously wounded to what- 
 ever fate the further fortunes of war might have for them, 
 and continued on his ill-starred mission, reaching Lebanon 
 at 7 o'clock the following morning, where he at once at- 
 tacked Colonel Hanson, who had but a handful of men. 
 
 On the evening of July 4th the 8th Michigan Cavalry, 
 at Camp Nelson, 50 miles distant, through a dispatch 
 from General Sturgis, was ordered to move with all pos- 
 sible speed to the relief of 
 
 THE GARRISON AT LEBANON. 
 
 This order was received at 8 o'clock P. M. and at 9 
 o'clock the 8th was under way. To arouse a regiment of 
 soldiers at night, after indulging in the revelries and lax 
 discipline incident to a holiday like the 4th of July; pro- 
 vide feed and rations for a thousand men and animals, 
 equip them for an indefinite march, and move out within 
 an hour, ready for any emergency, is a feat of which the 
 layman has little conception; but to the initiated it is 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 87 
 
 one highly commendatory of the efficiency of the officers 
 and men of that command. Once in line, at the word 
 "Forward," men and horses plunge into the darkness. Of 
 what may be in front very little is known (save only that 
 the enemy lurks there somewhere) and nothing can be 
 seen. The face of the country seems to have been changed 
 The roads, heretofore familiar, and smooth enough when 
 traveled by daylight, are now metamorphosed into 
 gulches, hills and pitfalls, often endangering the life or 
 limb of man and beast. Until 2 o'clock the following 
 morning the pace is kept up, first on the walk, then trot- 
 ting and galloping alternately, and again dismounting to 
 "lead." In this manner twenty-four miles have been 
 covered in less than six hours without a halt. But our 
 comrades are in peril and we must hasten to their relief. 
 Four miles beyond Sanford, and only twenty from Leba- 
 non, we reach Colonel David with the 9th Cavalry, and 
 the llth Michigan battery, and Colonel David, being the 
 senior officer, assumes command. 
 
 Advancing from this point about 9 o'clock A. M., our 
 ears were greeted with the booming of artillery in front 
 of Lebanon. Full of confidence, and impatient as every 
 man in the command was to hurry on and engage the 
 enemy, the column was halted and put through various 
 maneuvers of a dilatory character. As if to add to the 
 disappointment and chagrin felt by the entire brigade, 
 there appeared just at this time a courier, coming at a 
 rapid pace, bearing a message from General Carter ad- 
 dressed to Colonel David urging him to hasten to the 
 relief of Colonel Hanson at Lebanon, as Morgan's troops 
 had already invested the town, and adding: "If support 
 does not at once arrive, Lebanon will be destroyed and 
 Colonel Hanson compelled to surrender the garrison." 
 
88 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when we came in sight 
 of the doomed city, then in flames. Colonel Hanson hav- 
 ing fought from 7 in the morning until 1 o'clock in the 
 afternoon, had surrendered, when the head of our column 
 was not more than three miles distant. The Federal 
 losses were six men killed and fifteen wounded in this 
 attack, those of the enemy being much greater; but hav- 
 ing exhausted their ammunition and the town being on 
 fire, surrender became inevitable. 
 
 Morgan's rear guard, in plain view almost within rifle 
 range and in great disorder, was hurrying out of the town 
 when our brigade was thrown into line of battle. Thus 
 mounted, the men were compelled to sit for over an hour 
 watching the enemy as they passed out of sight. Here, if 
 properly commanded, was presented an opportunity for 
 these willing troops to have performed one of the grandest 
 feats in the history of Michigan cavalry. They could have 
 at least charged into the town and captured the disorderly 
 mob of Morgan's rear guard; or by a rapid march follow- 
 ing a cross road, cut his column in two, release the 
 prisoners just taken, and by seizing his wagons recapture 
 a vast amount of plunder taken from unoffending citizens 
 at Lebanon, and possibly have put an end to the raid. 
 And what added to the peculiar discomfort, while under- 
 going this humiliation (still mounted and in line of bat- 
 tle), there came on a thunderstorm of great violence, ac- 
 companied by a downpour of rain that drenched every 
 man to the skin. What is said of the proverbial "wet hen'' 
 expresses but feebly the feelings of the Michigan troops 
 just at this particular time. A grain of comfort was felt, 
 however, when a section of the battery unlimbered and 
 gave the enemy a parting salute. Also a little later, a 
 detachment of the 8th Cavalry occupied the town, and 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 89 
 
 captured forty stragglers whose discretion had been dulled 
 by an absorbing appetite fc-r the standard Kentucky 
 beverage. 
 
 At 8 o'clock P. M. of that day, by order of Colonel 
 David, our backs were turned to the enemy and the brigade 
 countermarched in the direction of Danville. At 10 
 o'clock, while still on the march, a courier overtook the 
 command with a dispatch from General Sturgis, asking 
 what had become of the Michigan troops. 
 
 This was on the 6th, and at 12.40 A. M. on the night 
 of the 7th there appeared on the picket line of the brigade 
 at Danville a man wrapped in a military cloak, who asked 
 the Corporal of the Guard to be directed to the command- 
 ing officer. The stranger was conducted at once to Colonel 
 David, and here introduced himself as Colonel W. P. 
 Sanders, of the 5th Kentucky Cavalry Volunteers (for- 
 merly of the regular army), and informed Colonel David 
 that, in compliance with orders direct from General Burn- 
 side, he would assume command of the brigade, and that 
 the two regiments with the battery should be ready to 
 move in twenty minutes. This was a change of front as 
 welcome to officers and men as it must have been astonish- 
 ing to Colonel David. 
 
 Colonel Sanders, it is a pleasure to state here, was an 
 officer who at once inspired the esteem and confidence of 
 his men. He was somewhat above the medium height, 
 erect, with broad shoulders and a most engaging presence. 
 For distinguished service Colonel Sanders rose rapidly to 
 the rank of Brigadier-General, and finally fell, mortally 
 wounded, in front of Knoxville, while encouraging his men 
 to repel the advance of the enemy then about to attack 
 the Union line of defenses, which were still incomplete. 
 He was carried from the field and placed in the bridal 
 
90 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 chamber of the LaMar House in that city (Knoxville), 
 where he died the same evening. He was buried at mid- 
 night in the Presbyterian churchyard, by the dim light 
 of a lantern, without a military salute or "the sound of a 
 drum or a funeral note." But every shovelful of earth 
 that fell upon his mortal remains was moistened with 
 the tears of his comrades aiding in the last sad rites, that 
 spoke more eloquently of his worth than sound of musket 
 or drum, or any eulogium that words can pronounce.* 
 
 Within twenty minutes from the time Colonel Sanders 
 reached the camp at Danville the Michigan brigade again 
 took up the line of march. In the dust and heat of that 
 day the hamlets of McAfee, Salvisa and Herrodsburg were 
 passed, and Lawrenceburg was reached at 4 o'clock P. M., 
 the brigade having made a distance of 47 miles in fifteen 
 hours. 
 
 There now began throughout that portion of Kentucky 
 a succession of night raids, surprises, marches and counter- 
 marches, enlivened with sharp and decisive combats of 
 small detachments (sometimes almost hand to hand) that 
 would form a very startling chapter if the details were 
 given. Railroad trains were captured, passengers robbed 
 and bridges, mills and factories burned and destroyed by 
 the enemy. But they were often surprised in this work 
 and routed or captured by our troops, or driven into the 
 streams and shot or drowned in an endeavor to escape. 
 
 Meantime, by destroying the wires on the line of his 
 march, or by making use of them in sending counterfeit 
 
 *History records the fact that the gallant resistance offered 
 by Colonel Sanders, at the head of 700 cavalrymen, against 
 Longstreet's advance on Knoxville before its line of defense 
 had been completed, saved that city from capture and Burn- 
 side's army from defeat. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 91 
 
 dispatches, Morgan, with his main column, was able to 
 cover his tracks and mystify the Union authorities as to 
 his ultimate destination and purpose. So, unimpeded since 
 leaving Lebanon on the 5th, he moved rapidly to within a 
 few miles of Louisville, and there suddenly changed direc- 
 tion to the left, reaching Brandenburg, on the Ohio Eiver, 
 thirty miles below Louisville, on the 7th. Two steamboats, 
 the "Alice Dean" and the "John T. McComb," bent on a 
 peaceful pilgrimage up the river, unfortunately arrived 
 opposite Brandenburg about the same time as Morgan. 
 Two or three shots from one of his Parrott guns, uncere- 
 moniously thrown across their bows, was the argument 
 made use of to induce the two steamers to heave to and 
 run in shore to ascertain the cause of the alarm. Their 
 curiosity was soon gratified, as both boats were imme- 
 diately impressed into the service and compelled to ferry 
 the raiders across the river. By the evening of the 8th 
 3,500 of the enemy (horses and men), with four pieces of 
 artillery, had been safely landed 
 
 ON" THE INDIANA SHOES. 
 
 Louisville, the objective point in Morgan's original 
 scheme of conquest, had evidently been abandoned; but 
 immediately in his front lay the thriving cities of New 
 Albany, Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, Madison, Lawrence- 
 burg and Cincinnati, and many other towns in Southern 
 Indiana and Ohio. Even the people of Michigan were in 
 a high state of alarm, as at one time it was thought 
 Morgan might undertake to reach Detroit, and, crossing 
 his command into Canada, there repose under the protect- 
 ing aegis of the British flag. 
 
 The gravest anxiety had been manifested everywhere 
 
92 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 from the inception of the raid, but among those charged 
 with the perplexing duty of bringing it to a termination, as 
 well as by the tens of thousands whose homes and property 
 were placed in imminent peril, the feeling of apprehension 
 had now reached the culminating point. The following 
 official dispatches will afford the most comprehensive view 
 of the situation at this time. When the fact is known 
 (as fact it is) that more than 1,000 telegraph messages 
 were received and sent through headquarters at Cincinnati 
 during the progress of the raid, the importance attached 
 to it, and the doubt and uncertainty in which the move- 
 ments of the enemy were shrouded, will be better under- 
 stood; for at this time it was believed the invasion was 
 only a feint to cover a more formidable movement. The 
 dispatches explain themselves: 
 
 LOUISVILLE, July 9, 1863. 
 MAJOR GENERAL HARTSUFF: 
 
 Morgan has crossed into Indiana with his force, and is near 
 Corydon. His object must be to come in behind New Albany 
 and Jeffersonville. My information is that their plan and ob- 
 ject is to attack those places and destroy public works. I need 
 two or more regiments from Mumf ordville and beg they be sent 
 here by rail. A gentleman who was induced to go with Morgan 
 to within 8 miles of Brandenburg stated their purpose was a 
 feint, and that Pegram and Buckner were to come in after 
 them and attend to Louisville. I beg that the forces be sent. 
 If you do not think it proper to withdraw them at all, are 
 there not other forces which can be sent here? 
 
 (Signed) J. T. BOYLE, 
 Brigadier-General. 
 
 LOUISVILLE, July 9, 1863. 
 
 9P.M. 
 GENERAL HARTSUFF : 
 
 I received your dispatch and have sent troops. The citizens 
 of Corydon resisted Morgan and several were killed in the 
 fight. Morgan had declared his intention was not to come to 
 New Albany, but I do not believe him. Hobson is crossing his 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 93 
 
 force. I sent transports and gunboats to him. The people of 
 Indiana believe Morgan will attack New Albany in the morn- 
 ing or to-night. I will offer best resistance I can until Hobson 
 arrives. 
 
 (Signed) J. T. BOYLE, 
 
 Brigadier-General. 
 
 Immediately upon landing on the opposite shore the 
 head of Morgan's column was turned northward. The 
 thriving little city of Corydon, about fifteen miles in the 
 interior and directly on the line of march toward Indian- 
 apolis, was reached on the 9th, and proved to be the first 
 to feel the shock of the invasion. The citizens of Corydon 
 gallantly resisted Morgan's attack, and several were killed 
 and wounded. 
 
 Meantime, the Federal forces under General E. H. Hob- 
 son, who first overtook and engaged Morgan at Marrow- 
 bone, Kentucky, on the 3d of July, and who had followed 
 his course from that time forward, had arrived on the 
 bank of the Ohio, and while Morgan was plundering the 
 citizens of Corydon, Hobson, with 2,500 men, was crossing 
 the river at Brandenburg. The dispatch given below will 
 explain the situation at this juncture: 
 
 INDIANAPOLIS, July 9, 1863. 
 GEN. BURNSIDE: 
 
 Information received here indicates that Morgan will march 
 into the interior of Indiana. Are there no troops in Kentucky 
 that can be spared and sent to our relief? 
 
 (Signed) 0. P. MORTON, 
 Gov. of Indiana. 
 
 While events were transpiring as narrated in the 
 foregoing pages, the warfare by small detachments in 
 the rear was being prosecuted with relentless energy. 
 Morgan had already sustained many losses of men and 
 officers, either killed or captured, and his disappoint- 
 
94 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ments must have been great, chief among them being 
 the relinquishment of his designs upon Louisville. 
 Besides, unexpected to him, no doubt, his crossing 
 the river had placed him in an attitude where his own 
 safety and that of his entire command must be taken into 
 account. The lofty ambition that first sent him forth in 
 quest of empire had suddenly dwindled to the bare hope 
 of avoiding a general engagement and making his final 
 escape by recrossing the Ohio into Kentucky or West Vir- 
 ginia, there to find a hospitable retreat. Hobson's brigade 
 was now close upon his rear; a large force of the militia 
 of Indiana and Ohio had been hurriedly mustered to co- 
 operate with the troops for defense in the interior; the 
 river from Paducah to Buffington's Island was patrolled 
 with gunboats and troopships that could be made effective 
 at any point where the enemy might undertake to recross, 
 and all available cavalry within the department had been 
 mustered for a supreme effort to head off Morgan's retreat 
 and wear him to a finish somewhere north of the Ohio 
 Eiver. 
 
 Accordingly, the ''Michigan Brigade" at Lawrenceburg 
 at midnight on the llth took up the march by way of 
 Eminence and La Grange for Westpoint on the river, which 
 place they reached 24 hours later, a halt of four hours at 
 Eminence being the only rest for men and animals in a 
 73-mile march over very rough and mountainous country 
 roads. While at Westport Colonel Sanders was intercepted 
 by the following dispatch: 
 
 CINCINNATI, July 11, 1863. 
 COL. SANDERS, 
 
 Eminence. 
 
 It is reported that Morgan may attempt recross the Ohio 
 at either Westport, Grassy Flats, or opposite Bedford. Keep 
 out scouts well in the direction of Lockport, Port Royal, Bed- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 95 
 
 ford and Westport. You can hire citizen scouts and pay them 
 well. Obey any orders that Gen. Boyle may send you. If 
 Morgan attempts to cross at any one of these places, you ought 
 to be able to whip him in detail. If he succeeds in crossing, 
 he may try to cross Kentucky River between Covington and 
 Lockport, and go out by Mount Stirling, in which case you 
 must press him hard. I leave your movements to your own 
 good judgment, to a great extent. 
 
 (Signed) A. E. BURNSIDE. 
 
 To the above Colonel Sanders sent this reply: 
 
 LA GRANGE, July 11, 1863. 
 GENERAL BOYLE: 
 
 I am moving as fast as artillery can go. We have marched 
 since 12 o'clock last night. Am taking horses where necessary. 
 Will be at the river by 10 P. M. Have sent scouts as directed. 
 (Signed) W. P. SANDERS, 
 
 Col. Commanding. 
 
 On reaching Westport it was learned that Morgan had 
 already passed that point, moving in the direction of Mad- 
 ison. Early on Sunday morning, the 12th, the 8th and 
 9th Michigan, with the battery, in order to gain time, were 
 embarked on transports; but on reaching Madison it was 
 learned the swift-footed trooper had already passed, head- 
 ing toward Cincinnati, with Hobson still 
 
 HOT UPON THE TRAIL. 
 
 The fact that Morgan, from the beginning of the race, 
 seems to have passed just a little ahead the point where 
 our troops hoped to form a junction with him, no doubt 
 calls for an explanation. 
 
 In nautical parlance "A stern chase is a long one/' and, 
 as the ship, so the cavalry. The command in the lead 
 takes the wind out of the sails of the one that follows. 
 Being ahead, Morgan had first choice of everything 
 
96 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 needed to accelerate his march and keep his men and 
 animals in good heart. As both commands were depend- 
 ent upon the country for forage and rations, the Con- 
 federates generally swept the board of both. This was 
 especially true as to horses and forage, for what they 
 failed to seize and appropriate for their immediate use 
 was carried away or destroyed, thus leaving our soldiers 
 to drag out their weary marches on animals frequently 
 half starved, jaded and footsore. Being in loyal territory, 
 our men, from sense of patriotic duty, were restrained 
 from taking indiscriminately from the people, but not so 
 with Morgan, whose mission was one of plunder. Officers 
 of the Federal Army were empowered to give receipts for 
 the value of all property impressed for the good of the 
 service, wherever found. Horses were valued at $90 a 
 head, and the farmer whose team had been taken from the 
 pasture, the plow or the stable, could send in his receipts 
 to the Quartermaster's Department, and eventually re- 
 ceive $180 in greenbacks. Besides, he was authorized to 
 take up and make use of the wornout animals left behind, 
 many of which, with a few days' rest and care, became 
 valuable again for service on the farm. As to the matter 
 of rations for the men, no account whatever was kept of 
 that. 
 
 Throughout the States of Indiana and Ohio, up to the 
 hour of Morgan's final surrender, and the return of the 
 troops to Kentucky, the loyal people flocked to the road- 
 side along the line of march, fairly freighted with the 
 very best their sumptuous larders afforded, and urged it 
 upon the hungry troops. Old men and women, young boys 
 and fair maidens, vied with each other in being the first 
 to serve and feed the Union soldier. Their encouraging 
 cheers, their expressions of gratitude (often in tears) and 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 97 
 
 their patriotic appeals gave strength and courage to our 
 men. And here, more than ever before or afterwards 
 during the war, was impressed upon the soldier by these 
 loyal demonstrations the great importance of the mission 
 in which the Union Army was engaged. 
 
 Leaving Madison, we steamed on up the river, now and 
 then disembarking small raiding parties with orders to 
 penetrate the interior a distance of ten or twelve miles, 
 if necessary, in order to keep a lookout on the movements 
 of the enemy. By this means Morgan was found to be 
 making all possible haste in the direction of Lawrence- 
 burg and Cincinnati. Among the inhabitants of the latter 
 place the greatest consternation now prevailed, the city 
 already being 
 
 UNDER MAETIAL LAW. 
 
 At 9 o'clock that night, the 12th, orders came for our 
 command to embark on transports for Cincinnati. This 
 was done and crowding on a full head of steam, we 
 reached the latter place at 5 that morning. The following 
 appeared in the morning papers, and in large posters 
 throughout the city. 
 
 CINCINNATI, OHIO, July 12, 1863. 
 GENERAL ORDERS. 
 
 No. 114. 
 
 Martial law is hereby declared in the cities of Cincinnati, 
 Covington and Newport, all business will be suspended until 
 further orders, and all citizens will be required to organize in 
 accordance with the direction of the State and municipal 
 authorities. The commanding General, convinced that no one 
 whose services are necessary for the defense of these cities 
 would care to leave now, places no restriction upon travel. 
 By command of Major-General Burnside. 
 (Signed) LEWIS RICHMOND, 
 
 Assistant Adj. General. 
 
98 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The principal avenues of ingress and egress were 
 guarded by a military patrol, and all horses available for 
 the cavalry and artillery were being impressed into service. 
 There was a great scurrying among owners of fine stock, 
 placed between two fires (that of the Federal authorities 
 within the city, and the fear of Morgan's troopers from 
 without) and they were seeking every possible avenue of 
 escape for their petted animals. 
 
 The telegraphic wires at General Burnside's head- 
 quarters, and those of every division within the Depart- 
 ment of the Army of the Ohio, that had been kept warm 
 by day and night from the time the raid into Kentucky 
 was first announced were now raised to a white heat in 
 the dispatch of orders to the numerous commands 
 directly or indirectly engaged in the pursuit and the sup- 
 posed defense. Detachments of our command were 
 ordered to take position on the various roads leading into 
 Cincinnati from the north and west, there to await further 
 developments, while mounted videttes were extended out 
 into the country at a greater distance, to give timely 
 warning of the enemy's approach. Colonel Sanders, with 
 the balance of the brigade, moved up the broad pike to 
 Avondale, an aristocratic suburban place on the hill; 
 where they went into camp, picketing the various roads 
 in that direction. 
 
 The Michigan Brigade were now the principal guardians 
 of Cincinnati with headquarters at Avondale. Wherever 
 garrisoned there was constantly urged upon officers and 
 men the most lavish hospitality. Not a Government ration 
 was drawn or issued to our troops during the occupation. 
 Provisions were brought to the camp, outlying posts and 
 videttes, by wagon-loads, and frequently the rations were 
 delivered by the fair hands that had prepared them. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 99 
 
 Two companies were hurried out on the road upon 
 which Morgan's column was supposed to be advancing. 
 The orders were to halt and detain (if in the night) all 
 persons attempting to enter the city who could not give 
 a prompt and satisfactory account of themselves. The 
 night passed without incident, but just as the day began 
 to break, there was a low rumbling sound as of wheels, 
 heard in the distance coming down the macadamized road. 
 The outlying vidette called the sergeant of the guard; but 
 before his arrival a vehicle of some kind appeared through 
 a dense fog that had now set in. The guard, being a re- 
 cruit and somewhat nervous, called out "Halt! Who 
 comes there?" But no responsive answer being returned, 
 the challenge was repeated and followed by a shot from 
 the soldier's Spencer rifle. Immediately the misty air of 
 that September morning was rent by the shrill cry of a 
 woman, evidently in distress. This had the effect of arous- 
 ing the camp, and the entire reserve picket force turned 
 out under arms in a moment. Meantime, the sergeant 
 with the vidette, going forward, found a woman, with a 
 horse hitched to a wagon loaded with melons and other 
 products of the farm and garden, standing in the middle 
 of the road. She had started with her supplies for the 
 market, intent upon "catching the early worm." But 
 seeing the soldiers approach, and believing she had been 
 held up by some of Morgan's raiders and was about to 
 be robbed, she threw up her hands and cried out: "Oh! 
 Mein Gott in Himmel, vas is das! vas is das!" Being 
 voluble and excitable, and understanding but little Eng- 
 lish, it was difficult to explain to her the situation. Mean- 
 time, and what added greatly to the old lady's consterna- 
 tion, the soldiers gathered around the wagon, and the 
 melons began to disappear like mist under the rays of the 
 
IOO 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 noonday sun. This fact seemed to have a more irritating 
 effect than that of being shot at by the pickets. But 
 finally a guard was detailed to escort her through the 
 lines, and without further annoyance she proceeded on 
 her way. 
 
 Among the patriotic citizens of Avondale most grate- 
 fully remembered were the 
 
 GKEENWOODS, MITCHELLS AND DOMINICKS. 
 
 It was while the command was passing the residence of 
 Mr. Mitchell on the march up the road, in the early morn- 
 ing of the 12th, that a group of young ladies were seen 
 in the garden by the roadside gathering raspberries for 
 breakfast. Waving their handkerchiefs, they called out, 
 "God bless the boys in blue. Who are you?" "The Mich- 
 igan Brigade," was the reply. "Where are you going?" 
 "We are going into camp on the hill to guard the city 
 against the approach of the enemy." "God bless the brave 
 soldiers of the Union !" came another salutation from the 
 young ladies. The camp had no sooner been established 
 than Mr. Mitchell appeared upon the scene and introduced 
 himself by inviting Colonel Sanders and the whole head- 
 quarters staff to breakfast. It is hardly necessary to add 
 that the invitation was promptly accepted. 
 
 On arriving at the Mitchell residence the fact was soon 
 disclosed that the young ladies who had first saluted the 
 passing brigade were the primary cause of the invitation 
 to breakfast. After a few minutes' conversation, relating 
 mainly to the imminent danger that threatened the city, 
 the officers were conducted to the dining room, where an 
 elegant breakfast was heartily enjoyed. 
 
 It is difficult to describe the sensations of a soldier who 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 101 
 
 has been for a prolonged period engaged in unremitting,, 
 laborious and dangerous service, when, temporarily relieved 
 from duty, he is invited from the ranks in soiled and dusty 
 uniform, and seated at a table laid with spotless linen and 
 spread with every luxury that wealth and a lavish hos- 
 pitality can supply. This more particularly when he is 
 served and waited upon by a bevy of accomplished young 
 women, who, in sheer gratitude for the services he has 
 rendered, sing his praises and stand ready to strew his 
 pathway with roses. Glorious services! Most glorious 
 reward! If there is a man still living who belonged to 
 that command and was the recipient of those gracious 
 favors (and thousands of them were in that tedious march 
 through Indiana and Ohio) and is not a better citizen for 
 the experience there gained, it is to be regretted he was not 
 early in the engagement numbered with the missing. 
 
 The breakfast over, the folding doors were thrown open 
 and the Misses Cochran (two of the charming young hos- 
 tesses) sang with piano accompaniment <r When This Cruel 
 War Is Over/' a song much in vogue at that time, but then 
 heard for the first time by our soldiers. Before the song 
 had ended some of the officers were seen to turn aside, in 
 pretense of brushing away a fly or the offending dust, but 
 in fact to hide the tears that were coursing unbidden down 
 their bronzed faces. 
 
 From time to time throughout the day we were in receipt 
 of reports by courier from General Burnside, giving infor- 
 mation of Morgan's movements, so far as could be definitely 
 learned. Shortly before the hour of noon Mr. Dominick, 
 also a resident of Avondale, appeared at brigade head- 
 quarters and cordially invited the staff to dine with him, 
 fixing the hour at 1 P. M. Here, as in the case of the 
 breakfast, no second invitation was needed, and, arriving 
 
102 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 promptly on schedule time at the residence of the host, 
 the officers were agreeably surprised to find among the 
 guests Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell (who had graciously enter- 
 tained them in the morning), accompanied by the five 
 young ladies, whose presence lent such a charm to the 
 breakfast hour. At Mr. Dominick's new songs were in- 
 cluded in the repertory of these entertaining friends, and 
 the old songs were repeated with added spirit and grace. 
 
 The brief respite enjoyed in these hospitable homes, the 
 cheerful smiles and warm-hearted greetings, brought 
 vividly to mind the faces of loved ones far away, the fire- 
 sides left behind and the glad welcome that awaited us 
 there. At last, compelled to say good-bye and passing 
 down the road out of sight, there came once more from 
 the Dominick residence the faint receding echoes of "When 
 This Cruel War Is Over." On reaching camp a beautiful 
 bouquet of flowers was found at headquarters "From the 
 Ladies of Cincinnati to the Officers and Men of the Mich- 
 igan Brigade," and at 4 o'clock that afternoon the brigade 
 
 AGAIN TOOK UP THE MAECH. 
 
 Morgan, thinking discretion the better part of valor, 
 as in the case of Louisville, had given up his designs on 
 Cincinnati, and, leaving that city to the right, made rapid 
 strides in the direction of Camp Dennison, which place 
 he reached early in the morning. To this place Colonel 
 Sanders was ordered to hasten his troops, and there report 
 to General Hobson, still hovering close on Morgan's rear. 
 Our march that night led out by the way of Montgomery, 
 twelve miles to the northeast from Cincinnati, and there 
 communication by courier was had with General Hobson, 
 who ordered the brigade to take the advance, and, pressing 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 103 
 
 closely on Morgan's right flank, prevent him from turning 
 to the Ohio Kiver, then in a low stage of water and offer- 
 ing good facilities for fording. The command marched, 
 scouted and reconnoitered the roads on both flanks that 
 night, reaching Camp Shady, near Camp Dennison, at 2 
 o'clock the morning of the 14th, where a halt was made 
 for two hours. It was no more than fairly daylight, 
 however, when the column was again in motion, and for the 
 two succeeding days this order of march was continued, 
 halting each morning at 2 o'clock for two hours' rest. 
 Thus about six hours had been given to the men and 
 horses for feed, rest and sleep out of sixty-two hours of 
 continuous marching. 
 
 Meantime the general direction had been to the east- 
 ward, keeping close on the right flank of the enemy. More 
 than a score of thriving towns and villages had been 
 included in the itinerary. Throughout that portion of 
 the march accomplished by daylight there had been one 
 continuous ovation by the people, and frequently their 
 demonstrations of gratitude and patriotic joy enlivened the 
 tedious journey far into the night. By the roadside tem- 
 porary tables and platforms were erected, and the thrifty 
 housewives of Southern Ohio had loaded them with the 
 delicacies of the season and the more substantial products 
 of the farm and garden. These were urged upon the 
 troops in such quantities that they sometimes became sa- 
 tiated and unable to partake any further of this generous 
 hospitality. Elegant young women who had prepared with 
 their own hands a tempting dish were often heard to 
 make personal appeals to a soldier (already surfeited) to 
 "just taste" of their pie or cake, as the case might be, 
 and they would then be satisfied. Bevies of young women, 
 and children with waving banners, singing "Eally 'Bound 
 
104 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the Flag/' greeted the soldiers in every village and hamlet. 
 In short, the people turned out en masse, not to see the 
 "passing regiment" decked out in the pomp and splendor 
 of a holiday parade, but they came rather to express their 
 gratitude to these bronzed veterans for services rendered 
 in upholding the flag of the Union, and in defending 
 their homes and firesides. 
 
 But Morgan in the lead, meantime, is levying contribu- 
 tions, plundering the inhabitants and burning the mills 
 and factories of those refusing to accede to his demands. 
 For miles on either flank the country is stripped of horses, 
 and his own wornout animals by scores are found dazed 
 and stupefied by the roadside. Our own mounts are in 
 a pitiable condition, and their depleted ranks need filling 
 every hour in the day and night, but fresh ones are seldom 
 to be found. Farmers who had already been compelled 
 to give up their stock frequently came to the command, 
 and in tears prayed for protection against the further 
 ravages of the invader. 
 
 On a Sunday some of the troops chanced to meet a 
 farmer driving a fine team, accompanied by his dutiful 
 wife, on their way to church. Two of the battery horses 
 were about to collapse, and the old gentleman was told 
 that, waiving all scruples of the day and the sacredness of 
 his mission, he would be asked to "swap" horses. To this 
 consent was finally given, and the country-bred bays, 
 turned from their pious pilgrimage, were hastily togged 
 out with the habiliments of war, while the jaded old bat- 
 tery team, no doubt rejoicing in this sudden change of 
 front, were quietly driven to church. 
 
 About 9 o'clock the following night the troops were com- 
 pelled to cross a stream by a deep, rocky ford having high 
 and precipitous banks. Standing on a rock that projected 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 105 
 
 far out into the stream was a young woman holding a 
 lantern. Its dim light disclosed a pale and anxious face, 
 and features of more than ordinary beauty. In reply to a 
 question from one of our men the young woman said she 
 was "lighting the soldier boys to glory and to victory." 
 
 The succeeding days up to the 18th were but a repeti- 
 tion of what has already been related. The command has 
 now passed through the towns of Batavia, Sardinia and 
 Winchester, and has arrived at Jackson, where communi- 
 cation is had with General Judah, commanding the gun- 
 boats on the Ohio Eiver, and also with General Hobson 
 on the left. At this point a consultation is held with the 
 brigade commanders and the staff officers of General Judah, 
 and it is decided to make a united effort to drive Morgan 
 to the river, near 
 
 BUFFINGTON'S ISLAND. 
 
 General Judah was to crowd on all possible steam and 
 place his gunboats around the bend in the river behind 
 the island, while the cavalry pressed them in the rear and 
 on the flanks. Accordingly, the Michigan Brigade marched 
 all that day and night (a distance of 45 miles), reaching 
 Chester early Sunday morning, the 19th, and there, sure 
 enough, our advance struck Morgan's rear guard, his front 
 already being engaged with the forces under General 
 Judah, who had disembarked and were defending the ford 
 at Buffington's Bar. The troops were joined here by a 
 detachment of the 2d and 7th Ohio Cavalry, who were 
 at once deployed as skirmishers, while the 8th and 9th 
 Michigan formed line of battle, and, marching under cover 
 of a strip of timber, awaited the signal for a charge. It 
 was now 5 o'clock ; the sun of that peaceful Sabbath morn- 
 
106 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ing had just risen, and, like a flashlight on the camera, 
 revealed the entire field, photographing upon memory this 
 grand spectacle of war. The enemy had now faced about 
 and formed three lines of battle, mounted and in plain 
 view on ground sloping to the front. Their artillery was 
 playing upon the gunboats then steaming around the bend 
 behind the island. The llth Michigan Battery was located 
 in the center between the two regiments, one section of 
 which had already gained a position on a high hill and 
 opened fire. This was to be the signal for a general 
 advance. 
 
 New life and vigor now seemed to have been enthused 
 into the jaded men and horses of the brigade, as through 
 the plowed field, over rocks, ditches and fences the rush 
 began. Volley after volley was poured into the enemy, 
 and their lines, already wavering, soon broke into a rout. 
 This gave fresh impetus to the Federal troops, who pressed 
 them so closely that one line of battle, with their artillery, 
 was driven over an embankment thirty feet high, and there 
 captured. 
 
 For more than a mile the pursuit was kept up. The 
 ground over which the enemy passed was strewn with 
 every conceivable form of wearing apparel, including 
 articles of the toilet and fancy goods for women and chil- 
 dren; even baby shoes and stockings were found among 
 the plunder. A wagon-load of pistols and shotguns, en- 
 tirely new, taken from the thrifty merchants of Indiana 
 and Ohio, might have been gathered in an hour's time. 
 Fearing the consequence of capture, having in possession 
 these articles not contraband of war, they had thought- 
 fully disposed of them in anticipation of the final hour 
 of surrender. A courier had meantime been dispatched 
 to Generals Schackleford and Welford on the left, urging 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 107 
 
 them to close in and press the enemy with all possible 
 vigor from that quarter; and in response they moved up 
 promptly and began a vigorous attack. The Ohio River, 
 with General Judah's gunboats, was in the enemy's front, 
 while they were completely surrounded from the land side 
 by Federal cavalry, who were dogging their flanks and 
 rear like hounds on the lagging quarry. 
 
 With broken columns, seeking cover in strips of timber, 
 gulches and ravines, and remorselessly pressed from every 
 quarter, they soon began to surrender. Colonel Basil 
 Duke, the ranking officer among the captured, being cut 
 off with a small detachment and surrounded on all sides, 
 surrendered to Sergeant C. F. Boke, of Company "B," 9th 
 Michigan Cavalry. Colonel Springer, with 575 men, 
 horses and equipments, surrendered to the 8th Michigan. 
 On the extreme left Colonel "Dick" Morgan, a brother of 
 the Chief, surrendered to Colonel Wolford. And thus, by 
 regiment, brigade and division, the ranks of Morgan's 
 dreaded invaders melted away. About 2,300 officers and 
 men, with ammunition, horses and equipments, including 
 three guns, were captured. 
 
 The marching for many days and nights had been con- 
 tinuous, including a distance from Cincinnati of 250 miles. 
 The heat of the summer was intense, the country every- 
 where dry and parched, and men and animals of both com- 
 mands were suffering intensely for water, rest and sleep. 
 A fellow-feeling sometimes makes us wondrous kind, and 
 the men soon began to fraternize. The limpid waters of 
 the Ohio were but a few yards distant, and when the ad- 
 journment for twenty minutes was had for all hands to 
 repair to that stream to wash, the feeling of fraternity 
 often became one of cordiality. And over all a great 
 sense of relief was felt that for the moment at least, there 
 
io8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 was concord among these warring elements. The Michi- 
 gan Brigade under the command of Colonel Sanders, had 
 now fairly redeemed itself from the miserable fiasco at 
 Lebanon. 
 
 Colonel Sanders, himself a Kentuckian, had many 
 friends in Morgan's command, and was frequently heard 
 to call out, "Hello, Jim, Tom or Dick," as one after 
 another of his old friends, now prisoners of war, appeared 
 upon the scene. Addressing Colonel Wormer, of the 8th 
 Michigan (both officers being on foot), Colonel Sanders 
 said, "Colonel, walk up the line with me." Presently 
 he inquired for Richard Gutheridge, and was told that 
 Gutheridge could be found a little further along, washing 
 himself on the banks of the river. A young man stand- 
 ing knee-deep in the water and splashing it over his face 
 and neck was soon discovered by Colonel Sanders, who 
 called out, "Hello, Richard, what are you doing here?" 
 Gutheridge answered, "I suppose you ought to know, 
 Colonel." "When did you hear from home last, Dick?" 
 continued the Colonel. "Not for a long time, we have 
 been going too fast the past month or more, for the 
 United States mail to keep up with us." "Have you any 
 money, Dick?" continued the Colonel. Upon this 
 (Richard replying in the negative), Colonel Sanders took 
 a roll of greenbacks from his pocket and handed it to him. 
 On being asked who this young man was, in whom he 
 seemed to take so much interest, Colonel Sanders re- 
 plied, "That is a brother of the young lady to whom I 
 am engaged to be married." 
 
 This victory would seem to have been complete, but 
 alas! it was discovered when too late to mend, that the 
 wily chieftain himself, under cover of the darkness, had 
 again 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 109 
 
 SLIPPED THROUGH THE FEDERAL LINES. 
 
 Pushing on into the interior of Ohio, when next heard 
 from he was winding his way to the northward with about 
 800 men. To intercept and cut him off somewhere on the 
 march, General Schackleford, at the head of a small com- 
 mand, is shipped hy rail direct to Steubenville. Disem- 
 barking there, it is learned that Morgan is endeavoring 
 to effect a crossing below Wheeling. Upon receipt of this 
 intelligence a detachment under Major Rue at once 
 started by rail for that point. But Morgan, through the 
 assistance of sympathizing friends, learning of this move- 
 ment, again changed his course and, retrograding to the 
 interior, again pushed northward. The next move of 
 Major Rue's command brought them by rail to Shanghi 
 Landing, about twenty miles above Steubenville. It is 
 now Sunday, the 26th. We are in one of the northeastern- 
 most counties of the State of Ohio, and the climax is 
 hourly expected. A citizen runner from the interior 
 brings the intelligence that Morgan's column, still head- 
 ing northward, is not more than six miles distant. Again 
 the march is taken up; small detachments scouting the 
 crossroads and bridle paths from right to left, in an en- 
 deavor to locate the quarry. 
 
 The loyalty and hospitality of the citizens of Indiana 
 and Ohio have been dwelt upon elsewhere, but in addition 
 to this, the local troops or State militia rendered valuable 
 assistance at various stages of the invasion; but like un- 
 trained men everywhere, their movements when left to 
 themselves were not always in strict accord with army 
 regulations. The feeling among the citizens was at a fever 
 heat, for it was not known at what hour nor on what road 
 Morgan, or detachments of his band, might appear. 
 
no 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 At this time a small detachment was detailed to pro- 
 ceed to a certain crossing on the Highlandtown road, a 
 hamlet about six miles distant, to learn if the enemy had 
 been seen in that direction. The orders were to go and 
 return to the command with all possible haste. We 
 dashed through the country on the gallop, and dusty 
 and travel-stained as we were, the people by the roadside 
 could hardly distinguish us from the enemy. Frequently 
 men, women and children, on our approach, were seen 
 skipping out at the back door and down through the 
 garden into the cornfield or timber beyond; often bare- 
 headed and coatless, and never looking back to learn 
 whether they were pursued or not. 
 
 On nearing the place of our destination we found that 
 pickets, consisting of volunteer citizens armed with good 
 muskets, had been stationed out on the road a distance 
 of a mile or more, to watch for Morgan's column, with 
 the expectation of giving them a warm reception when 
 they came. On first coming in sight of one of these 
 posts (we were going at a lively gallop, and in blissful 
 ignorance of an armed force in our immediate front) when 
 bang! bang! bang! went three or four shots (apparently 
 aimed at the ambient air, for none of them came near 
 us) and, looking up, a half dozen men with smoking guns 
 were seen running for the timber on either side of the 
 road. Continuing our course, going by on the lope, the 
 direction of their retreat was traceable from the sound 
 of crackling brush as they disappeared in the timber a 
 half mile distant. 
 
 In rejoining the command from this scout, we met two 
 citizens on horseback (Harbaugh and Sterling by name) 
 coming at full speed, with the intelligence that Morgan 
 had been attacked that morning near Salineville by a 
 
With Touch of Elbow. ' 
 
 detachment of the 9th Michigan under Major Way, who 
 had cut them in two, capturing about three hundred men; 
 that Morgan himself, who was traveling in a covered rig, 
 taken from a citizen somewhere on his route, had barely 
 escaped by cutting a horse loose from the carriage and 
 riding away barebacked; and that the remnant of his 
 command (about three hundred strong) was near Gavers 
 on a road leading to West Point and the Ohio River. 
 
 Taking Harbaugh for a guide, we struck a crossroad, 
 by which some distance was saved, and soon fell in the 
 rear of Major Rue's column, then hurrying forward to in- 
 tercept Morgan at a crossing a mile or two yet ahead. 
 Looking across to the west and north, the cloud of dust 
 raised by the retreating Confederates was plain to be 
 seen, and they of course could see our dust as well. Their 
 road ran directly east, while ours intersected it, running 
 north and south. To be the first to reach the junction of 
 the two roads was the goal for which both commands were 
 now striving. Our animals, already on the verge of col- 
 lapse, were urged forward under whip and spur, and the 
 two columns of dust rapidly drew together. To be the 
 first at the crossing meant for us, beside a temporary 
 respite, the end of the raid, and 
 
 MORGAN'S FINAL CAPTURE. 
 
 For him and the remnant of his command it meant final 
 escape through the mountainous regions of West Virginia, 
 among friends and sympathizers, who would bid him God- 
 speed on his way to rejoin the Confederate Army in Ten- 
 nessee. 
 
 As we neared the junction of the roads the country was 
 more open and level, and at times the two forces were 
 
112 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 visible to each other. The last final effort was here put 
 forth, and our column, under Major Rue, had barely 
 reached the crossing and wheeled into line facing the 
 enemy when the head of their command came in sight 
 over a ridge not more than three hundred yards distant. 
 
 The great raid was now at an end. Seeing our troops 
 in line ready to receive them, white handkerchiefs and 
 strips of white linen were swung in the air, 
 
 IN TOKEN OF SURRENDER 
 
 Not a gun was fired. The officers were allowed to keep 
 their side arms and personal effects, and after all the 
 guns and pistols were stacked in a body and a guard placed 
 over them, the men of both sides mingled without restraint. 
 Soon retiring to a near-by farmhouse (Patterson's) where 
 water was plenty, Morgan and his officers, with our own, 
 indulged in bountiful libations of that refreshing beverage, 
 taken from the northeast corner of the well. Then lying 
 down on the grass, guards and prisoners for more than an 
 hour slept in one common bed. 
 
 This sudden collapse and surrender, without firing a 
 gun, came as a surprise to the Union troops, but the secret 
 was soon explained when Morgan came forward declaring 
 he had already surrendered to James Burbick, a citizen 
 whom he had impressed and was taking with him as a 
 guide; but this pretended surrender to an individual with- 
 out a command (and he a prisoner) was a proposition 
 Major Rue could not entertain. 
 
 At this juncture General Shackleford, in command of 
 all the Union forces, came up, when the unconditional 
 surrender demanded from the first by Major Rue was 
 agreed upon. With the exception of the two companies 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 113 
 
 of the 8th Michigan (Companies F and L), commanded by 
 Lieutenants N. S. Boyanton and James M. Wells, respec- 
 tively, the Union troops present at this surrender were all 
 Kentuckians. The leaders of each command, as well as 
 many of the soldiers, had known each other from boyhood, 
 and friendly greetings were exchanged all around. 
 
 From the time of Morgan's first appearance in Kentucky 
 the interminable chase had been kept up throughout the 
 entire breadth of three States, the distance covered aggre- 
 gating twelve hundred miles. Scarcely a Government 
 ration for man or beast had been drawn during the time, 
 both armies depending upon the country for subsistence. 
 The march of the two columns throughout Kentucky, 
 Indiana and Ohio had been like a "besom of destruction." 
 The smokehouses and chicken coops of the thrifty farmers 
 along the route had been especially marked for devastation. 
 Horses were taken alike from the stable, the carriage and 
 the plow; and often saddles, bridles, blankets and like 
 equipments went with them. In the various assaults made 
 by Morgan upon unoffending citizens, some thirteen had 
 been killed or wounded, and no good on earth to him or 
 anybody else had been accomplished. 
 
 As soon as transportation could be had, the officers and 
 men captured were shipped from Salineville (the nearest 
 railroad station) to Camp Douglas, in Chicago, and other 
 military prisons. The chieftain and his staff were sent to 
 the State penitentiary at Columbus. It was claimed by 
 the Confederates at the time, and by their sympathizers 
 at the North, that Morgan was there treated as a common 
 felon, but that is not true. He and his officers were kept 
 in rooms apart from other prisoners, and were taken out 
 regularly twice a day for exercise and fresh air while 
 there confined. Their treatment by the Federals was, 
 
1 1 4 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 therefore, much more humane and considerate than that 
 received by the Union soldiers in the hands of the Southern 
 Confederacy. 
 
 The troops remaining behind now moved out to the 
 river, and, while awaiting transportation to Cincinnati and 
 Covington by rail, took up headquarters at 
 
 STEUBENVILLE. 
 
 The hospitality which had been so bountifully bestowed 
 upon all since the beginning of the raid was continued 
 at this place. We had been a whole month by day and 
 night traveling through the hot dust of summer, or wallow- 
 ing in the mud, as was sometimes the case, without oppor- 
 tunity for a change of clothing or an application of soap 
 and water. Taking heed of our conditions the citizens of 
 Steubenville contributed, without stint, shoes, undercloth- 
 ing, towels and other articles, and opened wide the gates. 
 In their front yards tables were spread with what, to a 
 hungry soldier, seemed to embrace the very best of the 
 good things of this world. But to all this the presence of 
 young women presiding and anticipating, as they seemed 
 to do, every wish, added a three-fold charm. 
 
 Mr. Joseph Wells, an old resident of the place and a 
 namesake of the writer, came to our camp one day, intro- 
 duced himself, and in a conversation that ensued the con- 
 clusion was reached that a distant relationship between us 
 existed, whereupon an invitation was extended to visit him 
 at his home, an aristocratic suburban place on the bluffs. 
 To this consent was reluctantly given, for, however stout- 
 hearted one might be in the performance of the duties of 
 a soldier, the services in which we were then engaged were 
 not well calculated to give one ease and confidence in the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 115 
 
 drawing-room. But the evening passed off pleasantly and 
 without serious blunders, as far as I was able to discern, 
 and when the hour for retiring came the host lighted me 
 to my chamber. After throwing down the covers and 
 removing the "shams" (it was an old-fashioned feather 
 bed), he wished me good night and pleasant dreams and 
 retired from the room. After assuring myself that the 
 door was closed and my movements would no longer be 
 observed, I approached the bed with its spotless linen 
 covers in some trepidation, and, pressing downward from 
 the top, my arm sank into its billowy folds up to my 
 shoulder. A pile of rocks or rails to keep from the water 
 beneath, and a poncho to ward off the descending moisture 
 had often been my bed and only shelter for weeks and 
 months, and it occurred to me I would never be able to 
 adapt myself to a bed like the one before me and obtain a 
 night's rest. But not wishing to arouse the suspicion of 
 my hospitable friends, or in any manner shock their sense 
 of propriety, I undressed, jumped in and immediately sank 
 out of sight; but after rolling over a couple of times to 
 "muss it up," I arose, and, taking one of the covers, 
 spread it on the carpet, and with my coat for a pillow 
 laid quietly down and slept soundly till morning. 
 
 During our stay at Steubenville the farmers from the 
 outlying districts through which the troops had passed 
 came pouring in to air their grievances and ask for com- 
 pensation for property taken from them "for the good 
 of the service." Others, more grateful, came with their 
 wives and daughters to meet and thank the soldiers for the 
 great deliverance wrought by them. One old farmer, a 
 German, with his daughter (a girl about seventeen years 
 old, having a carroty complexion and one of those peculiar 
 female figures in which it is difficult to tell where the 
 
n6 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 waist begins and leaves off), understanding these jolly 
 soldiers were also bachelors, proposed to make a supreme 
 sacrifice on the altar of his adopted country and turn his 
 only daughter over "to wife" to any one of them, should 
 he wish to embrace the opportunity. There being no 
 great rivalry apparent in coming forward to take advan- 
 tage of his generous offer, the father himself finally settled 
 upon a modest officer as being the one, in his judgment, 
 well suited for the hand of his daughter. So without con- 
 sulting the feelings of the officer in question, he led the 
 girl up, and, placing her hand in that of the man of his 
 choice (holding the two together with the grip of a lion), 
 he said: "Got bless you, mein schilderns, I geef her to 
 you, ain't it?" The young officer, blushing and in a halt- 
 ing voice tried to explain that he did not care for another 
 matrimonial venture, and it was with the greatest difficulty 
 he finally convinced the old gentleman that he already 
 had a wife and children at home. 
 
 A sufficient number of cars having been obtained to 
 accommodate the troops in waiting, a train was made up 
 in two sections and started for Cincinnati. There still 
 being no Government rations in sight, a small town through 
 which the soldiers were to pass was asked by telegraph if 
 it -could furnish a luncheon, naming the number of men 
 in one section of the train, and the adjoining town, a short 
 distance beyond, was requested to feed as many more. 
 Assurance was given in each case that a sufficient amount 
 of provisions would be forthcoming, and on our arrival 
 at the first station the people were out en masse, with 
 more than enough rations to feed the entire command, and 
 the soldiers of both sections, after filling themselves to 
 repletion, were urged to take more. 
 
 Eeluctantly bidding these people good-bye, the next town 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 117 
 
 was soon reached, when lo ! and behold ! the entire plat- 
 form extending around the railroad station was loaded 
 with good things to eat. But alas! the hungry men who 
 sought the board at Station No. 1, where, oh where, were 
 they? Every effort to bring them up at the extemporized 
 tables failed. They could no longer be held in rank, and 
 the people, it was plain to be seen, were sorely disap- 
 pointed. Handsome young women who had prepared the 
 tempting dishes besought the men to "just bite off one 
 little piece." It is a poor soldier who would not undertake 
 to "bite off" a piece under such an appeal as that, and 
 they did. With spasmodic efforts at swallowing they 
 sampled the dishes, taking in the whole line, until merci- 
 fully relieved by the sound of the whistle and the cry of 
 "all aboard." 
 
 All through the rural districts, as well as in the towns 
 and cities, from Steubenville to Cincinnati, the people 
 turned out by the roadside and cheered as we passed. 
 Licensed to do about as they pleased, the men were all 
 over the train, on the cow-catcher, in the engine cab and 
 on top of the cars. Among them were mechanics and en- 
 gineers, and often a soldier could be seen at the throttle 
 or the brakes. They were now thoroughly rested from 
 their fatiguing marches, and although soon to return to 
 a field where the reception given by the people would 
 more likely be of the kind to welcome them to "hospitable 
 graves," rather then to tables spread with all the luxuries 
 of the culinary art, they were as full of good cheer as 
 their stomachs were of fried chicken, and they took a 
 lively interest in every passing event. 
 
 A big Irish sergeant who, in some way on the raid, had 
 secured or captured a rebel guidon, would stand on top 
 of the car and wave it before the admiring throngs, as an 
 
us With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 evidence of his prowess. One day, the train going at the 
 rate of thirty miles an hour, had just passed a crowd of 
 people, when the sergeant turning his hack to the front 
 of the train, and facing the rear, in order to hold the at- 
 tention of the people as long as possible, waving his cap- 
 tured flag and gesticulating as he did so, did not heed the 
 warning of a "low bridge," given by a loose netting sus- 
 pended over the track for that purpose. The train dashed 
 on and in a moment the back of the sergeant's head came 
 in collision with one of the timbers of the bridge, which 
 threw him flat, and apparently lifeless, on the deck of the 
 car. At the next station he was carried off, still insensible, 
 and there left with a detail of two men to stand by, and 
 give him a decent burial, if such service be required, as 
 all believed the case would be. In course of time Cincin- 
 nati was reached, then Covington and Nicholasville, where 
 we had been but a short time, when the big sergeant, to 
 the astonishment of all, appeared one day, still carrying 
 the guidon, and looking fresh and rosy as ever. 
 
 While stooping over from the top of a car to speak to 
 some one (the train being in motion) my wallet dropped 
 from the side pocket of my coat to the ground. It opened 
 as it fell, scattering the contents, which were the photo- 
 graphs of my mother and sister, some postage stamps, and 
 trinkets valuable to me if to no one else, and a letter or 
 two, the superscription of which would reveal my name, 
 rank and regiment, to anyone who might chance to pick 
 them up. I watched them with a sigh as they fluttered 
 a moment in the air and then sank out of sight, not expect- 
 ing ever to see them again. But it is the unexpected that 
 happens in time of war as well as in peace. It was now 
 about the first of August and in the September following 
 I was made a prisoner in East Tennessee and carried first 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 119 
 
 to Atlanta and then to Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia. 
 During the time of confinement in the latter place a 
 package addressed to me came to the regiment which, 
 later on, proved to be the lost pocketbook with contents. 
 The package, in addition, contained a letter from the 
 young girl who had found it near the spot where it had 
 fallen from my pocket, as above described. 
 
 Eight months had passed before my return to the regi- 
 ment after the capture, and, meantime, the package had 
 been delivered to John McCreary, a soldier in my com- 
 pany, who, on leave of absence, had gone home, thinking 
 to deliver it to me there, as the tunneling from Libby, 
 with the names of those who escaped had already become 
 current. But as I reached home, McCreary had returned 
 to the regiment carrying the package with him; and, to 
 end a story already too long, I did not recover the pack- 
 age for more than a year from the time of its loss. These 
 circumstances are related here because of the relation- 
 ship which they bear to another occurrence to be related 
 a little further on in the progress of these memoirs. 
 
 Later in August our cavalry took the advance of Burn- 
 side's army 
 
 FROM KENTUCKY INTO EAST TENNESSEE. 
 
 Upon Lincoln's first call for volunteers to aid in up- 
 holding the Constitution and the laws, the governors of 
 the several border slave-holding States treated the appeal 
 with contempt; replying in effect, that not a man or a 
 dollar would ever be contributed by them to aid the 
 Federal authorities in a proposed effort to coerce the six 
 Southern States already in insurrection, viz.: South 
 Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and 
 
120 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Texas. But in the light of history, the doughty governors 
 of the border States either did not have a just conception 
 of the national spirit that animated the breasts of a very 
 large proportion of the citizens of their commonwealths, 
 or they were then undertaking to run a "high bluff" as 
 opposed to the will of their own people, and against the 
 constituted authorities. 
 
 It is a fact, but little understood at this time, that the 
 slave-holding States/ so misrepresented by their respective 
 governors at the outbreak of hostilities, contributed, before 
 the close of the war that followed in consequence of the 
 rebellion, 300,000 men, who freely offered their services 
 and their lives in defense of the Union and the flag they 
 loved so well. Not only this, but these loyal Southerners, 
 before entering the lists, were compelled to face the most 
 galling contumely and proscription among the neighbors 
 of a lifetime; and often their own family circles were dis- 
 rupted and torn asunder. 
 
 It is not disputed at this time but that the men of the 
 South who espoused the cause of secession were actuated 
 by what they conceived to be the right; but if these worthy 
 motives are conceded to them, they assuredly should do 
 no less than grant the same liberal concession to those of 
 their old friends and neighbors who took up the gage of 
 battle in defense of the Union. 
 
 Out of the vast number of Southern men who thus con- 
 tended, 39,508 laid down their lives, and their bones are 
 left to enrich the soil that gave them birth, and upon which 
 their young manhood was nurtured and sustained. Gov- 
 ernor Magoffin, of Kentucky, in replying to Mr. Lincoln's 
 first call for troops, April 15th, said : "I say emphatically 
 Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose 
 of subduing her sister Southern States." But, strange as 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 121 
 
 it may seem, among the loyal sons of the South who 
 attested their faith in a united country Kentucky sent 
 75,760 into the field, and 10,774 of these sealed their faith 
 in death. Governor Harris, of Tennessee, replied, April 
 18th: "Tennessee will not furnish a single man for 
 coercion, but 50,000, if necessary, for the defense of our 
 rights." But shut in by mountain ranges and surrounded 
 on every side by the hosts of treason, the sparsely popu- 
 lated State of Tennessee enrolled 31,772 of her sons in 
 the Union ranks, and before peace had spread her soft 
 mantle over their picturesque hills 6,779 had perished, and 
 their names are found on the scroll of the nation's honored 
 dead. 
 
 In all of the original seceding States, indeed, in every 
 Southern State, there were loyal men who openly espoused 
 the cause of the Union and enrolled themselves in the 
 ranks of her army. These are facts that should be better 
 understood, not for the purpose of keeping alive any ani- 
 mosities that may have existed prejudicial to these men 
 among their own people, but rather that their names at 
 last may be handed down with other heroes; for, in the 
 belief of this writer, the time is not far distant when the 
 loyal South will honor by the erection of monumental 
 piles the memory of her brave sons who wore the blue, as 
 well as those who wore the gray. 
 
 We now had with us a number of Tennesseeans, who 
 had fled from their homes and joined our ranks in Ken- 
 tucky. Many of them were born and raised in the Cum- 
 berland Mountains, and for Union proclivities had been 
 compelled to leave their native State and seek safety in 
 a more congenial clime, and also that they might find an 
 opportunity to enroll their names in a cause dear to them 
 as life itself. Though uneducated and ignorant of the 
 
122 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 world as many were, their loyalty to the Government was 
 strong as that which bound them to their homes and kin- 
 dred. It sometimes happened our march led past the doors 
 where many of these men first saw the light of day, and 
 where their happy childhood had been spent. The mothers, 
 sisters, wives and sweethearts often came out along the 
 road for an opportunity to embrace and say good-bye to 
 their sons and brothers, perhaps for the last time. But 
 our march was hurried and the orders to keep an unbroken 
 rank were strict. Frequently, however, when coming to a 
 halt an opportunity was given for these last most affecting 
 salutations. On one occasion an old mother, after having 
 embraced her boy, dropped on her knees in the attitude of 
 prayer. "That's right, mother/' said the son, as he 
 mounted his horse and rode off. "You do the praying 
 and I'll do the fighting." But the prison pens of the 
 South were yearning for these loyal men, so many of whom 
 never saw their homes again. 
 
 Descending into the more populous valleys, our troops 
 were often greeted with cheers and shouts for the army 
 and for the Union. At Athens, on the Cumberland River, 
 an American flag, just "unearthed" from a feather bed, 
 where it had been secreted since the war began, was 
 stretched across the street in honor of our coming, and 
 the troops marched proudly under its folds. 
 
 Having scouted the country throughout East Tennessee 
 for a month or more, a small brigade consisting of one 
 thousand men of the 8th Michigan and 1st East Tennessee 
 Cavalry, with two pieces of artillery, commanded by Col- 
 onel E. K. Byrd, of the 1st East Tennessee, were en- 
 camped a few days at Calhoun, on the Hiwassee River, 
 watching the movements of the enemy from the direction 
 of Chattanooga. From the 19th to the 23d of September 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 123 
 
 we lay there nervously and anxiously listening to the 
 distant rumble of their big guns, while the contending 
 armies of the North and South were in a fierce grapple for 
 the mastery at Chickamauga. The great battle having 
 been fought, there was reason to believe some decisive 
 movement would follow soon, but we were somewhat sur- 
 prised on the morning of the 26th, when a party of our 
 scouts, coming in from the South, brought the intelligence 
 that a large force of the enemy was rapidly approaching 
 from the direction of Chattanooga, led by 
 
 GENERAL N. B. FOREST. 
 
 His was a name more likely to strike terror to the heart 
 of a Yankee soldier taken by surprise than any other in 
 the Southern Confederacy, for Forest was a very daring 
 and successful cavalryman. 
 
 The writer at this time was in command of a company, 
 but early that morning, before receiving the news of the 
 threatened attack, had reported on the sick list. Thus, 
 being excused from duty by the brigade surgeon, his men, 
 under command of another officer, had gone out to take 
 their turn in the daily routine of picket duty. This state- 
 ment is made to show how it happened just then he was 
 without a command. It also explains the circumstances 
 that soon after led the writer unwittingly into the diffi- 
 culties that are made the theme of the ensuing chapter. 
 So, not wishing to retire with the wagon train and ambu- 
 lance, which had been put in motion to the rear on the 
 first sound of alarm, taking up a Spencer rifle lying idly 
 in the quarters, I determined to learn more than the 
 knowledge already gained of the real duty of "the man 
 behind the gun." 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 By this time the dust raised by the enemy's column 
 could be seen over the tops of the timber, winding its 
 course among the hills, and rapidly drawing near. Colonel 
 Byrd, like all East Tennesseeans in the Union Army, had 
 a supreme dread of capture, as indeed he had reason to 
 be; for as prisoners of war they were often subjected to 
 great indignities by their Southern captors, and were 
 sometimes shot or hung with but little ceremony. So, 
 while making hasty preparations for a spirited defense, 
 Colonel Byrd was heard to remark: "If those fellows 
 catch me, by the Eternal, they'll hang me." With this 
 added danger threatening, it is not surprising that in pre- 
 paring for battle he also looked well to the avenues of 
 escape. From the encampment of the Union troops 
 (which was in the edge of a strip of timber on an elevated 
 plateau) there was a descending plain, about a mile in 
 extent, to the village of Calhoun and the river, on the op- 
 posite or southwesterly side of which another mile of open 
 ground intervened to the timber beyond. Out of this the 
 enemy now began to pour in column of fours, looking like 
 some great monster emerging from its lair among the 
 wooded hills. They rode boldly out on the open plain, 
 without apparent regard for our battery, which had 
 already opened fire, and was doing some pretty effective 
 work, as we could plainly see, when a shot now and then 
 threw up the dust under their line, causing the horses to 
 rear and plunge, temporarily breaking the ranks. But 
 immediately closing up, they galloped out of sight, soon 
 reaching the cover of a high hill directly in the rear of 
 Calhoun, and less than half a mile distant from the river. 
 On the summit of the hill was a dismantled earthworks 
 that had previously been abandoned by the enemy. In an 
 incredibly short space of time, dismounted men were seen 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 125 
 
 at the top of this hill, the foremost of whom, after reach- 
 ing the summit, sprang upon the works and greeted us 
 with the old rebel yell; but a volley from our Spencer 
 rifles at a half mile range caused them as quickly to dis- 
 appear. A few minutes later, a battery of Rodman guns 
 planted in the old works, belched forth a defiance more 
 terrifying than the triumphant shouts of the Johnnies, 
 for at the very first round two shots plumped down in the 
 midst of our horses, now saddled and standing just in rear 
 of the camp, ready for a hasty move in any direction. 
 
 Our only hope now was to check the enemy's progress 
 at the river and if possible prevent their crossing. The 
 outlying pickets had already been drawn in, and every 
 available man was hurried on foot to the river. Being 
 independent of a command, I concluded to ride a horse 
 down to the front to be the better prepared for an emer- 
 gency in case of 
 
 A GENERAL RETREAT. 
 
 A servant belonging to that numerous family of 
 "Washingtons" found among the colored race in the South 
 (so many of whose male members are christened "George") 
 was taken along to the village and left in care of the 
 horse behind a brick building, with strict injunctions to 
 remain there until called for. The village of Calhoun, 
 while halting between two opinions (on the subject of the 
 war the inhabitants were about equally divided) found it- 
 self literally between two fires. For both batteries were 
 now playing over the housetops, a shot from either side 
 occasionally clipping the roof or chimney stacks of some of 
 the highest buildings. 
 
 Falling in with one of the companies of my regiment, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 we took up a position in a stockade of upright timbers 
 driven into the ground along the bank of the river. The 
 enemy already occupied the basements of the buildings 
 within hailing distance on the opposite banks, and a con- 
 test of sharp shooting at once began with deadly intent 
 and purpose on both sides. Toward every opening from 
 which the flash of a gun, hat, or any part or appearance of 
 a man's anatomy could be seen, the shots were directed. 
 Becoming so much engrossed with this work, I paid no at- 
 tention to an order coming about this time to retire, but 
 kept on firing until, looking around, I found myself en- 
 tirely alone. Remembering the horse nearby in charge of 
 my faithful "George," I took no especial concern at this, 
 believing when thus mounted I could overtake the troops 
 that were on foot, in a very short time, and so run no more 
 risk than those who had left earlier in the contest. But 
 imagine my surprise and disappointment, on reaching the 
 building, behind which it was expected my horse would be 
 found, rearing and plunging, impatient for the hand of 
 his master, to find that both horse and groom had already 
 decamped. The reason for George's early departure was 
 soon made apparent, for on looking farther I saw where 
 a shot from the enemy's battery had passed through the 
 roof beneath which he had been left in supposed security; 
 and being thus showered with the spray of broken 
 shingles, mixed now and then with pieces of brick, doubt- 
 less proved too much for George's patriotism, and he at 
 once showed a clean pair of heels, as well as the tail of a 
 good horse, to the enemy. 
 
 A further surprise now greeted me on seeing so many 
 of the men we were shooting at a few minutes before 
 across the river scurrying through the streets of Calhoun, 
 ell apparently in a very sound and healthy condition, and 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 127 
 
 I concluded, without further delay, to imitate the example 
 set by George, and take to the rear as rapidly as possible. 
 From the friendly shelter of scattering houses 1 soon had 
 to appear in the open field, in plain sight of the enemy, 
 who already occupied the town in large numbers. 
 
 I now sought the protection of the railroad track which 
 ran near our camp, but on approaching the higher ground, 
 the embankment, or fill of the road grew less, and soon, in 
 order to keep under cover, I was compelled to drop to my 
 knees, in this manner hoping to 
 
 MAKE GOOD MY ESCAPE. 
 
 On reaching the encampment another disappointment 
 awaited me; for, save now and then a horse still hitched 
 and unclaimed, the place was deserted. A general retreat 
 had taken place, and shot from the enemy's battery still 
 crashing through the timber added to my discomfort. No 
 time was lost, however, in reaching a horse standing 
 hitched to a tree near by, and jumping wildly from side 
 to side at the end of a halter. Taking out my knife I cut 
 the hitching strap which was drawn very tight, and when 
 in the act of mounting, a shell bursting somewhere in 
 close proximity sent a fragment weighing about three 
 pounds against the tree from which the horse had just 
 been freed, and glancing off it struck me on the instep, 
 causing a painful sore soon after. My new-found treasure 
 in the shape of a horse, while by no means an "Arabian/ 5 
 rose at once to the occasion, and giving him a free rein 
 and spur, together we sped away up the road through the 
 timber; both apparently anxious to pass over and beyond 
 the divide, out of range of shot and shell that continued 
 to follow like a Nemesis. 
 
128 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 On attempting to place my feet in the stirrups the 
 straps were found to be too short, and when the difficult 
 feat was accomplished, my knees were in close proximity 
 to my chin. But not being out for inspection or on dress 
 parade, I took little note of this, and continued to urge 
 my horse to the limit of his speed. We soon passed over 
 the ridge down into the valley at a point where I had 
 hoped to be out of range, but on reaching the intersection 
 of the highway with the railroad, I saw the trunk of a 
 man's body whose head had been carried away by a can- 
 non shot, and concluding we were not yet altogether safe, 
 urged my faithful little animal to still greater effort. 
 Soon coming into a cloud of dust, I was somewhat alarmed 
 by the cry of "Halt" that rang out a short distance ahead, 
 and reining up found myself within fifty yards of the rear 
 guard of our retreating troops. They had formed across 
 the road awaiting the approach of the enemy, and com- 
 pletely hidden by the dust, which hung like a cloud for a 
 long distance just above the ground, within the radius of 
 the skirting timber. I had come near receiving a volley 
 from our own troops. What added pleasure to this meet- 
 ing, however, was finding here my horse, which had been 
 recognized by some of my comrades and taken from 
 George in his flight down the road. George, however, 
 without unnecessary delay, continued his retreat on foot 
 and alone. As related by those who saw him, from the 
 manner in which he took to the timber after being dis- 
 mounted, it is doubtful when, if ever, he stopped running 
 long enough to find out the War was over and that he was 
 free. 
 
 We retreated all that day and night, hard pressed for 
 the most part, the rear being covered in the manner de- 
 scribed. Forming across the road, hidden by the dust, and 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 129 
 
 there waiting until the enemy's advance rode within 
 range, the rear guard would fire a volley or two, causing 
 the enemy to halt and deploy, thus giving our men time 
 to take up a position farther to the rear. These tactics 
 were followed until night came on, when the enemy was 
 compelled to advance with greater caution, and we found 
 some relief from their determined assaults. I stayed with 
 the rear guard until my stock of ammunition was ex- 
 hausted, and then rode on in an effort to overtake the 
 main column, but was unable to come up with them. 
 
 After a running fight for a distance of twenty-five miles 
 in the direction of Loudon, the enemy seemed to have 
 been pretty well distanced; and about 2 or 3 o'clock in the 
 morning I was taken desperately ill and soon found it im- 
 possible to go farther. This was near a little hamlet called 
 Mouse Creek, where, in company with a half dozen other 
 men, I went to a hotel kept by a family by the name of 
 McKee, known to us in our raids through that country 
 previously as a Union house, or a public place kept by 
 people friendly to our cause. Two women were its only 
 occupants at this time, the men belonging to the house, 
 not already driven from the country, having gone out with 
 our troops during the night. I now sought this shelter for 
 a little rest that could no longer be delayed. On being 
 directed to a room I took my watch and money from my 
 pocket and crowded them inside the leg of my boot for 
 greater safety; and then stretching myself upon a bed, 
 soon fell into a fitful and feverish sleep; and in it had a 
 dream ("which was not all a dream") in which I was being 
 mercilessly pursued by the enemy and constantly made a 
 target for their rifles. Trying to defend myself, the lever 
 to my repeater failed to throw the cartridges into the 
 barrel, and when the trigger was pulled there was no recoil 
 
130 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 or report. The gun, seemingly, like myself, had lost its 
 nerve and fell limp and useless at my feet. In despera- 
 tion I then tried to run, but my limbs were nerveless as 
 the gun and failed to execute my will. A stalwart soldier 
 in gray, bearded, and with fixed bayonet, rushed upon 
 me. I felt the cold steel entering my breast and then 
 awoke. On springing to my feet, I found the soldier of 
 my dream with gun in hand, standing over me. He in- 
 formed me that I was a prisoner and must go with him, 
 and on leaving the room found the house surrounded by 
 an armed guard and all of its inmates prisoners of war. 
 It was now the 26th day of September and (as if by the 
 irony of fate) just two months from the day in which I 
 had participated in the capture of General Morgan in 
 Columbiana County, Ohio. 
 
 From the barefoot condition of many of my captors, I 
 greatly feared being compelled in the end to 
 
 PAET WITH MY BOOTS. 
 
 In such an event the watch and money secreted therein 
 would most likely be discovered and disappear with the 
 boots, so I took these valuables, when unobserved, from 
 their temporary hiding place, and without saying a word 
 handed them to one of the ladies of the house, who chanced 
 to be standing just behind me. She, seeming to under- 
 stand, took the watch and money in silence as I had 
 offered them. I did this believing these loyal women to 
 be more deserving of my little personal effects than my 
 captors. The prisoners were soon hurried off up the road 
 a mile or so beyond the outskirts of the village, where all 
 went into camp, the Confederates having with them about 
 125 prisoners, captured that night and the day before. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 131 
 
 At the first opportunity I stretched myself on the ground, 
 hoping to obtain a little rest and sleep before the march to 
 the rear was taken up, which must follow soon, for there 
 was danger of interference by the Federal Infantry at 
 Loudon, only about twelve miles distant. 
 
 The camp having been settled and daylight coming on, 
 numbers of soldiers came around to take a better look at 
 the live Yankees captured during the night. For my 
 own part, I felt more dead than alive, and had I looked as 
 I felt they would doubtless have carried me off for burial 
 before the heat of the day came on. No officers being 
 present at the time, a guard standing near (after looking 
 long and anxiously, as I thought, at my boots, which were 
 of a first-class pattern, having high tops with a red border) 
 ordered me to take them off, saying that he needed just 
 such a pair in his own business. After glancing at those 
 he had on I could not well dispute the necessity that urged 
 him, and under this pressure was compelled, though re- 
 luctantly, to part with my boots. The soldier meantime 
 offered his own in return, surely not expecting they could 
 ever render me any particular service, but doubtless as a 
 souvenir or memento of the friendly interchange that had 
 there taken place. This transaction passing off smoothly, 
 others gathered around, and article after article of my 
 wardrobe disappeared, "like the baseless fabric of this 
 vision." They were replaced by others, many of them 
 curious and misshapen enough. When I finally arose, 
 togged out in an entirely new uniform, "Solomon in all 
 his glory" could not have resembled me. The trousers 
 vouchsafed me were made of green baize, the cloth gener- 
 ally used for covering billiard tables. Before fairly out of 
 the dilemma into which I had so unluckily fallen, the 
 garment in question covered a pair of nether limbs, re- 
 
132 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 duced from what were then fair and manly proportions, 
 to about the size and dimensions of a billiard cue. So 
 the trousers in the end seemed not altogether inappro- 
 priate. 
 
 Careful search was made for watch, money or other 
 valuables about my person, but, finding none, they seemed 
 to think it a strange circumstance that an officer in the 
 Yankee army should be found thus destitute. This fact, 
 doubtless, coupled with their curiosity, led my captors to 
 revisit the house where the capture took place, and where, 
 as before stated, I left my watch and money. Possibly 
 they did this for the purpose of pursuing farther the in- 
 quiry and search for any valuables I may have left there. 
 
 The movement of the prisoners to the rear began that 
 afternoon about 5 o'clock. With mounted guards on either 
 side, our march on foot continued all that night and the 
 days following, until Dallas, Georgia, was reached a dis- 
 tance of fifty miles. A good portion of this was over the 
 road that marked the course of our retreat from the 
 Hiwassee the day and night before. It is pretty severe 
 on a cavalryman not accustomed to the use of his legs, 
 even when in good health and abundantly supplied with 
 rations, to be dismounted and compelled to make a pro- 
 longed march on foot. Only for the extreme kindness of 
 a guard near me, who, during the night (when unobserved 
 by the officers in command), got down from his horse and 
 permitted me to get into his saddle and ride until thor- 
 oughly rested, I should have fallen by the way. Some time 
 the next day we reached the Hiwassee at Calhoun, the 
 scene of our conflict forty-eight hours before. Having 
 ourselves destroyed the bridge, we could not well complain 
 at being compelled to wade the river in water to our arm- 
 pits. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 133 
 
 Beaching Dalton, we were shipped in open freight cars 
 to Atlanta, and there confined in a stockade, in common 
 with about twelve hundred other prisoners, mostly captured 
 at Chickamauga, and many of them wounded. While the 
 guards on the way from Dalton to Atlanta had had noth- 
 ing whatever to do with our capture, they were apparently 
 getting all the glory for it, for the people were cheering 
 them on every hand as we passed through the country. 
 As the train, made up of open freight cars, moved slowly 
 through the villages or hamlets, women and children -came 
 out and greeted their soldiers with waving flags and hur- 
 riedly passed up baskets of fruit and other delicacies to 
 eat. But often in the hurry they were unable to distin- 
 guish between guards and prisoners, and thus an oppor- 
 tunity was given now and then for a modest, unassuming 
 and half-famished Yankee to accept of a basket of sand- 
 wiches or a chicken pie. But when a mistake of this kind 
 was discovered the unhappy donor would spring back as 
 from some venomous reptile and exclaim, "Ah ! Yankees !" 
 
 On reaching Atlanta we fell into the hands of a young 
 Lieutenant of Home Guards wearing a fancy uniform 
 that had never been soiled by service in the camp or field, 
 and doubtless himself had never heard the report of an 
 enemy's gun. Under a heavy escort he marched us up 
 and down the principal streets of the city, not so much 
 apparently to exhibit the prisoners as to show himself and 
 his uniform to the admiring throngs that lined the pave- 
 ments. The women were all very curious to see the 
 "Yankees," and were sometimes saucy and even insulting. 
 But as a rule the curious crowd remained quiet and offered 
 no remarks; but one old gentleman approached as we 
 halted for a time on the street and accosted me as fol- 
 lows : "Young man, you are in the predicament now that 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 every Yankee will be placed in (if not killed) whoever 
 dares to set a hostile foot on Georgia soil. The Southern 
 people can never be conquered. The constant prayer of 
 our women is that every child born in the coming genera- 
 tion may be a male, that we may raise up armies to fight 
 you to the end of time." Although I may not have had 
 perfect faith in my ability to "make good" just at that 
 time, yet in answer I ventured the prediction that within 
 the year I would return to Georgia not, indeed, as a pris- 
 oner of war, but as one of a victorious army, and that 
 the American flag would then be waving over the City 
 Hall at Atlanta and the State Capitol at Milledgeville. 
 The conversation was here cut short, as we were ordered 
 to move on, and the old gentleman's contempt at this 
 prophecy was fairly depicted in his countenance, notwith- 
 standing he in all probability, as well as myself, lived long 
 enough to see the prediction a verity. 
 
 At the end of two weeks a trainload of prisoners was made 
 up and started by rail for Eichmond, Virginia, by way of 
 Augusta, Salisbury, Columbus and Petersburg. On this 
 journey, which occupied fourteen days, the prisoners were 
 temporarily quieted and, for a time, were induced to bear 
 with greater fortitude and resignation the privations in- 
 cidental to their surroundings which they were compelled 
 to undergo, by statements made to them to the effect that 
 as soon as Eichmond was reached all were to be exchanged 
 or paroled and at once sent home. These statements 
 proved to be wholly imaginary. Coming up from Peters- 
 burg, we crossed the long bridge just below Belle Isle, and, 
 disembarking on the Eichmond side of the James Eiver, 
 were marched in columns of twos down Gary Street to a 
 point, as we believed, where the exchange was to take place. 
 
 Visions of home and loved ones whom we expected 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 135 
 
 soon to meet were uppermost in our minds, and, thus 
 encouraged, we passed down the streets, incidentally view- 
 ing the strange sights of the Confederate capital that 
 Mecca the Union Army had been striving so long to reach. 
 For my own part I remember to have read many of the 
 signs over the business places, but only one has been 
 retained through the long years that have intervened since 
 that day. As our column halted under a dark and frown- 
 ing wall of brick and mortar, on looking up, there over 
 the entrance to a jail-like structure I saw painted on a 
 board in large black letters these words: "A. Libby & 
 Sons, Ship Chandlers and Grocers." And immediately the 
 thought came to me, despite the fair promises made to 
 us on the journey from Atlanta that an exchange of pris- 
 oners would take place on our arrival in Richmond, we 
 had now reached our final destination, and that the build- 
 ing before us was the notorious Libby Prison of which we 
 had heard so much, and instinctively the familiar quota- 
 tion came to my mind: "All hope abandon ye who 
 enter here." 
 
 At the windows, which were barred like those of a jail, 
 could be seen the wan faces of our friends who had pre- 
 ceded us. The officers of our party were singled out and 
 escorted to the office of the "Hotel de Libby," while the 
 enlisted men were sent to Bell Isle, Castle Thunder and 
 other places in different parts of the city. After a thor- 
 ough search for weapons and more valuables, and our 
 names, rank and regiment had been made a matter of 
 record, we were escorted up a flight of stairs, at the head 
 of which was a door secured by ponderous bolts. These 
 were thrown back, and between the points of two bayonets 
 in the hands of stalwart soldiers standing on either side 
 
136 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 we passed the dreaded portals and found ourselves at last 
 secure within the famous 
 
 BASTILE OF THE CONFEDERACY. 
 
 Our group, on entering, was quickly surrounded by the 
 old prisoners, all anxious to learn something of the progress 
 of the war and of their friends in the various commands 
 to which they belonged, as the information the Confeder- 
 ates furnished was very meager and exceedingly unreliable. 
 
 For the first three months many of the prisoners lay on 
 the bare floor, with nothing either over or under them, 
 and only their boots on which to lay their heads at night. 
 Among the twelve hundred men confined there at the time 
 (all officers in our service of greater or lesser rank) was 
 represented almost every trade and profession. Many were 
 masters of science, art and literature, whose names were 
 not unknown to fame. There were preachers, painters, 
 sculptors, orators and poets. Many were the beautiful and 
 curious designs wrought from beef bones saved for that 
 purpose after the bones had first been picked to the marrow 
 by our hungry men. 
 
 The pencil and pen sketches, drawn on whatever even 
 surface might be found, often showed evidence of genius 
 and a cultivated hand. Among those more or less famous 
 in music I remember one of the Lumbard family, of 
 Chicago, at that time celebrated singers of the Northwest, 
 who led and conducted the musical part of Lincoln's cam- 
 paign for the Presidency in 1860. General Neal Dow, 
 the father and founder of the Maine liquor law, treated 
 us now and then to a temperance lecture, which, in a 
 practical view, seemed to be quite unnecessary, as food 
 was very scarce and intoxicating drinks absolutely out of 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 137 
 
 the question. Religious services were held quite frequently, 
 but in an evil hour a minstrel troupe was organized, which 
 came near swamping religion and all other considerations 
 for the time being. Any old prisoner will remember the 
 song of "Johnny Smoker," and how the chorus, "Wizer, 
 Wizer, Rinctum Bum," was rendered by the minstrel band, 
 and with what gusto it was received by the whole prison. 
 
 The prisoners were constantly hungry, and dreams by 
 night were filled with visions of home and loved ones, and 
 tables spread with every conceivable luxury known to the 
 culinary art ; but on waking in the morning the old sensa- 
 tion of hunger came back with renewed force. In my 
 more contrite and submissive moments I remember to have 
 agreed with myself that if spared to get out of that place 
 I would never ask or require anything more or better to 
 eat than bread and butter. Of ten. I wakened in the night 
 hungry, and, going to the kitchen, scraped and ate the 
 burned rice from the bottom of the kettles, as they had 
 been left soaking in water that they might readily be 
 cleaned for the next hungry installment. 
 
 Some of the prisoners were in the habit of lying on the 
 floor late of mornings, to the annoyance of those who 
 wished to be up and about. Often an inquest, "super 
 viscum corporis," was held, and curious and witty epitaphs 
 were placed at the head, as though the sleeper were a 
 dear departed friend. Mock funeral services were some- 
 times observed, and after this ceremony the "remains" were 
 taken up and, amid great lamentations, carried to some 
 remote part of the prison for interment. This was often 
 under the hydrant. These corpses frequently became quite 
 lively before the ceremonies ended, and the funeral would 
 then break up in a row. 
 
 An armed guard, for the purpose of calling the roll and 
 
138 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 for other reasons, visited the prison daily. Having no 
 better employment, the prisoners resorted to various strata- 
 gems to embarrass and mystify the guards. But when 
 practical jokes became too serious, and those directly re- 
 sponsible could not be apprehended in any other way, the 
 authorities would reach the guilty parties by shutting off 
 the rations of the entire prison for twenty-four hours. 
 This treatment generally produced results. 
 
 In calling the roll, the prisoners in each room separately 
 had to stand in line four ranks deep. Then a commis- 
 sioned officer, stepping along in front, would count off the 
 fours. To puzzle and annoy him, a number of prisoners 
 standing in the rear rank (after having been so counted), 
 unobserved by the officer in front, would fall out, and, 
 slipping through a hole in the partition wall (which had 
 been dug through for that purpose and screened from 
 observation), go through into an adjoining room and there 
 be counted a second time. Thus the authorities gained 
 from three to half a dozen more men by count than they 
 had names on their rolls. This also would throw off sus- 
 picion in case it became necessary at any time to account 
 for the absence of any member of the tunneling party. 
 This trick (varying in the numbers to be counted) was 
 repeated several times. But, unable to make their different 
 accounts agree, they would finally drive the whole mass 
 of prisoners into the lower east room for a roll-call by 
 name. In this position we were packed like sardines in 
 a box and unable to move. After answering to his name 
 the prisoner was compelled to move out through the crowd 
 to the door, and there pass between the points of two 
 bayonets in the hands of the guards. A man standing in 
 the back part or near the center of the room, having in 
 this manner to respond to his name, the very best he could 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 139 
 
 do would occupy twenty to thirty minutes in finding his 
 way through this mass of men to the door. 
 
 This operation prevented further mischief for one day, 
 at least, and in the matter of preserving order had a very 
 salutary effect. 
 
 An event of general interest during the confinement in 
 Libby, and especially so to me, was the visit of the great 
 raider, General Morgan, who had, since his capture in 
 Ohio, escaped from Columbus, and thence found his way 
 to the Confederate capital, where he was given an ovation 
 and lionized by the people to the extent that the ladies 
 at a reception given him (so the local papers stated) 
 gathered around in great numbers and kissed his hand. 
 Having had a taste of prison life himself, he made this 
 tour of inspection in Libby, no doubt, that he might the 
 better enjoy his own release from the toils, and incidentally, 
 perhaps, to witness the discomfort of the other fellows 
 when under the conditions that proved so irksome to him. 
 
 Having heard through Confederate sources that he had 
 been shaven, clothed in stripes and treated as a common 
 felon at Columbus, I was a little apprehensive he might, 
 on discovering me as one of his captors, be pleased to see 
 me placed in like embarrassing circumstances; and, for 
 this reason did not make myself known to him, otherwise 
 I should surely have gone forward and congratulated the 
 General on his good fortune in making the escape. While 
 to be decorated in the garb of a common felon would have 
 been humiliating enough, yet I would gladly have ac- 
 cepted almost any sort of clothing at that time, in lieu of 
 those I had on, the same presented me by my captors in 
 East Tennessee. 
 
 In Libby the prisoners lived under discipline of their 
 own, adopted from the military plan, and in this way kept 
 
140 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 themselves in comparative good health. A quartermaster 
 selected from among the number apportioned the rations 
 and dealt them out daily. Regular details were made for 
 policing the quarters, and although compelled to use cold 
 water with no soap, the floors were mopped every day, 
 and there was a penalty attached for spitting on the floor. 
 At our request the room was provided with cuspidors 
 made of small boxes of wood filled with sawdust. These 
 self-imposed duties in a great measure relieved the irk- 
 someness of prison life, and this leads me to say: the 
 Southern soldier as a prisoner, though provided with bet- 
 ter quarters and better and more abundant rations than 
 we, did not seem to fare so well, and to this day he con- 
 tends that his treatment was even worse. The difference 
 is easily explained. He lacked the ingenuity to make the 
 best out of the materials at hand, and the inclination to 
 help himself. Part of the daily duty of many of our 
 farm and shop-raised boys before entering the army was 
 found in the kitchen with their mothers, aiding in the 
 general household work. Many were accustomed from 
 childhood to wait on, and in a measure support and shift 
 for themselves. The Southerner, on the other hand, had 
 been accustomed to being waited upon, and when it came 
 to the exigencies of prison life he was not so well pre- 
 pared as the Northerner, for, under such conditions, 
 there's something required more than mere bravery. The 
 inability to take care of himself accounts for a large share 
 of the discomfort that often attended the Southern soldier 
 as a prisoner. 
 
 The Libby, at the time of which I write, was situated 
 between Gary and Canal Streets, in the city of Richmond, 
 Virginia, the capital of the Southern Confederacy. The 
 width of the building extended one hundred and ten feet 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 141 
 
 from one street to the other, its sides running along either 
 street, 140 feet east and west. It was three stories high 
 on Gary, with a hasement cellar under the entire building, 
 making it four stories high on Canal Street. Across the 
 width of the building, extending from the basement to 
 the roof, were two partition walls, dividing each floor into 
 three rooms or apartments of equal size. Our prisoners 
 at this time occupied the two upper floors, or the six upper 
 rooms. The rooms were designated as the upper and 
 lower east rooms, the upper and lower middle rooms, and 
 the upper and lower west rooms. The middle room on the 
 first floor below was used for cooking purposes, and was 
 known as the kitchen. It had three fireplaces in its east 
 partition wall. This kitchen was the only place in the 
 building the prisoners had free access to, save the six 
 rooms spoken of above. The fireplaces were not utilized, 
 but in front of each one of them were three stoves, the 
 pipes of which went into the chimney flues, running up- 
 ward above the fireplaces. The flues did not extend below 
 this floor, so the partition wall from here down was solid. 
 The east room on the first floor was used for hospital 
 purposes; the west room was the office where the prison 
 officials were quartered, and the basement beneath was 
 divided into dungeons for the confinement and punish- 
 ment of unruly prisoners. The doors and windows were 
 barred like those of a jail. Heavy guards, of course, were 
 stationed on the outside, so the only hope of escape seemed 
 to be through 
 
 THE TUNNELING PROCESS. 
 
 Aside from the effects of hunger, there was a feeling 
 of unrest among the prisoners which, if yielded to, often 
 led to serious despondency and even insanity. Plan after 
 
142 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 plan was devised for escape, which upon trial proved to be 
 impracticable. In the dead hours of the night a few 
 could be seen prowling around the prison, in the hope 
 that some means of egress might offer. On dark stormy 
 nights the guards sometimes came up for temporary 
 shelter under cover of the prison walls, where, unobserved 
 by anyone from the outside, they would enter into conver- 
 sation with the prisoners, often giving expressions of 
 sympathy. Among them frequently was found a man of 
 Northern birth, who had been conscripted into the Con- 
 federate army, and at heart a Unionist. Bribes were 
 sometimes offered by the prisoners, and taken by the 
 guards; but attempts to escape by that means generally 
 resulted in the prisoner being handed over to the authori- 
 ties, after he had gotten outside and given up his valua- 
 bles. 
 
 At one time a plan was laid for the escape of all the 
 prisoners in Richmond. There were fifteen or twenty 
 thousand confined in various parts of the city at the time. 
 At a preconcerted signal these were to break out, over- 
 power the guards, take their arms, seize the Tredagar 
 Iron Works; where, it had been learned from the daily 
 papers which reached the prison occasionally, there were 
 enough small arms and ammunition stored to put a 
 loaded gun into the hands of every prisoner. Successful 
 thus far, the design was to take possession of the city and 
 the Confederate Congress then in session (including 
 President Davis) and hold them until aid could come from 
 our forces in Virginia. The signal for the outbreak was 
 fixed; every prison had its special duty assigned, and the 
 day of the night on which the attempt was to be made 
 came, when lo! the secret had been revealed by a traitor 
 in the prison. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 143 
 
 This act of treachery was charged upon Lieutenant 
 Colonel J. M. Sanderson, of New York, and although no 
 direct evidence was produced, many threats were made by 
 the prisoners against his life. Indeed the authorities, 
 fearing he might be assassinated, took Sanderson out of 
 the prison and kept him secreted until the excitement died 
 out. But this only strengthened the suspicion of his guilt, 
 and in a short time he was exchanged or paroled, and 
 pending a court martial fled to London. 
 
 After this misadventure it was resolved that any new 
 plan should include only men whose sagacity and fidelity 
 could be implicitly relied upon. By their continued move- 
 ments at night the prisoners most desirous of escape 
 gradually came to know each other and to take counsel 
 together. In this way a compact association, consisting 
 of only fifteen men, was formed, when tunneling was 
 finally decided upon. An effort to go out through a large 
 sewer was abandoned as impracticable after the loss of 
 
 A VAST AMOUNT OF LABOR. 
 
 It was then determined to begin in the basement under 
 the east end of the building, a place familiarly designated 
 as "rat hell," and tunnel eastward, coming out under a 
 carriage shed attached to a large building on the opposite 
 side of the street. From this point the escaping prisoners 
 could lie screened from observation by the guards, behind 
 a high board fence extending from the ground to the 
 roof of the shed, until they found it safe to emerge. The 
 tunnel was to run under a short cross street reaching from 
 Canal to Gary Street, at the east end of the prison. 
 
 But how was this cellar, which was to form the base of 
 all tunneling operations, to be reached? The prisoners 
 
i 4 4 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 could not go into the hospital room and thence through 
 the floor into the cellar, for in this room were nurses and 
 guards who would at once discover the plan. They could 
 not go into the basement under the kitchen, for there 
 were the dungeons for the punishment of offending prison- 
 ers, and guards on duty all the time. Every step taken 
 had to be kept a profound secret; not only from the Con- 
 federate authorities, but from the majority of the prisoners 
 also, and until access to the cellar could be obtained noth- 
 ing could be done. 
 
 It was finally determined to go behind the stoves in one 
 of the fireplaces just described, and taking out bricks in 
 the center, follow the partition wall down below the floor 
 on which the cook and hospital rooms were located (a dis- 
 tance of three or four feet) and then break through the 
 wall into the cellar, thus escaping observation from every 
 quarter. This was successfully accomplished. Major A. 
 G. Hamilton, of the llth Kentucky Cavalry, was the 
 author of this plan, while Thomas E.' Rose, late of the 
 16th U. S. Infantry, then Colonel of the 77th Pennsyl- 
 vania Volunteers, was the chief engineer of all tunneling 
 operations, the originator and leading spirit of the entire 
 enterprise. The first to propose the plan, and foremost 
 in the great labor incident to its accomplishment, he was 
 also first to make the exit through the tunnel, having 
 gone out into the street the night before the escape took 
 place to reconnoiter, and returning again to assure his 
 associates and all who were to be benefited by his daring 
 example that escape by such means was not only possible 
 but practicable. And at last, as if by the irony of fate, 
 when the 109 men had gone out, Colonel Rose among the 
 number, he was among the first of the recaptured prison- 
 ers to be brought back and placed in solitary confinement 
 
" 
 

 COL. THOMAS E. ROSE, AT THE AGE OF SIXTY. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 145 
 
 for thirty days on a diet of meal and water, as a punish- 
 ment for his offense. 
 
 Thomas Elwood Rose was born March 12th, 1830, in 
 Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He enlisted as a private 
 soldier in the three months' service at the outbreak of the 
 war, and worked his way up to become full Colonel of a 
 regiment, the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry. After having 
 rendered the most valuable service through the Civil War, 
 he was honorably discharged December 6th, 1865, having 
 been advanced to the rank of Brigadier-General of Volun- 
 teers, meantime. He commanded the 2d Brigade, 2d Divi- 
 sion 20th Army Corps at the battle of Liberty Gap. His 
 command was desperately engaged at the battle of Chicka- 
 mauga, September 19-20th, 1863, he being captured on 
 the second day and sent to Libby Prison. After all this 
 distinguished service, July 1866, Colonel Rose was com- 
 missioned Captain llth U. S. Infantry, and in that capac- 
 ity served his Government on the frontier in Indian cam- 
 paigns to April, 1892 a period of 26 years of faithful 
 service in the Regular Army without a promotion and 
 then was raised only to the rank of Major by brevet. 
 Drawing near the close of his service on account of old 
 age, he was finally passed to the rank of Lieutenant- 
 Colonel U. S. Army by brevet, and so was retired at the 
 age of 64 years, March 12th, 1894. This soldier incom- 
 parable died November 6th, 1907, at Washington, D. C. 
 Had such a record been made by a soldier in the French 
 or British armies, aside from substantial recognition in 
 the way of promotion, the highest honors within the gift 
 of those governments would undoubtedly have been be- 
 stowed, viz.: The Decoration of the Legion of Honor, or 
 the Victoria Cross. 
 
 Returning now to the escape beginning in the fire- 
 
146 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 place, the bricks were removed from the center of the wall, 
 so as to make an opening wide enough to admit a man's 
 body. From fifty to seventy-five bricks were taken out. 
 The work was all accomplished secretly and at night. 
 After "lights out," or 9 o'clock, at which time everybody 
 in the prison was supposed to be lying down, two men, 
 having first quietly removed the bricks, would go down 
 and take turns with each other in digging throughout the 
 night. In the meantime, two or three others, detailed for 
 the purpose, would remain on watch in different parts of 
 the prison, to ward off eavesdroppers, and be ready to give 
 the signal and help the two workmen up on the first ap- 
 proach of day. This accomplished, the bricks were care- 
 fully replaced, covered over with soot and dirt, which was 
 always plentiful behind the stoves, and in this condition 
 the place was left secure from observation until night 
 came on again. This operation was repeated every night 
 for more than seven weeks. 
 
 The authorities made regular tours of inspection 
 through the prison every day, while hundreds of prisoners 
 were in this room and about these stoves, engaged in 
 cooking from early morning till 9 o'clock at night; and 
 yet not more than twenty or twenty-five men ever knew 
 of the work until it was nearly all accomplished. From 
 the bottom of the cellar an opening was first made 
 through the stone wall, some four or five feet thick, and 
 then the work of excavating began. Clam shells and case 
 knives were the principal tools used, and with these simple 
 instruments a tunnel sixteen inches in diameter, eight or 
 nine feet below the surface of the ground and about sixty 
 feet long was dug. 
 
 As the work progressed, difficulty in removing the dirt 
 from the tunnel was experienced. To overcome this, a 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 147 
 
 spittoon from one of the rooms above, a box about eight 
 inches square and five inches deep, was taken down into 
 the cellar; and the man digging inside would pull the box 
 in by means of a cord attached to one side, and after fill- 
 ing it with dirt, give a signal, when the man in the cellar, 
 by another string would pull the box out and empty it. 
 By this wearisome process the whole mass of dirt was 
 removed. 
 
 The back end of the cellar or basement was not used 
 by the authorities, and was seldom invaded by any person 
 or thing except rats. It was filled several feet deep with 
 straw, which had been placed there for hospital purposes, 
 though not in use at that time. 
 
 As the dirt from the tunnel came out, it was spread 
 evenly over the bottom of the cellar and covered with this 
 straw, thus concealing it from observation through the 
 day. The front part of the cellar was used as a store 
 room, and attaches of the prison were in and out by day, 
 but seldom, if ever, at night. 
 
 When the tunnel had reached a distance of twenty feet, 
 the air became so foul that one man had to fan the open 
 mouth while the other was digging. Even then, at times, 
 a candle would not burn. Yet to dig successfully light 
 was found to be necessary as well as air. This was ob- 
 tained by stealthily taking a portion of the candles fur- 
 nished the various rooms each night. 
 
 Those who had been let into the secret of the tunnel 
 now began to put themselves in readiness for the exodus, 
 which it was believed would mark the real beginning of 
 their trials. To harden our limbs and muscles, persistent 
 and continued walking and other physical exercises were 
 resorted to. My comrade and myself once walked a dis- 
 tance of twenty-two miles around the room in a single 
 
148 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 day. Athletic games, such as running, jumping and box- 
 ing, were also in vogue. A favorite exercise was that of 
 placing two sticks on end, each within a circle about three 
 inches in diameter and three feet apart, marked on the 
 floor at one end of the room. Then two men, starting 
 evenly from the other end (110 feet distant) would run to 
 see which could pick up one of the sticks, set it up 
 squarely on end within another circle near by, and get 
 back to the starting point first. This was a pretty fair 
 test of speed, and agility, and proved a valuable exercise. 
 
 The rigors of one of the severest winters known to the 
 history of the country added greatly to the discomfort of 
 the prisoners at this time. The James River in front of 
 the prison was frozen over solidly and occupied by skating 
 parties for days at a time. While watching the skaters 
 from the upper windows of the prison one day the ice 
 gave way and five or six young men were precipitated into 
 the river and drowned. Cries were plainly heard at the 
 prison, and the people were seen rushing to and fro in a 
 vain endeavor to rescue the unfortunate victims. 
 
 The Confederate authorities, seeing the destitution 
 among the prisoners, and their suffering from the cold, 
 finally agreed to a proposition which in the end proved 
 of great advantage to both. The understanding was that 
 they would impartially distribute for our use and comfort 
 any blankets or clothing the Government might send for 
 that purpose. This was no sooner known at the North 
 than great boxes and bundles came in filled with the neces- 
 saries in clothing and delicacies to eat. From this time 
 forward the general condition of the prisoners was greatly 
 improved. 
 
 While these articles were shipped under the supervision 
 of the Government, they were in fact made up by the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 149 
 
 Ladies' Sanitary Commission, an organization that extended 
 throughout the Northern States, maintained for the relief 
 of the Federal soldiers in the field and very largely sup- 
 ported by the loyal women of that section. Young and 
 old contributed alike to its maintenance. Little girls not 
 yet in their teens added their mite to the general fund. 
 Well it was for these devoted women that their overbur- 
 dened hearts found a modicum of relief, while their busy 
 hands found employment in the preparation of lint and 
 bandages, blankets, socks, shirts and underclothing for the 
 sick and wounded and destitute soldier in the camp, in 
 the field and in the prison pen. 
 
 In the main the agreement was fairly carried out on 
 the part of the Confederates, but in time these good things 
 came in such quantities that their own soldiers (none too 
 well provided for themselves) began quietly to open the 
 boxes and appropriate such articles as struck their fancy 
 most. So the guards about the prison and many Con- 
 federate soldiers on the streets were soon sporting Yankee 
 uniforms. However, "It is an ill wind that does not blow 
 good to some one/' as will be seen further on in the story 
 of an overcoat and 
 
 A NICE PAIR OF STOCKINGS. 
 
 Among other things received from the sanitary fund 
 was a pair of woolen socks such as "mother used to knit." 
 On putting them on, something was discovered in the toe 
 of one of them. Upon investigation it proved to be a 
 note written in a delicate female hand by a young lady 
 residing in the city of Philadelphia, who had herself so 
 the note informed me knit the socks, and she took the 
 means of inviting the soldier into whose hands, or upon 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 whose feet, the socks might luckily fall, to write her a 
 letter in acknowledgment. It is unnecessary, perhaps, to 
 add that I complied with her request, and that upon this a 
 correspondence ensued. But, alas ! our letters had to pass 
 the unsympathetic eye of the prison censor before delight- 
 ing the senses of the one for whom they were especially 
 written. If, however, the censor viewed them as I did, 
 certainly no adverse criticism could arise, for "love/' they 
 say, "is blind/' In the course of time the young lady's 
 picture was received, and with it an invitation to visit her 
 at her home in Philadelphia. But owing to the close 
 proximity of soldiers on guard from without, and bolts 
 and bars within, my movements were somewhat circum- 
 scribed, and, however ardent may have been my desire, I 
 was unable to comply with the young lady's request. It 
 has been said that "love laughs at locksmiths," but in this 
 case it was different. You couldn't well vanquish a stal- 
 wart rebel on guard by laughing at him. But what has 
 ever since been a source of deep regret, in the hurry and 
 excitement of the escape that followed soon, I lost the 
 young lady's letters and her picture, and the fortunes of 
 war caused our paths to diverge; but her memory, God 
 bless her, in the kindly act through which our brief 
 acquaintance began, is green in my heart to-day. 
 
 Aside from a cavalryman's overcoat and other articles 
 of clothing I drew from these supplies, there came from 
 home a large box of delicacies and extra clothing, made up 
 by the deft and loving hands of my mother and sister. If 
 it were possible the value of these precious things could 
 in any manner have been enhanced it would arise from the 
 fact that many of them were contributed by the girls in 
 the town in which my mother lived and where I had pre- 
 viously gone to school. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 151 
 
 But I was still nearly barefooted and destitute of a hat, 
 and, before the escape could be undertaken, must have a 
 suitable covering for 
 
 BOTH HEAD AND FEET, 
 
 For a long time my eyes were on a pair of boots belong- 
 ing to Lieutenant Mead, of a Union Kentucky regiment, 
 and I had often tried to negotiate a deal for them, offer- 
 ing Mead many of the choicest things that came in my 
 box for his boots. But Mead, who was not in the secret 
 of the tunnel and knew nothing of the special purpose for 
 which the boots were wanted, was inexorable. I had often 
 tried them on to show how well they fitted me, even better, 
 I thought, than they fitted Mead. But in fact I had 
 already begun to consider the boots mine, for when the 
 night came for the escape I lay down by his side, ostensibly 
 for a night's rest, though the thought of sleep was never 
 farther from my mind. But I had not long to wait. 
 Within an hour Mead was wrapped in profound slumber, 
 when I quietly pulled on the boots, and, like the Arab, 
 "folded my tent and silently stole away." 
 
 Still the head needed protection as well as the feet, and, 
 in passing out among my sleeping comrades, I stumbled 
 upon a hat which later proved to be the property of Lieu- 
 tenant Thomas H. McKee, of the 1st West Virginia Kegi- 
 ment, who nightly shared the luxuries of the floor with 
 me in that immediate neighborhood. Without compunc- 
 tion or unnecessary ceremony, I placed the hat where it 
 would do the most good for the present, and proceeded on 
 my way, afterward learning, to my regret, that McKee 
 was sick that night, and in consequence unable to partici- 
 pate in the escape. What will serve as a sequel to the 
 story of the hat and boots will appear later on. 
 
153 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 There was no way of judging the distance across the 
 street over which the tunnel ran, save as the ground was 
 measured by the eye from the windows above. So when 
 the digging had proceeded far enough, as was believed, to 
 reach the carriage shed, it was thought best by those in 
 charge to prospect by means of a small hole running up- 
 ward for the purpose. This opening was made at an angle 
 of about forty-five degrees. 
 
 A short time before some workmen had been employed 
 making repairs and strengthening the doors and windows. 
 It was their custom to leave their tools in the prison over 
 night. So, improving that opportunity, an auger and 
 chisel were stolen from the carpenters' outfit and carried 
 down into the cellar for use in that quarter, and these 
 tools, originally designed for fastening our chains, did 
 good service in forwarding the escape. The chisel was the 
 principal tool in use the night the prospecting hole was 
 made. The man engaged in digging was reaching ahead 
 into a small opening, letting the dirt rattle back down the 
 inclined plane, when suddenly the chisel went out through 
 the surface at a point in the full glare of a street lamp, 
 and not more than ten or twelve paces from where a 
 sentinel walked. The noise made by the chisel was heard 
 by a guard, who asked another near by if he had heard 
 any unusual noise, and, replying in the affirmative, the 
 other said: "It is nothing but rats." Upon this both 
 guards walked on. Their conversation was plainly over- 
 heard by the real "rat" under the ground but a few feet 
 away. The hole was then stopped up with little stones, 
 an old trousers leg stuffed with dirt and whatever material 
 could be utilized for the purpose, and the main tunnel then 
 went on some ten or fifteen feet farther. The plan was 
 wisely adopted to let as many prisoners into the secret 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 153 
 
 when the work was completed as could well get out in a 
 single night, and then, by leaving someone behind to cover 
 up the excavations in the walls, prevent the discovery of 
 the tunnel, so that eventually others might escape, by the 
 same means, 
 
 FEOM LIBBY TO LIBERTY. 
 
 Accordingly, on the night of the 9th of February, 1864, 
 everything being in readiness, about two hundred men, 
 who at this time had been taken into the secret, were 
 assembled in the cook room after 9 o'clock, ready to take 
 the desperate chance of escape. This was a trying moment. 
 The digging of the tunnel had been a gigantic under- 
 taking, accompanied with great anxiety, hardship and 
 privation; and, completed at last, it only opened the way 
 to dangers no man could forecast. 
 
 Aside from Colonel Rose, one of the first to take ad- 
 vantage of the exodus was Colonel A. D. Streight, of the 
 51st Indiana, who was being held by the Confederates as 
 a hostage, and, according to the report of the escape as 
 given by the Richmond Dispatch, printed elsewhere, "a 
 notorious character charged with having raised a negro 
 regiment." Streight, it was thought by the prisoners, was 
 being unnecessarily persecuted by the Confederates, and, 
 for a portion of the time at least, during the process of 
 the tunneling was confined in one of the dungeons; but, 
 having been released and returned to the rooms above just 
 before the escape, he was made one of the first to go 
 through the tunnel, and, with two or three other officers, 
 was secreted and cared for in Richmond for a week or 
 more by Miss Bettie Vanlew, finally making good his 
 escape. This lady, after the surrender, was appointed 
 postmistress of Richmond by President Grant in considera- 
 
154 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 tion of her kindness to the Union prisoners. Although it 
 soon after was known that she had performed this act of 
 loyalty to the Union cause, it is believed she was never in 
 any way disturbed by the people of Richmond. 
 
 Some fifteen or twenty had gone down through the hole 
 in the wall into the cellar, and my turn had just come, 
 when a noise at the outside door caused a report to be 
 circulated to the effect that those who had already passed 
 through the tunnel had been captured and that the guards 
 were coming in to take the whole party in arrest. This 
 was made the signal for a general stampede across the 
 room, a distance of one hundred and ten feet, to the 
 stairway in the corner leading up to the rooms where the 
 prisoners belonged. My partner, who was equipped with 
 a haversack containing a scant supply of rations saved for 
 the occasion and a map of the country, which together we 
 had drawn up with a pencil, ran back with the crowd. I 
 remained behind the stoves and reflected a minute, and, 
 listening at the door, could hear no one coming in. "And 
 if they do," I thought, "they know nothing of this hole 
 and nothing of the tunnel, and anyhow I may just as well 
 go down and out, it can be no worse for me." Accord- 
 ingly, down through the hole in the wall I went, without 
 any thought of the obligation I was under to the Con- 
 federacy for six months' board and lodging. 
 
 On reaching the tunnel I found Lieutenant A. P. White, 
 of Erie, Pennsylvania, just going in. He said: "Wells, 
 I will wait for you at the shed/' I remained at the open- 
 ing until he made his way through, for on account of 
 foul air it was dangerous for more than one person to 
 enter the tunnel at a time. I was soon through, dragging 
 my overcoat on my legs with one hand behind me, the 
 other being ahead, and found on emerging that White 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 155 
 
 had gone and that I was alone. Stretching myself up at 
 full length I breathed the fresh air for the first time in 
 six long months. After standing so long on the hard floor 
 the soft ground under my feet was noticeable at once, and 
 involuntarily I looked overhead and about me, as if to 
 assure myself that it was not all a dream. My determina- 
 tion to accomplish what had thus been undertaken was 
 still strong and I resolved to push on, and by continued 
 efforts realize the benefits of the labors already performed 
 or perish in the attempt. Every nerve was strung to the 
 highest tension, all fear had vanished and my senses were 
 alert and quick as those of a wild animal. 
 
 From the shed we had to pass through a gate which 
 opened on Canal Street. Along this street, to within ten 
 steps of the gate, a sentinel walked, who, on reaching the 
 end of his beat, would face about and go a distance of 
 forty paces the other way. Taking advantage of the time 
 when his back was turned the prisoners would open the 
 gate, and, stepping out on Canal Street, pass out of sight. 
 In this manner all emerged from the shed, one by one, or 
 sometimes in parties of two or three, as the case might be. 
 It would have been very injudicious to have formed larger 
 parties. The alarm causing the prisoners to stampede 
 from the cook room proved to be a false one, and that night 
 one hundred and nine men got out, it being daylight, how- 
 ever, when the last one reached the shed. Among this 
 number was my partner, but after four days of ceaseless 
 endeavor he was recaptured. Of the whole number who 
 went through the tunnel only forty-three were successful 
 in reaching the Federal lines; all others were eventually 
 overtaken, carried back and placed in the dungeons below. 
 
 Watching my opportunity, I slipped out in the manner 
 just described and walked two squares eastward on Canal 
 
156 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Street. I had no fixed plan for getting out of the city, 
 but was guided wholly by impulse and by circumstances 
 as presented, though my general purpose was by some 
 means, if possible, to place the Chickahominy River (which 
 to the northward is not more than six miles distant from 
 Richmond) between myself and my pursuers that night. 
 The especial object in so doing was to baffle any pursuit 
 that might be made with dogs, for, though at liberty, I 
 was 
 
 NOT YET FREE. 
 
 The Federal uniform and overcoat I wore was rather an 
 advantage than otherwise, for the Confederate soldiers, 
 as stated elsewhere, had appropriated clothing sent by our 
 Government and were then commonly wearing our over- 
 coats on the streets. After reaching the borders of the 
 city, beyond the street lamps, I took the center of the road 
 and made my way as quietly and rapidly as possible, but 
 soon discovered a light in front. Dropping upon the 
 ground and watching closely I saw a sentinel pass the 
 light with musket at a right shoulder. The place I took 
 to be a guardhouse or perhaps a hospital. Then creeping 
 on my hands and knees some distance around, thus flanked 
 the light and the sentinel, and soon after came to the 
 fortifications around the city. Here there was great danger 
 and difficulty in eluding detection and arrest. On these 
 fortifications were large siege guns in position and sentinels 
 mounted on the parapets. For more than an hour I felt 
 my way along, never standing at full height, and most of 
 the time on my hands and knees. This caution and perse- 
 verance brought me safely out upon an open plain, far 
 beyond the city and its defenses. 
 
 Opining to a thicket of brush on low bottom land, cov- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 157 
 
 ered here and there with water, I believed myself near the 
 Chickahominy. To test this fact I crawled out on some 
 flood wood over the body of water, and, breaking off a 
 large piece of light-colored bark, threw it in. In a few 
 minutes I had the pleasure of seeing the bark move away 
 with the current of the stream, and without delay proceeded 
 to place the Chickahominy between myself and Richmond. 
 In doing this, however, I was compelled to wade in water 
 and mud waist deep. 
 
 The uplands on the northern banks were barely reached, 
 however, when daylight came on, and I at once sought a 
 hiding place by crawling inside an old enclosure which 
 had grown up to a dense thicket of laurel. As daylight 
 came on I could hear the voices of Confederate soldiers 
 encamped near the river a half mile away. About 9 o'clock 
 A. M. a company of cavalry, some twenty or thirty in 
 number, came up the road from the camp, and, rising to 
 my feet, I could see their heads as they passed on the 
 gallop, not more than two hundred yards distant. 
 
 These, as I readily divined, were in pursuit of escaped 
 prisoners, for that morning at the accustomed roll-call 
 one hundred and nine failed to answer to their names. It 
 appears that Confederate cavalry, infantry and trained 
 dogs were at once brought into requisition to hunt down 
 the fugitives. A rigorous search was also instituted by 
 the authorities to discover, if possible, the means through 
 which the exodus was made. But some of the prisoners 
 remaining behind, in accordance with a previous arrange- 
 ment, took the precaution to stop up the places of egress, 
 and at the same time pried off a bar from a window and 
 hung out a rope, made by tying together strips of blankets. 
 This ruse led the authorities to suppose the escape had 
 been accomplished by going out through the window, hav- 
 
i 5 8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ing first bribed the guards. In this, of course, they were 
 deceived, and the guards and officers on duty were arrested 
 and sent to the guardhouse, all the while protesting their 
 innocence. Search was made throughout the day, but it 
 was not until nearly nightfall that a colored boy, chancing 
 to go into the shed, discovered the hole where the prisoners 
 had emerged. But the Confederates did not learn by what 
 means the prisoners reached the cellar for many months 
 thereafter. 
 
 My hiding place for the day was on a gentle slope at the 
 lower side of which was a spring where some colored 
 women came to do washing. At times I could understand 
 their conversation, and as the cavalry passed up the road, 
 I heard them say something about "de Yankee pris'ners." 
 Chickens and hogs came about through the day, all seem- 
 ing to view me suspiciously, the hogs especially. These 
 would dash away with a loud boo-a-boo, after looking at 
 me intently for a moment. This noise made me a little 
 nervous, as it increased the chances of my discovery and 
 capture. 
 
 Night again coming down, after first taking an obser- 
 vation, I moved on, and presently came to a road which I 
 ventured to follow for a short distance, before turning into 
 the brush again. In passing, I noticed some saw logs, and 
 it occurred to me there must be a mill not far off. Soon, 
 at a point where the road forked, I saw a man coming 
 toward me, and believing that everybody must by this 
 time be up in arms about the escape, this gave me great 
 anxiety. But knowing it would not do to show signs of 
 hesitation or fear, I accosted the unwelcome stranger at 
 once and said: "Good evening, sir, can you tell me which 
 of these roads leads to the mill?" Of course I was making 
 -a blind guess as I had no positive knowledge of the exist- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 159 
 
 ence of a "mill" in that neighborhood. He said, "To 
 Game's mill?" and I answered, "Yes," and then told him 
 I had an uncle living down there somewhere, by the name 
 of Jackson, and asked if he knew any member of that 
 family. He said he thought there was a Henry Jackson 
 not far from the mill, and I assured him that "Henry" 
 was my "uncle" and the very man I was looking for; and 
 then told him I belonged to the 1st Virginia Infantry, and 
 had obtained a furlough for a few days for the purpose of 
 paying my relatives a visit. Thanking him kindly I hur- 
 ried on, without further inquiry as to the whereabouts of 
 my Uncle Henry. 
 
 Toward morning, I came to a cross roads where there 
 was a mile-post and fingerboard. I climbed the post, and 
 holding on by one hand with the other struck a match. 
 On the board was an index finger pointing nearly in the 
 direction I had been traveling for the past two hours, 
 and beneath it the words, "Twelve miles to Eichmond." 
 So for nearly two hours I must have been going in the 
 direction of Richmond instead of away from it. I had 
 then been out the greater part of two nights and made 
 but twelve miles on my journey. By this time hunger, 
 fatigue and loss of sleep were closing in upon me with a 
 deathlike grip. I pushed on however, though from sheer 
 exhaustion often stumbled and fell to the ground. In 
 going through an open woodland I unexpectedly came 
 upon an encampment of Confederate teamsters; doubtless 
 a Quartermaster's train carrying provisions to the army 
 about Richmond. Some of the men were up knocking 
 about among the mules and wagons. It was very dark. 
 Assuming the role of a driver and bursting out in the 
 vernacular common to the class, I walked up to an unsus- 
 pecting mule, and giving him a kick in the ribs, in a 
 
160 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 gruff voice commanded him to "stand around." Repeat- 
 ing movements of this character two or three times I 
 found my way through the encampment without interrup- 
 tion. 
 
 When morning came, I again sought a hiding place. 
 Shivering and hungry throughout that day, and unable 
 to move for fear of detection, I had a good opportunity 
 to reflect upon the mutability of human affairs, and the 
 vicissitudes of a soldier's life. Night coming on again, 
 I took my bearings, and was about to start out when I 
 overheard footsteps in the brush not far distant, and 
 crouching down like a frightened rabbit, awaited develop- 
 ments. Nearer and nearer the steps came. I thought I had 
 been discovered and that my time had come, for now the 
 steps of two persons were distinguishable. Soon into 
 plain sight, almost on tiptoe, walked two escaped 
 prisoners, 
 
 RANDALL AND McCAIN. 
 
 The former was of the 2d Ohio, and the latter of the 
 21st Illinois Regiments. I recognized and hailed them in 
 a whisper. They shared with me from their scant rations 
 of corn bread, and then for the first time in thirty-six 
 hours I tasted food. We now traveled together and once 
 or twice during the remainder of the week obtained provis- 
 ions of colored men who were true to the escaped 
 prisoners as the needle to the pole. 
 
 We had traveled four nights, ,all the time in the woods, 
 and Sunday morning found us well nigh exhausted. Now 
 coming to the conclusion that it would be impossible to 
 continue the journey by night we laid down for an hour's 
 rest before starting out for the first time by daylight. 
 Following up a ravine, we soon came into an open field 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 161 
 
 inside of which was a school house or church; and people, 
 evidently attending service, had already begun to as- 
 semble. Two roads crossed at the school house not more 
 than one hundred and fifty yards distant from our hiding 
 place in the brush. Several dogs came uncomfortably 
 near, and while we were debating what course to pursue, 
 about seventy-five cavalrymen rode by and halted at the 
 corner near the school house. Eandall volunteered to 
 crawl around below to see if it were possible for us to cross 
 in that direction unobserved. He disappeared in the 
 brush, and we never saw him again, but the report of 
 three or four shots fired in the direction he had taken led 
 us to suppose he had been shot and possibly killed or re- 
 captured.* 
 
 One of the dogs now discovered McCain and myself and 
 commenced barking furiously. We started back down the 
 ravine, keeping as far as possible under cover of the brush. 
 The firing below and the barking of the dog had set 
 everybody else on the lookout, and the soldiers discovered 
 us and gave chase down a lane, but we finally eluded them 
 and, for the balance of the day, remained in the swamp 
 closely secreted, being fully satisfied with our experience 
 in trying to travel by daylight; but night coming on, the 
 weary march was resumed. 
 
 Soon reaching an opening we discovered at a distance 
 some one standing in the doorway of a cabin. Thinking 
 it to be a colored man, we had little hesitancy in approach- 
 ing him; but on closer inspection found instead a white 
 man. It was then too late to back out and putting on a 
 bold front we walked up and asked for something to eat; 
 telling him we were Yankees recently escaped from Libby 
 
 *It has since been learned that Randall escaped, and re- 
 turned home where he died a number of years ago. 
 
162 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Prison and were likely to perish for want of something to 
 eat. He said he had been in the Confederate service and 
 that he knew something of the life of a soldier; "But/' 
 said he, "I never turned a hungry man from my door, and 
 do not propose to do so now." Whereupon, by his invita- 
 tion, we followed him into the house. He gave us half a 
 dozen dry biscuits, stating the biscuits comprised his entire 
 stock of provisions on hand, and from the meager and scanty 
 outfit of his cabin and its primitive surroundings, we had 
 reason to believe he was telling the truth. He appeared 
 friendly from the start, but we followed him closely into 
 the house, fearing he might "present" us with a musket 
 instead of meat. He was kind enough to tell us which 
 way to go to avoid detection and capture, and that we 
 were only a short distance from the York River down 
 which a gunboat flying the American flag had passed, not 
 more than an hour before. Had we reached York River 
 in time to meet this boat our troubles would have come to 
 an end at once and there would have been a different 
 story to tell of 
 
 THE FINAL RESCUE. 
 
 Our objective from this point was Yorktown or Williams- 
 burg, the nearest station occupied by our troops. We had 
 gone a long distance out of the way and must now travel 
 south. I had lost my hat (or rather, McKee's hat), our 
 clothing hung about us in rags and all the time we were 
 getting weaker. On the night of the sixth day out there 
 came on a severe storm of sleet and rain, and, raking up a 
 quantity of dry leaves by the side of a large log in a dense 
 thicket, we covered the leaves with boughs and crawled 
 under, lying closely together for shelter, warmth and rest. 
 How long we had lain there is uncertain, but presently 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 163 
 
 I was awakened by McCain, who said we must get up 
 and go on, as we were likely to become stupefied and 
 perish from the cold. In this I agreed with him, but 
 neither one made any effort to rise. While lying in this 
 state of half consciousness I found my memory was failing 
 and just then could not recall my brother's name. But 
 suddenly, as if by a concert of thought and action, we 
 sprang to our feet, and soon found ourselves in an open 
 field near a road which proved to be the Williamsburg 
 Pike, though at the time we were in doubt as to the fact. 
 We concluded to follow it in the direction of Williams- 
 burg, as we believed, but for safety kept back a little 
 distance in the field. Presently we heard cavalry coming 
 ahead of us. We had already had a little experience with 
 Confederate cavalry and were not anxious to repeat it, but 
 these might be our friends. We were on neutral ground, 
 at least, and very near our own lines. It was a great risk 
 to hail them and a great risk to let them pass by unchal- 
 lenged, for it was becoming apparent we could not stand 
 the pressure much longer. Approaching within a few 
 paces of the road we secreted ourselves in the weeds and 
 brush. By the clatter of the iron scabbards I knew the 
 cavalrymen were armed with sabers (it was too dark to 
 see), and told McCain this was to me an evidence the 
 coming troops belonged to our side, for the Confederate 
 cavalry, as a rule, were not so armed. They came up and 
 passed, but nothing occurred and no word was spoken to 
 give us any clew to their identity. The situation was any- 
 thing but pleasant. The cold, freezing rain was coming 
 down in sheets and our bones were chilled to the marrow. 
 The main column had passed and the rear guard, about 
 twenty in number, were in front of us. We could endure 
 the suspense no longer and resolved to hail them, and if 
 
1 64 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 it proved to be the enemy, trust to the mercy of the dark- 
 ness to enable us to get away without being shot and killed. 
 Accordingly, both stood up and I cried out, "What regi- 
 ment is that?" 
 
 As quick as thought the entire squad, wheeling into line 
 along the fence,, drew their pistols, demanding at the same 
 time our immediate surrender. The click of the hammers, 
 which we could hear as they came into position, added to 
 the horror of the moment, and I said to McCain, "We 
 are gone up." With, this he seemed to agree and replied 
 that we had better surrender, as our lives depended upon 
 it, and no time was to be lost. Accordingly, we threw up 
 our hands and together cried out, "We will surrender." 
 On going to the fence we found ourselves in the hands of 
 a detachment of the llth Pennsylvania Cavalry, sent out 
 as a rescuing party, who had made every necessary pro- 
 vision for our immediate comfort and safety. 
 
 It appears that some of the prisoners were so fortunate 
 as to reach Williamsburg within three or four days from 
 the time of starting out from Richmond, bringing with 
 them the intelligence that a large number had escaped on 
 the night of the 9th (no one knowing at the time how 
 many) and that many were still out hiding in the swamps 
 and along the river bottoms, dodging their pursuers and 
 seeking a safe route on which to reach the Federal lines. 
 Thereupon General Butler, in command of the Department 
 of the James, having headquarters at Fortress Monroe, 
 with characteristic promptness and energy dispatched gun- 
 boats to patrol the York, the James and Chickahominy 
 Rivers, and at the same time sent all available cavalry 
 scouting the country in the direction of Richmond with 
 orders to aid in every possible manner the fleeing captives. 
 The spirit and energy with which the troops entered upon 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 165 
 
 this work is evidenced by the fact that nine officers were 
 picked up the night in question by this one squadron of 
 the llth Pennsylvania Eegiment. They had brought with 
 them led horses already saddled for the prisoners to ride, 
 and in their haversacks carried soft bread and meat in 
 abundance, including a ration or two of whisky for all 
 hands. This was furnished in limited quantities, and once 
 more mounted upon a good horse, equipped with a pistol 
 and a full stomach, my strength and courage returned by 
 leaps and bounds. 
 
 We had proceeded, however, but a short distance when 
 the challenge, "Halt, who goes there ?" rang out upon the 
 still air of night. This suggested to my mind the possi- 
 bility of other prisoners, and, riding hurriedly forward, a 
 few paces from the head of the column, standing close 
 together in the middle of the road, the forms of three men 
 were discernible. On dismounting and going up to them 
 I found they were fellow-prisoners H. C. Hobart, of the 
 21st Wisconsin; Thomas S. West, of the 24th Wisconsin, 
 and William B. McCreary, of the 21st Michigan Eegiment 
 all three ranking as Colonel of the infantry service. 
 
 Colonel Hobart was then past the meridian of life, quite 
 gray and stooped in form, and a good many years my 
 senior. Many a night we had lain close together, sharing 
 in common the luxuries of a hard wood floor for a bed 
 in the "upper middle room 5 ' of the "Hotel de Libby." 
 Here during the weary hours I had listened to his engaging 
 conversation, and meantime quite an intimate acquaint- 
 ance and friendship had sprung up between us. Colonel 
 Hobart had been prominent in State affairs in Wisconsin 
 long before entering the army. He was in the Territorial 
 Legislature in 1846^ a member of the first State Senate, 
 and in the autumn ipf 1865 a candidate for Governor on 
 
166 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the Democratic ticket. Colonel Hobart was a man of more 
 than ordinary accomplishments and intellectual power. 
 Being much younger, I had learned to look upon him 
 with an admiration amounting almost to reverence. Kecog- 
 nizing him here bedraggled, worn and travel-stained as he 
 was, I dismounted and with my arms about him supported 
 him for a minute or more, while his arms lay around my 
 neck. Not a word was spoken by either during the time. 
 Officers and soldiers of the command gathered around and 
 stood respectfully awaiting the outcome of this affecting 
 scene, and the silence was only broken when Colonel 
 Hobart, his eyes cast upward and with tears streaming 
 down his face, exclaimed, "This is the happiest moment I 
 ever expect to see on earth." % 
 
 West and McCreary were both in the prime of life, 
 though the latter had lost the use of one arm entirely 
 from a wound received at the battle of Chickamauga at 
 the time of his capture. But patriotic pride and the warm 
 blood of youth are not always proof against the ravages 
 of a service such as these men had undergone. West died 
 soon after the close of the war, McCreary survived longer, 
 but Colonel Hobart, the eldest of the trio, lived to a ripe 
 old age. 
 
 Determined upon further results in aid of the escaped 
 prisoners, the squadron moved on in the darkness until 
 about 3 o'clock in the morning, when came that most 
 welcome of all events to a tired soldier, 
 
 THE BIVOUAC. 
 
 Eiding out into the timber a short distance from the 
 road a rousing fire was soon built and coffee put on. If 
 there is one thing more than another calculated to gladden 
 a soldier's heart and warm his body in an emergency like 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 167 
 
 this, it is a cup of coffee so prepared, and then another 
 cup. Around this fire, with steaming coffee in hand, but 
 still booted and spurred, the soldiers are now gathered. 
 The glare of the uncertain light sets weird shadows danc- 
 ing among the forest trees until trees and shadows merge 
 into impenetrable darkness a short distance beyond. Ques- 
 tions are rapidly plied and answers given; the adventures 
 of the night just passed and of the days and nights pre- 
 ceding are told with a depth of feeling and received with 
 an attention not attainable under any other conditions in 
 which the writer has been placed. 
 
 The three officers just named, having passed through 
 the tunnel at the same time, had made the trip from 
 Richmond together. And (as now related by Colonel 
 Hobart) one night when nearly exhausted from cold and 
 hunger, thinking thereby to get some relief, they ap- 
 proached a negro cabin, through the cracks of which there 
 was distinguishable a faint ray of light. Two remained 
 secreted in the brush, while Colonel Hobart went stealthily 
 to the door of the cabin, upon which he tapped very softly. 
 Listening intently for a time, there came no response or 
 sound from within. But presently the door very slowly 
 and without noise began to swing, and an old black face 
 appeared in the opening. The Colonel, already resolved 
 to place himself at the mercy of the negro, was about to 
 state his case and plead for aid when the old black man, 
 placing his finger on his lips in admonition of silence, 
 hissed out : "H-u-s-h !" and in a low whisper said : "Done 
 speak, dars a rebel picket stannin' neah heah, youse ull 
 shu be coch af ye makes de leese noise !" And then step- 
 ping cautiously back, making the opening a little wider, 
 he motioned his visitor to enter, after which he closed and 
 bolted the door on the inside. In a very short time Colonel 
 
1 68 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Hobart emerged with a large roll under his arm, contain- 
 ing fried chicken, bread and boiled ham. Thus substan- 
 tially refreshed, and with the old negro for a guide, the 
 weary travelers were enabled to evade an encampment of 
 Confederate soldiers near by and proceed safely on their 
 journey. 
 
 What intuition or knowledge aforethought was it that 
 told this ignorant old man, before a word had been spoken 
 by either, that his visitor was an escaped Yankee prisoner 
 in distress and coming to him for aid ? But such seems to 
 have been the case. It is a fact that the negroes of the 
 South during the war were thoroughly alive to the situa- 
 tion and stood ready at all times, even at the risk of their 
 lives, to aid the Northern soldiers, upon whom they looked 
 as their deliverers. And this same devotion is manifest 
 in their loyalty to the flag and the Government under 
 which they live. So far as they are able to see and under- 
 stand, held in bondage though they were for two hundred 
 years, they are religiously devoted to our institutions and 
 the land of their birth. It is hoped these facts will be 
 taken into account by patriotic men, both North and South, 
 and thrown into the scale in the negroes' favor when an 
 adjustment of the race problem comes, as come it must. 
 
 It is no disparagement to Colonel Hobart to repeat in 
 this connection what the writer has since been told by his 
 friends and neighbors that, Democrat as he was before the 
 war, the kindness and loyalty of this old man had an 
 influence in later years in changing his views on the sub- 
 ject of slavery, and to cause him often to cast his vote 
 with the party most friendly to the negro. 
 
 Morning soon came on, and after some deliberation upon 
 the subject the entire squadron was divided into small 
 detachments of six or eight men each, under command of 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 169 
 
 a non-commissioned officer. These were sent scouting the 
 country on every cross road and bridal path, with orders 
 to reassemble at an appointed rendezvous on the main road 
 that night, and in this manner to 
 
 CONTINUE THE HUNT. 
 
 My lot was cast with one of these squads, where I took 
 my place in the ranks. The face of the country was flat, 
 sparsely settled and covered with open pine timber. The 
 storm had abated, and though the day was fine, the march 
 over the sandy roads was likely to prove monotonous and 
 uneventful. But one never knows, when scouting on neutral 
 ground between two contending armies, what he may run 
 into or what an hour will bring forth. 
 
 While following a bridle path through an unbroken 
 forest, the Sergeant in command and one man riding in the 
 advance suddenly put spurs to their horses and passed out 
 of sight, firing as they ran. In answer to the command, 
 "Forward, men!" the whole squad was soon on the run, 
 those in the rear having to "take sand" from the more 
 fortunate ones in the lead. The fact that none of us 
 knew how much the stake being run for was or how far off 
 the goal might be did not lessen the effort of all to win 
 the race. Soon coming into the open, the Sergeant was 
 seen still in full chase, firing at a mounted man then 
 about 150 yards ahead, who was lying close to his horse, 
 bareheaded (occasionally looking back), and with a six- 
 shooter deliberately returning the Sergeant's fire. 
 
 Here was a race and a shooting match in one, free to 
 all comers, with "nothing barred." I was riding a good 
 horse and was already ahead of the main squad; the gap 
 between myself and the Sergeant had closed and the object 
 of our chase did not seem to me to be more than fifty 
 
1 70 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 yards distant. I was already becoming a little uneasy, 
 fearing I might have to be the first to overtake this 
 desperate man, whoever he might be, when a circumstance 
 occurred which greatly relieved the nervous strain. Riding 
 swiftly along a thicket close by the road the fugitive sud- 
 denly threw himself from his horse, and, taking to the 
 brush on foot, was soon out of sight and beyond the reach 
 of our shots and of further pursuit. Thus ended the chase. 
 The riderless horse was secured farther down the road, and 
 also the hat, which had blown off earlier in the race. The 
 Sergeant now explained that we had been in pursuit of a 
 notorious bushwhacker by the name of Hume, a character 
 well known to our troops in that section, who had given 
 them many an exciting ride before. In their raids through 
 that country they had often been fired upon from ambush 
 by this same man and his followers, and our soldiers were 
 keen to capture him dead or alive. Riding a little further 
 on we unexpectedly came upon news from Richmond. 
 
 In passing a large farmhouse on the road an old gentle- 
 man was seen sitting on the porch with a newspaper in 
 his lap. Believing it to be a Richmond paper and possibly 
 containing news of special interest to me, a soldier at my 
 request rode into the yard and asked for the paper, the old 
 gentleman very kindly giving it to him. It proved to be 
 a copy of 
 
 THE RICHMOND DISPATCH. 
 
 The paper bore date February 11, 1864 (two days after 
 the escape), and contained an account of the adventure in 
 full, of which the following is a copy. By this it will 
 be seen (using the language of the Dispatch) "The whole 
 thing was skillfully managed and bears the impress of 
 master minds and indomitable perseverance." 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 171 
 
 Important Escape of Yankee Prisoners Over Fifty Feet of 
 ground Tunnelled. The most important escape of Federal 
 prisoners which has occurred during the war took place at the 
 Libby prison sometime during last Tuesday night. Of the 
 eleven hundred Yankee officers confined therein, one hundred 
 and nine failed to answer to their names at roll-call yesterday 
 morning. Embraced in this number were 11 Colonels, 7 
 Majors, 32 Captains, and 59 Lieutenants. The following is a 
 list of the Colonels and Majors: 
 
 Col. A. D. Streight, 51st Indiana regiment, a notorious 
 character captured in Tennessee by Gen. Forrest, and charged 
 with having raised a negro regiment. 
 
 Col. W. G. Ely, 18th Connecticut. 
 
 Col. J. F. Boyd, 20th army corps. 
 
 Col. H. C. Hobart, 21st Wisconsin. 
 
 Col. W. P. Kendrick, 3d West Tenn. cav. 
 
 Col. W. B. McCreary, 21st Michigan. 
 
 Col. Thos. E. Rose, 77th Pa. 
 
 Col. J. P. Spafford, 97th N. Y. 
 
 Col. C. W. Tilden, 16th Maine. 
 
 Col. T. S. West, 24th Wisconsin. 
 
 Col. D. Miles, 19th Pa. 
 
 Major J. P. Collins, 29th Ind. 
 
 Major G. W. Fitzsimmons, 37th Ind. 
 
 Major J. H. Hooper, 15th Miss. 
 
 Major B. B. Macdonald, 100th Ohio. 
 
 Major A. Von Mitzel, 74th Pa. 
 
 Major J. N. Walker, 73d Ind. 
 
 Major J. A. Henry, 5th Ohio. 
 
 Immediately on discovering the absence of these prisoners 
 some excitement was created among the Confederate officers 
 in charge of the prison, and in a short time every means was 
 adopted to ascertain the manner of their escape. At first 
 Major Turner was inclined to the opinion that the sentinels 
 on duty had been bribed to pass them out, and this impression 
 was strengthened by the assertion of the Yankees remaining 
 behind that the work had been accomplished through means of 
 heavy fees, which had been paid a Confederate officer in the 
 building, and his influence over the guard in their behalf. On 
 learning this the order was given to place the guard under 
 arrest and to commit them to Castle Thunder. Not feeling 
 satisfied about the matter, the Major and Lt. Latouche deter- 
 mined to leave no stone unturned to ferret out the mystery, 
 
172 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 and thereupon proceeded to institute a search in every direc- 
 tion for further information. After a fruitless examination 
 of every part of the building where it was thought possible for 
 a man to escape they were about abandoning further investiga- 
 tion, when the idea struck them that some clue might be ob- 
 tained by going into the lot on the opposite side of the street, 
 when a large hole was soon discovered in the corner of one of 
 the stalls of a shed which had been used as a stable, and on a 
 line with the street running between it and the Libby prison. 
 This discovery fully satisfied them that they had found out the 
 means by which the escape had been, but their next step was 
 to trace out the spot where the tunneling was commenced. 
 Some few yards from the eastern end of the building, in the 
 basement it was found that a large piece of granite, about 
 three feet by two, had been removed from the foundation and 
 a tunnel extending 59 feet across the street, eastward, into a 
 vacant lot formerly known as Carr's warehouse, cut through. 
 This tunnel was about seven feet from the surface of the 
 street, and worn two and a half feet square. The lot in which 
 the excavation emptied is several feet below the street, and the 
 fleeing prisoners when they emerged from the tunnel found 
 themselves on level ground. Running on Gary street is a brick 
 building, through the centre of which is a large arch with a 
 wooden gate to permit egress and ingress to and from the lot. 
 By this route they got into Canal street, and keeping close to 
 the eaves of the building they succeeded in eluding the vigilance 
 of the sentinels on duty. The prisoners are confined in the 
 second story of the Libby prison, and the first and basement 
 stories had to be obtained before the mouth of the tunnel could 
 be reached. From the first floor leading to the basement there 
 was formerly a stairway, but since the building has been in 
 use as a prison the aperture at the head of the steps has been 
 closed with very heavy planks. 
 
 By some means the prisoners would cut through both these 
 floors when they wished to gain the cellar, and after they had 
 passed down would close up the holes with the planks which 
 had been taken out so neatly that it could not be discovered. 
 The cellar covers the whole area of the building and is only 
 used as a place for storing away meal, &c., for the use of the 
 prison. It being very large only the front part was required, 
 and therefore the back part of it, which is considerably below 
 Gary street, is scarcely ever visited. The dirt which accumu- 
 lated as the work progressed was spread about this part of the 
 basement and then covered over with a large quantity of straw 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 173 
 
 which has been deposited therein. It is not known how long 
 the operatives in this stupendous undertaking have been en- 
 gaged; but, when the limited facilities which they possessed is 
 taken into consideration, there can be no doubt that months 
 have elapsed since the work was first begun. The whole thing 
 was skillfully managed and bears the impress of master minds 
 and indomitable perseverance. 
 
 Sometime since, a Yankee Captain was found in the cellar, 
 and on being taken before Major Turner, all smeared up with 
 meal, he gave as his excuse for being there that he did not 
 get enough to eat and was looking for something to make bread 
 with. This was doubtless a falsehood, and his only business 
 was to assist in the work which they had in hand. 
 
 There seems to be no doubt that further escape through this 
 avenue was contemplated, and the earnestness with which the 
 prisoners who remained behind tried to throw the blame upon 
 the guard was only done to prevent further inquiry into the 
 matter, and thereby leave the tunnel open for others to pass 
 through. Probably one more night might have emptied the 
 prison of the whole number confined therein. 
 
 Yesterday workmen were engaged in stopping up the pass- 
 age which had been made from the prison, and it may now 
 safely be relied on that no other prisoners will ever take their 
 departure from the Libby against the knowledge and consent 
 of the officers in charge. 
 
 As soon as the facts of the escape became fully known, 
 orders were received by Col. Brown commanding the cavalry 
 battallion for local defence, that a detachment of his force 
 should immediately scour the surrounding country in pursuit 
 of them, and accordingly twenty-five men from each company 
 soon started off for that purpose. Four of the prisoners who 
 succeeded in getting out were, late in the afternoon, recaptured 
 and brought back. They had gotten about 22 miles from the 
 city before they were overtaken. It is hardly probable, from 
 the steps which have been taken to prevent it, that many of 
 them will succeed in reaching the Yankee lines. 
 
 After a painstaking research two names are still lack- 
 ing to complete the list of the 109 officers who went out 
 through the tunnel February 9th, 1864. With that ex- 
 ception the names of 107 herewith appended are believed 
 to be correct. But few are living at this writing and those 
 who are known to be dead are so reported. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Adams, W. R., Capt. 89th Ohio Inft. 
 
 Bassett, M. M., Capt. 53d 111. Inft. 
 
 Bedell, M., Lieut. 123d New York Inft. 
 
 Bennett, F. I., Lieut. 18th Regulars. Dead. 
 
 Boyd, J. F., Lt.-Col. 20th A. C. 
 
 Boyd, Matthew, Capt. 23d Indiana. Dead. 
 
 Bradford, R. Y., Lieut. 2d Tenn. Cav. 
 
 Brown, S. P., Lieut. U. S. Cav. 
 
 Caldwell, D. S., Capt. 123d Ohio Inft. 
 
 Chamberlain, H. B., Capt. 97th N. Y. 
 
 Chivester, H. S., Lieut. 23d 111. Inft. 
 
 Clark, Terrance, Capt. 79th 111. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Collins, J. P., Maj. 29th Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Crawford, H. P., Lieut. 2d 111. Cav. 
 
 Cummings, T., Capt. 19th U. S. Inft. 
 
 Daily, W. K, Lieut. 8th Pa. Cav. 
 
 Davis, Geo. C., Lieut.-Col. 4th Maine Inft. 
 
 Davy, , Lieut. 77th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Day, R. H., Capt. 56th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Earle, C. W., Lieut. 96th 111. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Edmunds, P. S., Lieut. 67th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Ely, W. G., Col. 18th Conn. Inft. 
 
 Fales, Jas. M., Lieut. 1st R. I. Cav. Dead. 
 
 Fentress, W. E. H., U. S. Navy. Dead. 
 
 Fislar, John G., Lt. 7th Ind. Bat. 
 
 Fisher, B. F., Capt. 3d Pa. Inft. 
 
 Fisher, B. F., Chief Signal Corps. 
 
 Fitzsimmons, G. W., Maj. 30th Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Flamburg, David S., Capt. 4th Ind. Bat. Dead. 
 
 Foster, Eli, Capt. 30th Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Fransherry, Dan'l., Capt. 1st Mich. Cav. 
 
 Gageby, J. H., Lieut. 19th U. S. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Gallagher, Michael, Capt. 2d N. Y. Cav. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 175 
 
 Gallaher, J. R, Capt. 2d Ohio Inft. Dead. 
 
 Gamble, S. P., Lieut. 63d Pa. Inft. 
 
 Garbett, David, Lieut. 77th Pa. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Gates, T., Capt. 33d Ohio Inft. 
 
 Good, G. S., Lieut. 84th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Greble, Chas. E., Lieut. 8th Mich. Cav. Dead. 
 
 Hall, J. C., Capt. 112th 111. Inft. 
 
 Hamilton, A. G., Capt. 12th Ky. Cav. Dead. 
 
 Handy, Thos., Capt. 79th 111. Inft. 
 
 Harris, Geo., Lieut. 79th Ind. Inft. 
 
 Hatfield, J. D., Lieut. 53d 111. Inft. 
 
 Hauf, Adam, Lieut. 46th 1ST. Y. Inft. 
 
 Henry, John, Maj. 5th Ohio Cav. Dead. 
 
 Higby, E. J v Lieut. 33d Ohio Inft. 
 
 Hines, H. H., Lieut. 57th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Hobert, H. C., Lt.-Col. 21st Wis. Dead. 
 
 Hooper, J. H., Maj. loth Mass. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Irsch, Francis, Capt. 45th N. Y. Inft. 
 
 Johnson, Isaac, Engineer U. S. Navy. 
 
 Johnston, I. K, Capt. 6th Ky. 
 
 Kendrick, W. P., Col. 3d W. Tenn. Cav. Dead. 
 
 Lewis, John W., Capt. 4th Ky. Cav. 
 
 Lucas, John, Capt. 5th Ky. Inft. 
 
 McCreary, W. B., Col. 21st Mich. Inf. Dead. 
 
 McDonald, B. B., Maj. 101st Ohio Inft. Dead. 
 
 McKean, N. S., Lieut. 21st 111. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Mitzel, Alex. T. Yon, Lt-Col. 74th Pa. Inft. 
 
 Mitchell, John, Lieut. 79th 111. Inft. 
 
 Mills, D., Col. 70th Pa. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Moore, A., Lieut. 4th Ky. Cav. 
 
 Moore, M., Capt. 29th Ind. Inft. 
 
 Moran, Frank, Lieut. 73d 1ST. Y. Dead. 
 
 Morgan, C. H., Lieut. 21st Wis. 
 
176 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Phelps, I. D., Capt. 73d Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Pierce, W. B., Lieut, llth Ky. Cav. 
 
 Porter, John F., Capt. 14th N. Y. Cav. 
 
 Eandall, W. S. B., Capt. 2d Ohio Inft. Dead. 
 
 Eandolph, Wallace, Lieut. 5th U. S. Art. 
 
 Ray, T. J., Lieut. 40th Ohio Inft. 
 
 Reynolds, Wm., Lieut. 73d Ind. Inft. 
 
 Rogers, A. F;, Lt.-Col. 80th 111. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Rose, Thos. E., Col. 77th Pa. Inft. U. S. Army. Dead, 
 
 Rossman, W. C., Capt. 3d Ohio Inft. 
 
 Rose, S. C., Capt. 4th Mo. Cav. 
 
 Rowan, Chas. E., Capt. 96th 111. Inft. 
 
 Scearce, W. W., Capt. 51st Ind. Dead. 
 
 Schroeder, Edgar, Lieut. 74th Pa. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Scott, E. S., Lieut. 89th Ohio Inft. 
 
 Scudmore, G., Lieut. 80th 111. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Simpson, John D., Lieut. 10th Ind. Inf. Dead. 
 
 Small, M. R., Adj. 6th Md. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Smith, E. L., Maj. 9th U. S. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Sutherland, S. D., Lieut. 125th Ohio Inft. 
 
 Spofford, J. P., Col. 97th N. Y. Inft. 
 
 Starr, Geo. H., Capt. 104th N. Y. Inft. 
 
 Sterling, John, Lieut. 30th Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Streight, A. D., Col. 51st Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Thomas, I. W., Lieut. 2d Ohio Inft. 
 
 Tilden, Chas. W., Col. 16th Maine Inft. 
 
 Tower, Morton, Capt. 43d Mass. Vol. 
 
 Walber, Albert, Lieut. 26th Wis. Inft. 
 
 Walker, I. N., Maj. 73d Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Wallich, W., Capt. 51st Ind. Inft. Dead. 
 
 Wasson, J. H., Lieut. 40th Ohio Inft. 
 
 Watson, Wm. L., Lieut. 21st Wis. Inft. 
 
 Wells, Jas. M., Lieut. 8th Mich. Cav. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 177 
 
 West, T. S., Lt.-Col. 24th Wis. Inft. Dead. 
 White, A. B., Lieut. 4th Pa. Cav. 
 White, P. A., Lieut. 83d Pa. Inft. Dead. 
 Wilcox, Harry, Lieut. 1st N. Y. Cav. 
 Wilkins, J. E., Capt. 112th 111. Inft. 
 Williams, L. P., Lieut. 73d Ind. Inft. 
 Williams, W. A., Lieut. 123d Ohio Inft. 
 Yates, J., Capt. 3d Ohio Inft. 
 
 According to arrangements previously made the various 
 squads of the rescuing party assembled that evening at 
 Burnt Ordinary, about eighteen miles west of Williams- 
 burg, which place we reached at early dawn of the next 
 morning. Here the troops under Colonel Spear were 
 stationed for the winter. Through all the intervening 
 years the kindness and attention received in those warm 
 winter quarters of the llth Pennsylvania Cavalry has 
 been gratefully remembered, and, strange as it may ap- 
 pear, up to the day of this writing the author has never 
 met an officer or soldier of that regiment. Under this 
 genial hospitality the prisoners now for the first time 
 realized that they were absolutely safe 
 
 WITHIN THE FEDEEAL LINES. 
 
 With the great peace and calm that here came upon all a 
 reaction soon set in. The excitement and strain incident 
 to the adventures just recounted died away, and, occupying 
 a "bunk" kindly offered by an officer of the Eleventh, the 
 writer soon became unconscious in that "sleep that knits 
 up the raveled sleeve of care/' restores the shattered nerves 
 and brings back the wasted energies. 
 
 Remaining at Williamsburg two days, twenty-six pris- 
 oners who had been aided in their escape by the troops or 
 
178 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the gunboats, and all in a more or less destitute condition, 
 were conveyed in ambulances to Yorktown, a distance of 
 thirteen miles, and thence by ferry across the bay to 
 General Butler's headquarters at Fortress Monroe. 
 
 With General Butler, who was then in command of that 
 department, the welcome was most cordial and the fare 
 sumptuous. After giving our names, rank and regiment 
 to the Associated Press he instructed his Quartermaster 
 to issue clothing to the destitute prisoners, and thus re- 
 habilitated and thoroughly rested, on the following day 
 all embarked on a Government transport for Baltimore, 
 and thence by rail to Washington. On the passage the 
 twenty-six escaped prisoners assembled in the cabin as a 
 deliberative body, and Colonel H. C. Hobart was called to 
 the chair. A resolution of thankfulness to Almighty God 
 for life preserved and liberty restored; of gratitude to 
 General Butler for his active sympathy and aid, and of 
 renewed fealty to the Union and the flag, was adopted by 
 a rising vote, signed by all the prisoners and given to the 
 Associated Press. 
 
 Reporting to the authorities on reaching the capital, we 
 were surprised and not a little gratified that the news of 
 the escape had preceded us; that our visit to the city was 
 anticipated, and Government officials and friends (resi- 
 dent in Washington) from the various States to which we 
 belonged were on the lookout for our arrival. But to me 
 the greatest gratification incident to the visit in Wash- 
 ington was being personally 
 
 CONGRATULATED BY LINCOLN. 
 
 Instead of fugitives, hunted like wild beasts, seeking 
 cover in swamps and lagoons by day and traveling stealth- 
 ily like thieves by night, we found ourselves sought after 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 179 
 
 by Senators, members of Congress, and friends and stran- 
 gers as well, who greeted us with warm words of welcome 
 and congratulation. Among newspaper men, who eagerly 
 sought the prisoners on the streets and in the lobbies, there 
 was a lively competition as to who should get the first 
 interview and send in a "scoop." 
 
 The escaped prisoners were the lions of the day. After 
 having been identified by records on file at the War De- 
 partment, and drawing eight months' back pay, I donned a 
 new uniform, resplendent in gold braid, and, though com- 
 pelled by the regulations to wear the plain, unadorned 
 shoulder straps of a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry, I en- 
 joyed the proud distinction (in my own mind at least) of 
 ranking equal with those proud mortals (common in Wash- 
 ington at the time) who wore stars, whether they had 
 been fairly earned or not. Patriotic ladies, always inter- 
 ested in matters pertaining to the welfare of the soldier, 
 sought out the prisoners and frequently made them the 
 drawing card for social entertainments and "evenings 
 out." 
 
 The State of Michigan maintained an agency here, the 
 better to care for her soldiers who might become stranded 
 at the capital. Dr. and Mrs. Tunnycliff, of Jackson, filled 
 this important mission. Their special duty was to hunt up 
 the sick, wounded and disabled and provide for their wants ; 
 to aid the needy in obtaining furloughs, and to bestow other 
 cares and attentions to which the worthy were entitled 
 in short, to act the Good Samaritan generally to Michigan 
 soldiers. 
 
 Through the kindness of Mrs. Tunnycliff, more or less 
 prominent in social circles, for the few days remaining I 
 was enabled to see a little of the life of the gay capital. 
 Together we attended a reception at the White House, 
 
i8o With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 where I was introduced to Mr. Lincoln as one of the 
 escaped prisoners from Richmond. With the stirring 
 events of the war probably no citizen in private life was so 
 well informed as Mr. Lincoln. No detail that reached 
 the public, however small, escaped his attention. 
 
 Though standing in the midst of a large assembly, all 
 anxiously awaiting their turn for an introduction to the 
 President, Mr. Lincoln took my hand, and, while warmly 
 pressing it, asked a number of questions about the escape. 
 A few of the words that fell from his lips I have always 
 remembered, and have since then many times repeated. 
 Still holding my hand, he said : "You are one of the party 
 that went through the tunnel?" Receiving an affirmative 
 answer to the above, he said : "I congratulate you on your 
 escape," and at once put the following: <( What did you 
 do with the dirt?" 
 
 In view of Mr. Lincoln's exalted character, leaving be- 
 hind as he has a name honored and revered wherever the 
 love of civil and religious liberty finds lodgment in the 
 breasts of men, the memory of thus meeting one of the 
 world's most illustrious is still cherished as a noteworthy 
 event. 
 
 Young, vigorous and full of hope as I was then, con- 
 fident of ultimate success, as the Union Army was at all 
 times, there was but one shadow hanging over the pleasur- 
 able incidents of this brief sojourn in the nation's capital, 
 and that was the anxiety to reach my home in far-away 
 Michigan, where my mother but a few weeks before, after 
 a long and painful illness, had fallen into that deep sleep 
 which war's loud alarms can never awaken. A letter from 
 my sister, received while yet a prisoner, had informed me 
 of the sad event. 
 
 Calling upon Secretary Stanton, I received an order 
 

 ' 
 
 SPECIAL ORDER No. 82, WAR DEPARTMENT, GRANTING THIRTY 
 DAYS' LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO LIEUTENANT JAMES M. WELLS. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 181 
 
 direct from his hand permitting me to return to Michigan, 
 there to remain thirty days, and thence report to my regi- 
 ment in Kentucky; and, traveling on Government trans- 
 portation a few days later I reached 
 
 HOME, SWEET HOME. 
 
 A facsimile of the order received from the Secretary of 
 War will be found on another page. 
 
 On the homeward trip Colonel McCreary and myself 
 traveled together from Washington to Detroit. At Cleve- 
 land we were compelled to remain twenty-four hours await- 
 ing another train. What was called the Great Northwest- 
 ern Sanitary Fair was then in progress. It was being 
 held in an immense pavilion surrounding the Perry monu- 
 ment. In some way our names were announced at the 
 hotel as being among those of the escaped prisoners, and 
 we were waited upon by a committee (appointed for the 
 purpose) inviting us to attend the fair, and tickets of 
 admission throughout all its departments were extended. 
 
 Accepting this kind invitation, we were privileged to 
 meet a good many prominent men and women of Cleve- 
 land, and here was presented a practical demonstration of 
 what was being done at home for the comfort of the army 
 in the field. Crowds of people thronged the pavilion day 
 and evening. Booths were erected in the most attractive 
 form, where everything useful and ornamental as well was 
 offered for sale, the proceeds to go for the benefit of the 
 soldiers. The booths were presided over by the most 
 attractive and accomplished of Cleveland's fair daughters, 
 and the exhibition was kept open day and night to catch 
 the passing throng. 
 
 "How much for that flower?" inquired a gentleman of 
 a young lady at one of these booths. 
 
182 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 "Only twenty-five cents," was the smiling reply. 
 
 "Fll take it if you'll pin it on my coat." 
 
 "Certainly;" and the young lady deftly fastened it in 
 place. The purchaser handed her a greenback dollar bill. 
 
 "That's right, thank you," was the gracious response. 
 "Twenty-five cents for the flower and seventy-five cents 
 for pinning it on." 
 
 "And here is another dollar," said the gentleman. "It's 
 worth it to be swindled in that delightful manner." Then 
 he added more seriously, "We can't do too much for the 
 brave boys at the front." 
 
 There was also a large dining room attachment where 
 meals were furnished for the hungry, prepared and served 
 by young ladies in uniform, who, sacrificing ball and party, 
 were devoting their time to this patriotic work. 
 
 Presiding at the table where I chanced to be seated for 
 lunch, I was heartily surprised and greatly pleased to 
 meet Miss Lulu Carrie Wetmore, a former friend from 
 Michigan, and then an extemporized waitress for the good 
 of the common cause. Here I chanced also to meet 
 Major Coon, an army paymaster, resident in Cleveland. 
 After listening to a brief recital of the escape, and visit 
 in Washington a story that had often to be repeated 
 he asked incidentally if I had received my pay in full from 
 the Government. On replying that two months' pay had 
 been kept back, as was the custom, he said: "Come with 
 me to my office." I did as requested, and there received 
 my pay to date, as will be seen by the endorsement on 
 Special Order No. 82, elsewhere reproduced. This was 
 an unusual courtesy on the part of a paymaster. 
 
 Expecting to surprise my friends at Galesburg, Michi- 
 gan, by appearing among them unannounced, I refrained 
 from writing or sending any notification of my coming, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 183 
 
 but was more surprised than they on the arrival of the 
 train to find quite a delegation of young and old await- 
 ing at the station. Through the Associated Press they 
 had been able to keep up with the movements of the 
 escaped prisoners from the time of their first appearance 
 at General Butler's headquarters, and for the last two or 
 three days had attended every train from the East with 
 the expectation of meeting the returning soldier boy. 
 
 The cloud that had shadowed all the pleasures of the 
 homeward bound trip grew darker on nearing School- 
 craft, the village from which I entered the army, and 
 where my mother died; and, reaching home at last, find- 
 ing the blinds closed and the doors locked, the home 
 for which I had longed so much presented an air of utter 
 desolation. Although my mother had left the property 
 to me by will, it was no longer a home of mine, but 
 solace was found in the loyal welcome of the people, and a 
 temporary home with the old friends and neighbors who 
 had been kind to my mother in her last hours. 
 
 The thirty days spent among them and with the friends 
 and relatives in Galesburg, Kalamazoo and other places 
 passed like a fleeting dream, and the memory of the many 
 kind and gracious acts received at that time is con- 
 templated with infinite delight to-day. 
 
 There were no halls to be had in answer to the universal 
 demand, and the largest church was generally secured, 
 in which meetings were held in order that the people 
 might extend suitable welcome and listen to genuine 
 stories of the war coming from first hands. The church 
 choir in that period, composed mainly of old men in 
 spectacles and young women ready to substitute patriotic 
 son^s in the place of church hymns, was a prominent, if 
 not an awe-inspiring, feature of the country village. The 
 
1 84 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 music rendered by the choir added to the general interest 
 of the occasion. To house organ accompaniments they 
 sang the popular songs, such as: "When Johnny Comes 
 Marching Home/' and "Just Before the Battle, Mother/' 
 It will be an evidence of the depressing effect which 
 the war produced upon the country, and the deep sorrow 
 into which the people were plunged, to reproduce here 
 parts of a communication received from my sister while I 
 was yet a prisoner, informing me of the serious illness of 
 our mother, and the packing and sending of the box of 
 clothing and delicacies elsewhere described. This letter 
 is followed by an extract from a later one bearing the 
 more sorrowful intelligence of my mother's death, and a 
 facsimile of the envelope in which the letter was enclosed. 
 These are vivid reminders at this time of the sorrows 
 through which the people were passing, for there was not 
 a family in the whole land, throughout that trying period, 
 whose hearthstone was not in some way saddened by the 
 grim specter of the Civil War. 
 
 SCHOOLCRAFT, Wednesday Evening, Oct. 28, 1863. 
 MY DEAR BROTHER: 
 
 You do not know how relieved we were this morning when, 
 shortly after the mail arrived, Willie Scott brought a note 
 from you written in Libby Prison. We had been informed by 
 Mr. McCreary in writing to his wife, that you were a prisoner. 
 But if you are still alive and able to write, we feel truly 
 thankful. 
 
 . I have been all day canning and packing fruit 
 and other little necessaries for your comfort and sustenance, 
 and hope in my heart you will receive them. Willie has been 
 very kind indeed and has taken the responsibility and trouble 
 
 of packing and sending your box Henrietta 
 
 Fisher made your sponge cake. Julia Pearly and Ella Under- 
 wood hemmed your handkerchiefs. Maria was in this morn- 
 ing and made the biscuit for you. We cut them open and dry 
 them to keep from moulding. I made the butter, the first I 
 

' j 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 185 
 
 ever made in my life Miss Sophronia Fisher 
 
 sent the apples 
 
 I have written you several long letters giving you an ac- 
 count of mother's sickness ; but for fear you have not received 
 my letters I will say: She has been very ill for a long time 
 and the physicians have little or no hope for her final re- 
 covery 
 
 She sits up a part of the time and walks around from one 
 room to another, but she is very feeble and emaciated. She 
 talks of you a great deal and wants to see you very much. I 
 hope you will be able to obtain a leave of absence and come 
 home, as I think it very doubtful if she is ever any better. 
 
 Henry and Aimer are at Knoxville. They were in a terrible 
 battle on the 25th of October. May the God of battles protect 
 
 them 
 
 (Signed) Your loving sister, 
 
 STATIRA BARE WELLS. 
 
 Sabbath Afternoon, GALESBURG, Dec. 27, 1863. 
 MY DEAR BROTHER: 
 
 I wrote you a letter two weeks ago to-day, bearing the in- 
 telligence of our dear mother's death, and sent it by express in 
 a large box of things put up for your sustenance and comfort. 
 But fearing you may not receive it, I take the first oppor- 
 tunity to express to you the sorrow of my heart, and the sad- 
 ness that her seemingly sudden death has cast upon every- 
 thing. She died the tenth of this month. She was sensible to 
 the very last moment, and when she could no longer speak, she 
 would press our hands in answer to our questions. She talked 
 to me much of death and was very much reconciled and happy. 
 Said her great desire was to see her dear boys once more. Told 
 me but a few minutes before she died to tell you and Henry 
 she wished to see your good faces again. Her last words to 
 me were, "Don't cry, my child. Let me go in peace. I am 
 happy." .... 
 
 The following letter, bearing a later date, was received 
 from my sister while in the Workhouse Prison, Charleston, 
 South Carolina. It bears date Galesburg, August, 1864. 
 
 MY DEAR BROTHER: 
 
 I received yours dated from Charleston yesterday, and have 
 prepared your valise with the greatest possible speed. 
 
i86 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 It was indeed a great relief to me to know that you were 
 not killed in that terrible raid. The suffering I have endured 
 during these long days of suspense God alone knows, and 
 when Delia and I went to the office yesterday, almost dis- 
 heartened and completely discouraged, with little assurance 
 and no hope of a word from you, and the P. M. handed me 
 your letter, I exclaimed, "He is alive, for that is his hand- 
 writing;" but I knew at once that you were a prisoner. This 
 seems hard for you and sad for us all, but let us hope it is for 
 the best. Perhaps it is for the saving of your life. You have 
 lived through it all so far and I firmly believe you will be 
 spared to return to us once more. 
 
 This is our morning, evening and continued prayer. If you 
 could have heard Uncle pray for you this morning, you would 
 have thought such a petition coming from such an honest, faith- 
 ful heart, could not have been unheeded by the Mighty Ruler 
 of Destinies , 
 
 It has been said the love which the mother bears her 
 child is the sublimest emotion of which the human heart 
 is capable, but there is another passion that surpasses 
 this and before which every other emotion vanishes like 
 mist under the rays of the noonday sun, and that is the 
 love which the loyal American mother bears for her 
 country and its flag. On this sacred shrine she stands 
 ready if the supreme moment should come, though her 
 heart-strings be rent asunder thereby, to sacrifice child 
 and all else but honor, dear to her on earth. History, 
 ancient and modern, furnishes many individual instances 
 of this characteristic in woman, but it has been left to the 
 mothers of America universally to exemplify it. In all 
 our national struggles since the first gun at Concord that 
 shot which was heard around the world down through 
 the dark days of the Civil War, American women, North 
 and South, have stood at the foot of the cross, ready to 
 offer up the last full measure of devotion. 
 
 Owing to the liberality of our institutions and the 
 veneration in which women are held in this young Repub- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 187 
 
 lie, the love they bear for the flag which has ever been 
 their shield is more deeply rooted than that found among 
 the women of foreign lands. Considering the sacrifices 
 they have made, and while reflecting upon past events, it 
 has been thought that the soldier of the Civil War arro- 
 gates to himself too much credit for having saved the flag 
 from desecration and the States from dissolution; and 
 too little credit has been given to the mothers, wives and 
 daughters left weeping at home. That their services are 
 sometimes overlooked in the glamour with which the 
 soldier has surrounded himself, there is no question of 
 doubt. Whether sick in hospitals, wounded on the field 
 of battle, or languishing half starved in prison pens, the 
 first articles brought into requisition for the soldier's re- 
 lief came through the loving hands of loyal women, whose 
 magic touch charmed back into health and strength the 
 sick and dying; whose patriotic appeals fanned into flame 
 the last smouldering spark of patriotism in the breasts of 
 the faint-hearted and doubting; and whose sympathetic 
 tears were mingled with every drop of blood shed for the 
 Nation's honor. Without the inspiration found in their 
 self-sacrificing devotion, how desolate would have been 
 to most of us the four long years of war a love and 
 devotion cradled in patriotism as it was, amidst the fiercest 
 storm that ever raged around the altar of liberty and 
 human hopes! 
 
 It is largely through the constancy of the Women's 
 Relief Corps, Grand Army of the Republic, and the co- 
 operation of loyal and patriotic women throughout the 
 land, that the heroic deeds of the Union soldiers and the 
 hallowed memories of the Civil War are being perpetuated 
 and handed down to-day. 
 
 But a soldier's duty cannot wait on his pleasure. The 
 
1 88 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 leave of absence having expired, reluctantly I bade good- 
 bye to friends and kindred, and, hurrying to the front, 
 reached my regiment at Nicholasville, Kentucky, and 
 there reported again for duty. 
 
 The details of the escape and the names of those partic- 
 ipating (through the press and otherwise) had been 
 called meantime to the notice of the Honorable Austin 
 Blair, Michigan's war Governor, who, deeming the matter 
 of sufficient importance, advanced me two numbers in 
 rank; and I had no sooner reached the regiment than a 
 full Captain's commission came direct from the Governor's 
 hand. 
 
 In the intervening days of inactivity in Kentucky, our 
 officers mingled freely with the people, and were often 
 invited to their homes, where an open and generous 
 hospitality was to be found, and this without regard to 
 the prejudices many of them entertained favorable to the 
 Southern cause. It, however, could scarcely have been 
 otherwise, as their families were often divided on the vital 
 questions of the war; son against father and father against 
 son. But, as before stated, there was in Kentucky a strong 
 and unswerving sentiment favorable to the Union. The 
 Scotts, Christmans, McDonalds and Youngs were among 
 the families residing near Nicholasville and Lexington 
 gratefully remembered, and whose names are recalled. 
 
 I was for a time on the staff of Colonel Horace Capron 
 of the 14th Illinois Cavalry, who commanded a brigade 
 then stationed at Nicholasville. Before entering the 
 army, Colonel Capron was a model farmer and stock raiser 
 of Peoria, Illinois. The celebrated community of 
 Shakers was located a few miles distant from our head- 
 quarters, and, recognizing Colonel Capron as an authority 
 on all matters pertaining to model farming, the Shakers 
 

 CAPTAIX JAMES M. WELLS, AT THE AGE OF TWEXTY-FIVE. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 189 
 
 invited him to pay their village a visit, take dinner with 
 them and spend the day. 
 
 Accordingly, one fine morning in June, Colonel and 
 Mrs. Capron, Miss Bessie Young, and myself started out 
 in an ambulance for the Shaker settlement. The drive 
 itself, through one of the most picturesque districts of 
 the Bluegrass region, was a constant delight, and on ar- 
 riving at the village we were impressed with the neatness 
 and order that everywhere prevailed; everything being 
 conducted on the cooperative plan; the kitchen, dining 
 room, store and storerooms being common property, 
 though supervised and conducted by one master spirit. 
 The details of that management they did not dwell upon 
 for our information. We spent the entire day in looking 
 over the place, viewing the stock, and in the discussion of 
 an elegant dinner especially provided for the occasion. 
 
 The beauties of this pastoral life, the peace and 
 quietude that everywhere prevailed, coupled with the calm 
 dignity with which each and every person within the in- 
 fluence of this charmed circle appeared to be controlled, 
 was in striking contrast to the scenes of blood and carnage 
 in the midst of which the little community maintained 
 the even and unruffled tenor of its way. 
 
 Colonel Capron was past sixty years of age and very 
 gray, but erect in bearing and punctilious in his dress and 
 personal appearance. He was in the habit of shaving 
 every day; and sometimes, with the enemy in front, this 
 proved an awkward undertaking. But it is said the ruling 
 passion is strong even in death. I remember once seeing 
 him on the skirmish line standing behind a tree scarcely 
 large enough to cover his body, with his little hand glass 
 and shaving tackle suspended from a knot ready for use. 
 He was about beginning the regular tonsorial evolutions, 
 
190 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 in "one time and three motions," when a shot from the 
 enemy imbedded itself in the opposite side of the tree, 
 causing the hark to fly all around. But the Colonel, tena- 
 cious in holding his regular "turn," came out without a 
 "scratch" and with a "close shave." 
 
 In the following chapter will be recounted the story of 
 the final recovery of the 
 
 WATCH AND CHAIN. 
 
 Early in June our cavalry, then under General Stone- 
 man, took up the march through the Cumberland Mount- 
 ains to join General Sherman on the Atlanta campaign. 
 Twice before our regiment had covered nearly the same 
 ground, and many scenes of former marches and adven- 
 tures incident thereto, coming to mind, that of my 
 capture and loss of watch and money were recalled. The 
 route again led by way of Kingston, about forty miles 
 from the hamlet of Mouse Creek, where the unlucky event 
 took place. As we drew near, curiosity to revisit the 
 ladies of the house, and from them learn what occurred 
 there after my unceremonious departure, grew upon me 
 apace. So obtaining leave of absence for two days, taking 
 Lyman Parsons, a comrade, with me (it was risky in that 
 country for one wearing the uniform to be found far from 
 his command alone), and as rapidly as possible proceeding 
 on the journey, I reached Mouse Creek the same evening. 
 
 The ladies were found as anticipated, where I had left 
 them, remembering and recognizing me at once. The 
 meeting was one of more than ordinary interest to both. 
 They listened to the story of my adventures since leaving 
 their premises under guard in the dead hours of the night 
 ten months before with apparent deep concern, and when 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 191 
 
 done they told me something of the stirring scenes through 
 which, as loyal women, they had been called upon to pass 
 since the beginning of the war. Coming down to the time 
 our brief acquaintance began and ended so uncere- 
 moniously, they gave a detailed account of what transpired 
 thereafter very nearly as follows : 
 
 The morning after the capture two or three Confederate 
 soldiers coming in from camp told the ladies I had de- 
 posited money there while a guest of the house the night 
 before, and that they must give it up. The lady upon 
 whom this demand was made was not the one who had 
 accepted the watch and money, and she stoutly denied 
 having received anything from me. Upon this the soldiers 
 became demonstrative and finally threatened to burn the 
 house unless money from some source was forthcoming. 
 Alarmed for her own safety, as well as that of their home, 
 she then went to the sister who had received both the watch 
 and money, telling her that possibly I had disclosed the 
 fact of having left money there, and under such circum- 
 stances it would be better to give it up. To this sugges- 
 tion they yielded; but, strangely enough, not a word was 
 said about a watch or any other valuables, and after taking 
 the money the soldiers went away without further parley. 
 The watch and gold chain, however, remained in the undis- 
 puted possession of the one to whom they had been en- 
 trusted. 
 
 During the months that had intervened from the day 
 of my capture up to the time of which I now write these 
 good women knew nothing of the fate that had befallen 
 me, and often in conversing of the matter they wondered 
 if I were still among the living. But time passed on and 
 the campaign of East Tennessee was being waged fast and 
 furious, when one day a Union regiment went into camp 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 near Mouse Creek, and shortly thereafter an officer wear- 
 ing the straps of a captain of infantry came to the house 
 and asked the ladies, if they could furnish a supper for a 
 number of men. The ladies were in some way attracted 
 by the appearance of this stranger, and the first impression 
 was that they had known or seen him before. A conver- 
 sation in a general way arose, during which they came to 
 the conclusion the strange officer bore a striking resem- 
 blance to the one whose watch and chain they had in their 
 possession. After explaining this circumstance they re- 
 lated the story of my capture. Whereupon, bringing out 
 the watch, they were not a little surprised when the officer, 
 recognizing it at once by the initials on the case, gave them 
 my name as having been its owner, and then told them he 
 was my brother (Captain John H. Wells, 25th Michigan 
 Infantry). With all this cumulation of evidence he had 
 little trouble thereafter in convincing the ladies of the 
 truthfulness of this claim. 
 
 Having related the above facts, one of them, after going 
 into another room, brought me, not my watch and chain, 
 but instead my brother's receipt therefor in a handwriting 
 as readily recognized by me as my watch was by him. 
 
 Explanations satisfactory to all having thus been made, 
 the ladies, doubtless still fearing I might distrust their sin- 
 cerity with regard to the final disposition of the money 
 entrusted to them, insisted upon refunding the entire 
 amount. But the offer was refused, and one of the greatest 
 pleasures connected with this writing is to record here the 
 evidence of their loyalty and fidelity. 
 
 The following morning, reluctantly bidding these dear 
 friends good-bye, I hastened to rejoin the regiment. On 
 this lonely ride there was ample time to reflect upon the 
 events of the past, and to speculate upon the future, quite 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 193 
 
 an uncertain proposition at that time for all those engaged 
 actively in the great Civil War. I thought often of a 
 brother, then at the front with Sherman in Georgia, whom 
 I had seen but once (and that briefly while on the march) 
 since some time in the fall of 1862. He was nine years 
 my senior and had been both father and brother to me. 
 Our mother had died, as stated elsewhere, while the brother 
 was shut up with the Union troops in the desperate defense 
 of Knoxville and I was held a prisoner at Eichmond, Vir- 
 ginia. The knowledge of these facts hastened the death 
 of my mother, as will appear from reading my sister's let- 
 ters quoted in another chapter. 
 
 But the ground to be covered by Sherman's advance into 
 the heart of Georgia is already reached, and we are plunged 
 at once into the vortex of 
 
 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN". 
 
 A great military leader has said the cavalry are the eyes 
 and ears of the army, and our duty at this time is mainly 
 in the advance and on the outlying flanks. The cavalry 
 are the first to see and hear. And while they are the 
 first to pick up anything there is lying around good to eat, 
 they are also likely to receive the opening shot from the 
 enemy. 
 
 There was a large band of raiders in the Ellrjay Mount- 
 ains that had committed a good many depredations on 
 our trains and foraging parties, and the 8th Cavalry was 
 sent to dislodge or capture them. They were located in a 
 veritable stronghold on the borders of a little lake situated 
 in a narrow pass leading over and through a spur of the 
 mountains. From this stronghold, easily watched and 
 guarded from either side, they were in the habit of swoop- 
 
194 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ing down into the valleys, destroying property and making 
 valuable captures. 
 
 Arriving on the ground just at daylight after an all- 
 night march, we left a guard at one of the passes, while 
 another detachment undertook to reach the outlet on the 
 opposite side by following a blind trail through the mount- 
 ains, and in this way cut off all retreat and force them to 
 fight or surrender. 
 
 The trip proved an interesting one. The trail was rough 
 and precipitous, and we were often compelled to dismount 
 and lead by file. The summit was reached just at sunrise, 
 when a magnificent view of the surrounding country 
 opened up before us. Green meadows and pasture lands 
 stretched away in the distance, and, running through the 
 valley, little streams of water, whose banks were lined 
 with spreading oaks, could be seen glistening in the sun. 
 In contemplating this view the impression prevailed among 
 the men that on reaching the summit there would be found 
 a people, in character at least, if not in form and feature, 
 more or less influenced by these poetic surroundings. But 
 this imaginary race of fairies was enjoyed more in the 
 anticipation than in the realization, as future develop- 
 ments will disclose. 
 
 There was no public highway leading to this looked-for 
 Eden, only a trail, and on reaching the settlement the 
 houses were found to be of the most primitive character, 
 generally constructed of logs and roofed over with bark, 
 having heavy poles laid across to hold the roof in place. 
 A wooden latch with a leather string attached, hanging on 
 the outside, constituted the only fastening for the door. 
 
 In the front yard of the first house reached three or 
 four raccoons and a young black bear played together like 
 a cat and kittens, and on the gable end of the house were 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 195 
 
 a number of skins of wild animals, stretched, drying in 
 the sun. The bear, on seeing so many mounted men and 
 hearing the sound of clanking sabers, stood upon his hind 
 feet and looked on in apparent astonishment at the "pass- 
 ing regiment." There was a white spot in his breast, 
 affording an excellent mark for a carbine or a pistol shot, 
 and it required constant watchfulness and precaution on 
 the part of the officers to prevent the men from taking a 
 shot at that spot. In a conversation with the lady of the 
 house the fact was disclosed that she was "horned and 
 raised thare," that she was "nigh on to fort/' years old, 
 and had never seen a wagon. She knew there was a war 
 in progress and that some of her male relatives were 
 engaged in it, but upon which side she was not so sure. 
 When the officer with whom this interesting colloquy was 
 held lifted his hat to say good-bye, the lady called out: 
 "Look a-here, mister, can't ye give us a chaw of terbacker ?" 
 
 The pass where we expected to intercept the enemy and 
 cut off his retreat was finally reached, but, to our great 
 disappointment, the bird had flown. A heavy shower of 
 rain had fallen an hour or two before, and since that time 
 they had taken flight, as their fresh tracks were plainly 
 visible in the road. 
 
 At this time we are operating on the left wing of Sher- 
 man's army, now about to make the unfortunate assault 
 upon Kenesaw Mountain, June 10th. For this point 
 Stoneman's cavalry is headed and we are fifteen miles 
 distant when the first attack upon Kenesaw is made. The 
 low, rumbling sound of artillery is plainly heard at that 
 distance, and louder and louder as we draw near, like the 
 sound of an approaching thunderstorm. It is not difficult 
 in the imagination to picture the conflict as it rages, for 
 there is no music of a military character so inspiring as 
 
196 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the sound of distant cannonading. As the light that 
 attracts the moth and lures him to his death, so is the 
 sound of artillery to the true soldier, when it is known 
 a battle is on. The brass band, the bugle and the fife and 
 drum have their uses in time of war, and by their inspiring 
 notes men are often led in forlorn hopes to do gallant 
 deeds, but there is a grandeur in the roar of artillery, when 
 the earth trembles and the air is rent, that transposes the 
 coward into a hero and leads the timid up to the "imminent 
 deadly breach." 
 
 Marching to within plain view of the conflict now raging 
 on Kenesaw Mountain, our command is halted and held 
 in reserve, and from this point we watch the progress of 
 the battle throughout the day and into the night. Union 
 soldiers in their dust-stained uniforms, with musket in 
 hand, recognizable only by the starry banners they bear 
 aloft, are still advancing over the rough ground in broken 
 lines, clambering over rocks and ledges difficult of ascent. 
 Line officers with sword in hand are seen endeavoring to 
 keep an alignment, and at the same time urging the men 
 forward, amidst a shower of bullets from the enemy's 
 skirmishers secreted behind fallen timbers and boulders 
 just above, while solid shot, shell and canister from a half 
 hundred big guns behind heavy works planted along the 
 mountain's brow are plowing into their ranks, cutting 
 brave men down by scores and hundreds. Down through 
 the brush and over the rocky slopes men with stretchers 
 are carrying the wounded to the rear the dead no longer 
 need attention. 
 
 First from the right and again on the left and center 
 assault after assault is made, but the enemy's position is 
 impregnable, every approach is guarded and every assault 
 repulsed with terrible slaughter to the Union troops. As 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 197 
 
 night comes on, from the sides and apex of the mountain 
 fire and smoke belch forth with detonating sound like the 
 eruption of a volcano, but hundreds of brave men lying 
 among the rocks below no longer hear the "deep thunder, 
 peal on peal afar/' 
 
 A field hospital is established near by, and to one who 
 must stand and look on without lending a helping hand 
 the sight is appalling and cannot well be described. One 
 thousand three hundred and seventy are already dead and 
 beyond the help of the surgeon's knife ; but, alas ! the six 
 thousand five hundred wounded are here, and may God 
 help them in the struggle yet to come. 
 
 From the middle of June to the latter part of July in 
 this campaign the ground was stubbornly contested, and 
 an enemy lurked behind every stump and bush as we 
 worked along the banks of 
 
 THE CHATTAHOOCHEE. 
 
 Every day and every night for thirty days and nights 
 in succession, while on the Nickajack and other small 
 branches of this river, our cavalry was in the saddle and 
 under fire. The weather was extremely hot, and in many 
 places the ground low and swampy. The army everywhere 
 was scantily fed and no opportunity given for cleanliness 
 or a change of clothing; no time could be taken to muster 
 for pay, and money was as scarce as soap. 
 
 Dismounting one day for water and rest, the men sought 
 the shelter of the surrounding bushes for protection from 
 the burning sun. The mouths of our canteens, from fre- 
 quent use, had become salty in taste, and a little greasy; 
 enough so at least to make them attractive for flies, and 
 the nozzle of a canteen when set aside in the shade would 
 be covered with fly-blows in twenty minutes' time. 
 
198 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 One day Sergeant Homer Manvel of Company F was 
 sitting on the ground under a bush with his long legs 
 curled up under him tailor-fashion, bareheaded, and with 
 no clothing on but a shirt and a pair of trousers. While 
 stooped forward and ruminating upon the pleasure of the 
 hour a lizard popped up over his back and perching on 
 his right shoulder peered inquiringly into the Sergeant's 
 face. Whereupon Manvel raised his left hand slowly and 
 cautiously as if to make sure of his aim, and struck 
 viciously at the intruder. But, like a flash, the lizard 
 dodged and instantly appeared on the opposite shoulder. 
 After the second attempt to strike was made the lizard 
 jumped off and disappeared in the brush. Upon this 
 Manvel drawled out in a half sour and half humorous vein 
 the following: "You may talk as much as you like about 
 the beauties of the 'Sunny South/ but for my part I've 
 got about enough of it. Give me the State of Ohio for 
 the balance of my soldiering, if you please." 
 
 Whenever the Chattahoochee Eiver was approached 
 within rifle range, there was almost certain to come a shot 
 from the enemy. One night when below on the extreme 
 right a company of fifty men was ordered to establish a 
 courier line with the main army on the river, twenty miles 
 above. The road to be followed was supposed to run 
 parallel with the stream. The night was dark and the 
 country roads were rough and heavily wooded. The 
 orders were not to fire upon an enemy unless compelled 
 to do so in self-defense. 
 
 Courier lines are established in this way: First ad- 
 vancing a distance of about five miles, or to some desig- 
 nated point on the route to be covered, a halt is made and 
 a post established consisting of three or five men with a 
 non-commissioned officer in command. From this point 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 199 
 
 a courier is started back with whatever there may be to 
 report. Then moving on, regularly every five or six 
 miles thereafter, posts are established and couriers sent 
 back. When the entire distance is covered and the end 
 of the route is reached you have a courier line carrying 
 news or orders from one part of the army to another 
 every two hours or every four hours, as may be required. 
 This kind of service in late years is carried on by use of 
 telegraph or telephone lines. 
 
 On the night in question, not knowing the country or 
 the roads, and having no guide, we often ran close to the 
 river, and as often the enemy took a pop shot at us. One 
 of these shots raked the pommel of my saddle and a man 
 and horse were wounded. 
 
 When the distance was half covered (some time before 
 daylight) we reached a ford and a cotton gin on the 
 banks of the river. The instructions were to remain here 
 with a detachment of twenty men, having the cotton gin 
 for a cover, and to hold the crossing until relieved. From 
 this point the balance of the command went forward to 
 complete the line. 
 
 We lay down in the gin and it was broad daylight when 
 I awoke to discover we were in plain view of the opposite 
 banks, on which was an encampment of rebel soldiers, not 
 more than 150 yards distant. Just as I stepped outside 
 three or four of the enemy arose and started for the river, 
 but a few paces from their camp, to take a morning 
 plunge. By this time a number of our men were up. On 
 discovering us the Johnnies called out, "Hello there, 
 Yank! Are you fellows going to shoot?" "Not so long 
 as you do not interfere with us," was the reply. "Well, 
 we-uns don't shoot unless you-uns do," came back the 
 response. Everybody being satisfied with this assurance, 
 
2OO 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 a few minutes later, both commands (some twenty or 
 thirty men on a side) were in the water bathing and ex- 
 changing jokes and pleasantries. Some of the more ven- 
 turesome waded out midway of the stream and there met, 
 exchanging coffee for tobacco, and vice versa. At 12 
 o'clock that day we were ordered away, and the good-bye 
 salutations with our friends, the enemy on the opposite 
 side, were cordial and altogether friendly. 
 
 One morning, while trying to force a crossing of the 
 Chattahoochee, I was ordered to take the advance with 
 two companies, and drive in the enemy's skirmishers. In 
 pressing forward a heavy fire was encountered, when the 
 command was dismounted and on foot charged up through 
 a girdling where the dead timber was still standing. The 
 enemy were hidden in a thicket behind the fence on the 
 farther side of the field. As we advanced they opened a 
 galling fire, forcing us to the trees for shelter. The fusil- 
 lade was kept up, and the tree that fell to my lot was 
 inadequate to cover me; while John Blossom (a boy of 
 seventeen) reached a tree of ample proportions, not more 
 than ten feet distant. One bullet had already struck my 
 coat sleeve and another glancing off the tree caused the 
 splinters to fly, when Blossom, noticing the danger, said: 
 "Captain, you had better come here and let me go there. 
 This tree will give you a better cover, and that one is 
 big enough for me." About this time reinforcements 
 came up, and together we made a charge and cleared the 
 field, and the next serious event we have to record is the 
 running into 
 
 A MASKED BATTERY. 
 
 Going into a camp the following afternoon about 4 
 o'clock, I was ordered out with a large party to secure 
 forage close to the Chattahoochee. We carried no arms 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 201 
 
 but pistols, and ropes to tie up the grain in bundles con- 
 venient for carrying on horseback. The orders were to 
 proceed to a certain road or crossing of roads, and there 
 halt and deploy skirmishers, and in this manner advance 
 on foot to a field supposed to be a short distance beyond. 
 We reached the place designated, and about twenty men 
 were already advancing as skirmishers. The balance of 
 the command, not yet dismounted, were in the middle of 
 the road in column of fours. On the right was open pine 
 timber ^close at hand, and on the left a plowed field ex- 
 tending some distance in the direction of the river. I 
 knew the Chattahoochee was not far away, and was ap- 
 prehensive of danger, but orders must be carried out. 
 
 At this moment, boom! boom! came a couple of shots 
 from a battery not more than a quarter of a mile dis- 
 tant. They were solid shots and went into the plowed 
 ground a few feet from the center of the column, shower- 
 ing men and horses with dirt and gravel. Every man to the 
 rear of where the shots struck immediately wheeled and 
 ran for shelter. The balance were held long enough to 
 receive a command; when bang! bang! came two more shots. 
 These passed just over our heads and went through the 
 tree-tops a little beyond. The gunners were evidently get- 
 ting the range on us, and had we remained longer, the 
 third shot doubtless would have proved the "charm." 
 Falling limbs cut from the tree-tops overhead struck 
 among men and horses, causing the ranks to break, and 
 as the battery was masked and on the opposite side of the 
 river, the only sensible thing to do was to get out of range 
 as soon as possible. With this the command was given, 
 "Fours right about!" and, galloping to the rear, we were 
 soon out of reach of the battery. They fired several more 
 shots, but no serious damage was done. 
 
2O2 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Meantime, the men who first stampeded had gone pell- 
 mell into camp and reported the column cut to pieces by 
 a masked battery. While returning in good order we met 
 an ambulance and surgeons with an escort coming out to 
 gather up the dead and wounded. This proved an occa- 
 sion for a pretty good joke on the foraging party, and the 
 boys who remained in camp wanted to know how we all 
 liked "foraging." 
 
 Through the sultry summer months Sherman's slow but 
 resistless march was unimpeded. Kesace, Kenesaw and 
 Allatoona had received their baptism of fire, and the 
 Union army at last across the Chattahoochee is thun- 
 dering 
 
 AT THE GATES OF ATLANTA. 
 
 After Hood's sortie and defeat on the 22d of July there 
 was a cessation of hostilities. The losses sustained by the 
 Confederates in this engagement were much greater than 
 those of the Federals at Kenesaw Mountain, to wit : Killed, 
 2,482; wounded, 4,000; missing, 2.017, the Federal loss 
 being 500 killed, 2,141 wounded and 1,000 missing. It is 
 not surprising that after the prolonged marches and aggre- 
 gate losses of the campaign up to that time it did not 
 require a formal truce for both armies to settle down for 
 a little rest and recuperation. 
 
 During this lull Stoneman was ordered to report with 
 his command at Decatur, on the left wing, seven miles 
 to the northeast from Atlanta. The march from the right 
 to the left was made just in the rear of the army now 
 hovering around the doomed city in the shape of a crescent 
 or quarter circle for a distance of twenty-four miles. 
 While making this move in the night an ambulance train 
 was encountered carrying the wounded to the rear from 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 203 
 
 the battle of the 22 d. It was at the crossing of a creek 
 having steep banks and a rough and stony bottom. We 
 were compelled to stand by the roadside while seventy-five 
 ambulances with wounded men passed over. The condi- 
 tion of the ground shook the ambulances, rolling and 
 wrenching the men so as to open afresh their wounds, and 
 the prayers, groans and curses caused by this rough hand- 
 ling were distressing to hear. For two long hours we sat 
 there in the gloomy night, waiting for this procession to 
 pass. 
 
 But somewhere in this great army, if still alive, was my 
 brother, and while making this change in the field of 
 operations it occurred to me that now, if ever, was the 
 time to find him. So, gaining permission to leave my 
 command for a day, mounted on a good horse, early on 
 the following morning I started out. 
 
 Sherman's army of seasoned veterans, one hundred 
 thousand strong, with every gun primed and every bayonet 
 fixed, now lay crouching like a wild beast ready for a 
 deadly spring in front of Atlanta. The hunt for a single 
 man in this vast host was undertaken with as little hope 
 of success as the exploration of the haystack for the pro- 
 verbial needle. Had I been a spy, however, in the service 
 of the enemy I could have carried away with me that day 
 information as valuable to the Confederacy as the price 
 offered for a horse by Eichard the Third on Bosworth 
 Field. By corps ; brigades, divisions and batteries I in- 
 spected the troops, counted the various guns and noted 
 their positions. But it was not until 4 o'clock in the 
 afternoon that I succeeded in locating the 25th Michigan 
 Infantry, First Brigade, Second Division, 23d Army Corps 
 (if my memory serves me right), there hoping to find my 
 brother. 
 
204 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Hiding up to the front, in plain view of the city and 
 the rehel works, I soon discovered a battery of brass pieces 
 mounted in barbette and glistening in the sun. Toward 
 them my horse was headed, but just then crash went a 
 shell from the enemy through the pine treetops, and I 
 deemed it only a matter of good judgment to dismount, 
 tie my horse and find my way for the remainder of the 
 journey on foot. Coming close to the battery, I could see 
 no signs of life anywhere, and wondered if the troops were 
 all asleep, dead or had abandoned the guns to their fate. 
 When but a few paces from the breastworks I came upon 
 a freshly dug pit about eight feet square and six feet deep. 
 Nerving myself for the worst, I advanced, expecting to find 
 the bottom of the pit covered with dead men, and possibly 
 among them the object of my search. But, greatly to my 
 relief, I found the brother, in company with three other 
 officers, engaged in a social game of euchre. After the 
 warm greetings which such a meeting might be expected 
 to call forth, he took from his pocket the watch and chain 
 which has been for so long a time an object of more or less 
 concern. 
 
 The fortunes of war were such, however, that my stay 
 here could be but short, as the regiment was already under 
 orders to be prepared at 3 o'clock the next morning, with 
 only picked men and horses of the command, each carrying 
 three days' rations and 100 rounds of ammunition, to enter 
 upon a hazardous raid into the heart of the enemy's 
 country. Desperate fighting was liable to begin where we 
 stood at any moment, and under these circumstances we 
 could find very little with which to cheer and congratulate 
 each other on the prospect of the future. It was agreed 
 upon, however, that should one come through the war in 
 safety and the other be killed, it should be incumbent upon 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 205 
 
 the survivor to see the remains taken from the soil of the 
 then inhospitable South and decently buried in the old 
 family grounds. While this agreement was eminently satis- 
 factory, it was not entered upon with that degree of hearti- 
 ness and good cheer that might be expected ordinarily 
 between two brothers closing amicably for all time so im- 
 portant a family matter. 
 
 Before leaving, however, being a cavalryman, I had a 
 curiosity to inspect the field pieces, look over the works a 
 little, and, with my brother to explain, find out just how 
 the infantry "did it." Accordingly, coming up from the 
 shelter of the pit we had been up to this time occupying, 
 we walked along behind the earthworks until, coming to 
 the battery, I sprang upon the parquette, and, looking 
 over the field to the front, could see our own and the 
 enemy's pickets and sharpshooters but a short distance 
 apart, lying between the opposing lines, looking innocent 
 and harmless enough, as they lounged on stumps and fallen 
 timbers in their shirtsleeves, apparently paying no atten- 
 tion to each other whatever. But on stooping forward to 
 look into the muzzle of one of the guns, zip ! went a bullet 
 close to my ear, when my brother, with a good deal of 
 earnestness in his voice, said, ff You had better come down 
 from there, you will draw the enemy's fire." Having no 
 desire to draw anybody's fire, and my curiosity being en- 
 tirely satisfied, I took his advice and "came" down with- 
 out unnecessary delay. This done, there seemed little left 
 for us but to say good-bye, and my brother's last words to 
 me as I struck out for camp were : "Look out, my boy, 
 or you will lose that watch again." 
 
 Promptly at 3 o'clock the next morning Stoneman's 
 cavalry started on the memorable raid undertaken in part 
 for the release of the Federal prisoners at 
 
206 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 MACON AND AKDEKSONTILLE. 
 
 Demonstrations by the cavalry elsewhere were made in 
 concert with this movement to draw the attention of the 
 enemy, and thus enable Stoneman to pass through the lines 
 to the rear of Atlanta without bringing on a general 
 engagement. This part of the program was successful, 
 but Generals Girrard and McCook, each in command of a 
 division on the right, who were to have moved simul- 
 taneously with Stoneman and join him at Lovejoy's Station 
 on the Macon Eoad, meeting with reverses were compelled 
 to turn back, and the junction with Stoneman was never 
 formed, so the latter, with only 1,700 men and two pieces 
 of light artillery, was left to work out his salvation alone 
 in the heart of the enemy's country, having the whole Con- 
 federate Army under Hood between him and the Federal 
 lines. The command under Stoneman consisted of Com- 
 pany D, 7th Ohio Infantry (escort to the General; 14th 
 Illinois, 8th Michigan, 5th Indiana, 24th Indiana Battery 
 (one section), McLaughlin's Squadron Ohio Cavalry and 
 the 5th and llth Kentucky Cavalry. Stoneman ranked 
 as Major-General and had been assigned to the command 
 of all the cavalry cooperating in this movement. 
 
 At the appointed rendezvous, however, a halt was made 
 for several hours, in anticipation of receiving some intelli- 
 gence from the delinquent commands, and scouting parties 
 were sent out to that end. While thus in waiting two or 
 three officers called at a farmhouse near by and asked the 
 lady if she would be -kind enough to provide them a dinner, 
 informing her at the same time she would be liberally paid 
 for the accommodation. She readily consented, and in a 
 short time an abundant and wholesome meal was prepared. 
 While at the table a general conversation was carried on 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 207 
 
 between the officers and the lady of the house, who seemed 
 to be alone. In the course of the meal it was in some way 
 revealed to her that we were on our way to Macon and 
 Andersonville for the purpose of capturing those places 
 and releasing the Federal prisoners there confined. 
 Whereupon the lady disclosed the fact that her husband 
 was in the Confederate Army, and then doing duty as a 
 guard at a prison in Macon, and "Oh! gentlemen," she 
 said, "when you capture my husband, for God's sake be 
 merciful and treat him kindly," and then she gave us his 
 name and regiment. She was assured in all sincerity that 
 her request would meet with consideration at our hands, 
 but some one of the party was thoughtful enough to remind 
 her of the old recipe for cooking a fish, viz. : to catch the 
 fish first; and, as events transpired a few days thereafter, 
 it would have been better for us, perhaps, had the terms 
 been reversed and her husband obligated in some way to 
 be "merciful," and treat us kindly when captured, for 
 within fifteen days from that time he must have been 
 holding a bayonet over our heads, as we were all prisoners 
 of war and securely lodged in Macon. 
 
 Disappointed at the failure of Girrard and McCook to 
 make the connection with us, but animated by the spirit 
 that moves the breast of every man when in the act of 
 going to the relief of some fellow-being in distress, the 
 command pushed on by day and night, reaching the north- 
 western bank of the Ocmulgee Elver opposite Macon in 
 the early morning of the 30th. 
 
 A battery supported by infantry and intrenched on the 
 opposite side made it impossible for our cavalry, armed 
 with light carbines, to effect a crossing and enter Macon. 
 Desultory fighting was kept up, however, until 4 o'clock 
 in the afternoon of that day, when Stoneman announced 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 his determination to retreat, taking the back track, not- 
 withstanding this movement met the disapproval of nearly 
 every officer in his command. 
 
 Meantime detachments had been dispatched along the 
 railroads leading to Milledgeville, Eatonton, Monticello 
 and other points, destroying railroad tracks, burning 
 bridges, mills, factories and other public property amount- 
 ing to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A detail con- 
 sisting of about 100 men was sent out for the purpose of 
 destroying the track between Macon and Milledgeville, in 
 order to circumvent any attempt that might be made to 
 run in troops from the latter place to reinforce Macon or 
 to attack us from the rear. 
 
 Our first halt was at a point where the track ran along 
 the steep bank of a millpond on which was located a large 
 flouring mill. The various devices in vogue by the army 
 for destroying railroads were now resorted to. First, about 
 200 yards of track were taken up and turned over bodily 
 down the embankment into the pond ties, rails and all. 
 Meantime fires were built on the track in other places, so 
 that the expansion of the rails doubled them into the form 
 of an elbow. Still others, taking up the rails, placed them 
 side by side with the ends resting on ties or some other 
 object elevated a few feet above the ground, and fires were 
 built on top of the rails in the center. As the heat 
 increased they settled, forming a bend till the ground was 
 reached, rendering them worthless for the time being. 
 Often a half dozen men would pick up a rail already heated 
 in the middle (the ends remaining cool) and wind it 
 around the nearest tree or telegraph pole. After complet- 
 ing this work, just as we started away I looked back and 
 saw with regret the flouring mill in flames. Even after 
 the most diligent inquiry among the men I was never 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 209 
 
 able to find out who set the mill on fire. Certainly it was 
 not done through my orders, though such an act in time 
 of war is considered legitimate, for the mill had been 
 running day and night, manufacturing flour and meal for 
 the Confederate Army. 
 
 While the work of destroying track was going hurriedly 
 forward, the pickets on duty in the direction of Milledge- 
 ville discovered an engine with three or four cars coming 
 under a full head of steam. The instructions were, if a 
 train approached, to keep out of sight till it ran up to or 
 into the break in the track, and then to attack them from 
 ambush and capture the outfit, whatever it might be. In 
 this case the order was successfully carried out and an 
 engine and three cars, loaded with mules and ammuni- 
 tion, with a small guard of Confederate soldiers, were 
 captured. The entire train and its contents were destroyed 
 at once and the prisoners soon after paroled. 
 
 Despite orders and discipline, on a raid like this in the 
 enemy's country, it is impossible to prevent now and then 
 
 AST ACT OF VANDALISM. 
 
 A negro woman came to one of our men on picket duty 
 some distance from that part of the command engaged 
 in destroying track on the Milledgeville road, and told 
 him her mistress (who was the wife of a Confederate 
 General then in the field) had a large quantity of money 
 and jewelry buried on the plantation not far from the 
 house near the picket post. Accordingly, the soldier, with 
 the colored woman for a guide, went to the spot desig- 
 nated, and, sure enough, there, in a tin box buried beneath 
 the ground, he found gold coins, watches, rings, bracelets, 
 and other trinkets galore. Doubtless, had he discovered 
 the reputed treasures of Captain Kidd, his delight could 
 
210 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 not have been greater, and being generous to a fault, he 
 returned and at once began bestowing presents upon his 
 comrades. In this way an account of the affair soon 
 reached my ears; but how much there was of the coin I 
 never was able to learn. A short time after, however, we 
 were ordered away in haste, and reaching General Stone- 
 man's headquarters in front of Macon, we there found the 
 soldier in question under arrest, and General Stoneman in 
 a white heat, threatening to have him tied to a gun car- 
 riage and shot. The old colored woman, it seems, had 
 become conscience-stricken, and voluntarily told her mis- 
 tress the circumstances connected with the loss of the 
 money and jewelry; and at once making her way through 
 the lines, the lady reported these facts to General Stone- 
 man. Of course, I lost no time in going to him in behalf 
 of the soldier, explaining that the money and jewelry 
 could all be restored to its owner; that the men had taken 
 it thoughtlessly, as they would pick up a coin or a purse 
 in the public highway. Accordingly, when all on duty at 
 that post were called up and the facts presented, the 
 money and valuables in their possession were delivered up, 
 and most of it, at least, was restored to the rightful owner. 
 The citizens in the country through which we passed 
 were panic-stricken, and often deserted their homes, 
 thereby making them much more liable to plunder or 
 desecration. But for all that, except for the soldiers' 
 necessaries, such as horses or mules to ride, and bread 
 and bacon to eat, there was very little plundering done. 
 The people, ignorant of the facts, had been told the 
 Yankees were out for rapine, murder, and arson, and that 
 they must expect the worst whenever the invaders reached 
 their homes. But, forced to abandon Macon, General 
 Stoneman now decided upon 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 211 
 
 A RETROGRADE MOVEMENT. 
 
 Accordingly, the retreat began about 5 o'clock that 
 evening, and Company F formed a part of the advance 
 guard. When near Clinton, about twelve miles to the 
 north from Macon, a negro came to the command with 
 the information that a large scouting party of the enemy 
 were occupying the town. Acting on this intelligence, we 
 charged into the place on different roads, capturing about 
 twenty, and after establishing outlying pickets, picked up 
 others who came straggling in later. Clinton was the 
 county seat, and in the jail were found fifteen or twenty of 
 our men, who had been captured on the downward march. 
 Releasing these and other prisoners, citizens as well as 
 soldiers, the building was set on fire and we soon moved 
 away by the light of it; but, plunging into the darkness 
 again, had proceeded but a short distance before coming 
 upon another detachment of the enemy. They fell back 
 from point to point, apparently doubling up in numbers, 
 as we pressed steadily forward. 
 
 The route took us through a wooded country, and about 
 midnight, after turning an angle in the road, from an 
 elevated position a few yards ahead, there came a succes- 
 sion of volleys that brought our command to a halt, and 
 at the first round two or three men and horses were 
 wounded. This rapid fire compelled us to dismount and 
 lead out into the timber for shelter, there to await orders 
 from the commanding General. 
 
 Orders came to barricade, and then to advance as 
 skirmishers on each side of the road, the writer with one 
 company being in command on the right. The night was 
 intensely dark, and the only way an alignment could be 
 maintained was to pass orders from left te right in a low 
 
212 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 voice, and by this precaution keep the enemy in doubt as 
 to our movement and locality. We had advanced in this 
 manner but a short distance, when the challenge rang out, 
 directly in front: "Who comes there?" 
 
 It might be the enemy or it might be some of our own 
 command, in the darkness, and the answer was given 
 somewhat evasively: "The Eighth." 
 
 "Eighth what?" was demanded. 
 
 "Eighth Michigan," I replied, following this at once 
 with: 
 
 "What regiment is that?" 
 
 "First Alabama." 
 
 And, immediately giving the command, "Fire and ad- 
 vance," on moving a few paces to the front we came 
 upon the dead body of a Confederate soldier. Daylight, 
 which soon came on, revealed a bullet hole through his 
 head. This undoubtedly was the man who first chal- 
 lenged. First Sergeant Homer Manvel was shot at and 
 missed by a man but a few feet in front of him; when his 
 assailant sprang forward and seized the Sergeant around 
 both arms, calling on his comrades for help. But holding 
 a six-shooter in his hand, and being a powerful man, 
 Manvel pressed it to his adversary's side, shooting him 
 dead in his tracks. 
 
 Again advancing, over fallen timber, through brambles, 
 and across gulches, firing as we went, the point where the 
 enemy had been entrenched behind barricades was 
 reached soon after daylight. This disclosed them in force 
 about a mile and a half down the road in the open coun- 
 try, just beyond a little hamlet called 
 
 "SUNSHINE CHURCH." 
 It was now "Sunday, July 31st, and the sun of that 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 213 
 
 bright Sabbath morning had just reached the spire of the 
 little house of worship, when a forward movement of all 
 our forces was ordered. Our troops soon took up a posi- 
 tion near by, and planted the two pieces of artillery just 
 outside the churchyard. 
 
 The services held there that day, though impressive 
 enough, were not conducted in strict accordance with 
 orthodox usages; for army surgeons at that time, no mat- 
 ter what may have been their other virtues, were not 
 noted for extreme piety. The place, however, served well 
 as a hospital, and its floors and aisles were soon filled 
 with wounded men. 
 
 Our troops on foot charged three times, but were re- 
 pulsed as often. That we were unable to cut our way 
 through this force, when all the facts are considered, is 
 not surprising. Men in a state of extreme physical ex- 
 haustion and paralyzed by loss of sleep are not so formida- 
 ble as when, rising fresh and vigorous, they enter upon 
 the duties of the day with a will and determination that 
 render them invincible. It was impossible to keep the 
 men awake that day when under fire and on the skirmish 
 line. As soon as a partial cover was reached, a stump, a 
 rock, or a bush, they fell asleep, oblivious of all danger. 
 In addition to this handicap we were confronted with a 
 force superior in numbers. According to' the official 
 report of Confederate General Joseph Wheeler, three 
 brigades of his cavalry were in front of us. They were 
 strongly barricaded, with artillery, in a well chosen posi- 
 tion. The Division was under General Irverson, and con- 
 sisted of his own, and the brigades of General Allen and 
 Colonel Breckenridge. 
 
 But another serious handicap one of our best regi- 
 ments under ordinary circumstances (the 5th Kentucky), 
 
214 With Touch of Elbow, 
 
 was within fifteen days of the expiration of its term of serv- 
 ice; and when the real test came, and the advance had 
 reached within a fow yards of the enemy's barricade, the 
 Kentuckians faltered and could not be urged forward. 
 This staggered the whole line, which finally broke and fell 
 back in disorder on our reserve. Colonel Adams, with 
 sword in hand and bareheaded, went to the front of his 
 line and begged his men to come forward, appealing to 
 their State pride, but his commands fell upon deaf ears. 
 
 In the retreat which soon followed, the troops had to 
 cross a ravine in the center of which was a dry run. The 
 water in coursing down this gulch had cut a deep channel 
 which, when entered, afforded a temporary cover. Into 
 this I entered, calling upon the men to follow. But a 
 little farther on the channel grew deeper, and soon we 
 came to where the water had cut a perpendicular embank- 
 ment in front and on both sides about eight feet deep, the 
 bottom where we stood proving to be a bed of quicksand. 
 
 The enemy had by this time left their barricades and 
 were now on the ridge we had left but a few moments 
 before, firing into the retreating ranks. To turn and go 
 out of the ditch the way we came in would expose us to a 
 galling fire, and probably to capture. The men tried in 
 vain to jump and catch the brush on the edge of the 
 banks, but the more they struggled the farther they sank 
 into the treacherous bottom. 
 
 We were certainly in a trap, and for a moment I thought 
 lost. But as I was jumping to catch hold of something on 
 the bank, Sergeant Jeff Mills, a tall, powerful man, seized 
 me around the hips and raised me up so that I caught the 
 overhanging bushes and by their aid soon pulled myself 
 out. Mills was able to follow; and in this manner one 
 after another of the men were helped from the ditch until 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 215 
 
 all were out on the bank, save one. But this position 
 brought us within range of the enemy's shots, and all hur- 
 ried away into the brush out of range and temporarily out 
 of sight. As I started with others, I overheard the voice 
 of someone still in the ditch, and looking down saw Ser- 
 geant W. S. Wells standing in the sand above his knees. 
 I never shall forget the look of reproach he gave me when 
 he called out, "Cap, you're not going to leave me here, 
 are you?" Thereupon, I turned around, and lying down 
 on my stomach was able to reach his hand and help him 
 out. By this time the others were out of sight in the 
 brush, leaving the two of us the only target for the ad- 
 vancing enemy. We were not slow, however, in following 
 our comrades as they scurried through the brush, the 
 Johnnies yelling and shooting as we ran. 
 
 Our limited supply of ammunition now being exhausted 
 and the last round for the battery already in the guns, 
 with an enemy superior in numbers, both in front and 
 rear, 
 
 STOKEMAN DETERMINED TO SURRENDER. 
 
 This, however, was opposed by his officers, as before, 
 who still advocated retreating to the south and east. By 
 this move it was believed there would be found little 
 trouble in reaching our lines somewhere on the coast of 
 Florida. Indeed this plan was presented to Stoneman as 
 a feasible one before starting on the raid, but the propo- 
 sition was disregarded. Before the flag of truce was sent 
 up, however, he gave permission to any officers who de- 
 sired to undertake an escape by cutting their way out to 
 do so he proposing to hold the enemy in check with one 
 regiment consisting of about 300 men, to cover the re- 
 treat; and with this remnant Stoneman finally surren- 
 
2i6 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 dered. The Kentucky brigade was successful in getting 
 away, and reached the Federal lines almost intact. Others 
 struck out independently to the east and north in small 
 detachments, all keeping the same general direction, and 
 having the same object in view. I started with sixteen 
 men of Company F. We had now been four days and 
 nights in the saddle. The ammunition was expended, and 
 both men and horses were worn down to the last extrem- 
 ity. The enemy, who by easy stages had followed our 
 track on the advance to Macon, were in fine form and 
 fully prepared to receive us on the return march. Thus, 
 being fresh and well mounted, a detachment immediately 
 started out in the full hope of overtaking and destroying 
 these disorganized bands. By nightfall small parties of 
 the retreating men, taking the same road to the number 
 of about three hundred, came together. Colonel Horace 
 Capron, of the 14th Illinois, being the ranking officer took 
 command, and a desperate effort was now made to 
 
 BEACH THE FEDERAL LINES. 
 
 Difficulty was experienced in finding our way, there 
 being few men left in the country, either black or white 
 (excepting very old ones), and colored women were, our 
 only dependence for guides. This service was willingly 
 accepted, however, and having no horses for them to 
 ride they traveled on foot, keeping up with the mounted 
 men for miles upon a stretch, guiding them to safe cross- 
 ings on unfrequented roads or bridle paths, where the 
 enemy would be least likely to follow. All bridges and 
 public property found on the line of retreat were burned 
 in passing. 
 
 At a rugged crossing in a deep forest where all were 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 217 
 
 compelled to dismount and lead, two young colored 
 women with red turbaned handkerchiefs around their 
 heads and carrying torches (our guides for a long dis- 
 tance) stood on the banks of the stream and lighted the 
 command across. The varying and uncertain glare of the 
 burning pine knots cast weird shadows into the waters 
 below, and over men and horses as they plunged down the 
 banks; while the forest, lighted up but a few yards over- 
 head and beyond, soon shaded off into impenetrable dark- 
 ness. There was just enough light to reveal the desperate 
 earnestness depicted on the faces of these slave girls (with 
 flashing eyes darker than the night itself) who had entered 
 upon this task that might prove death or torture to them. 
 The whole picture presented was like that of some vast 
 subterranean cavern, where the goblins were on the 
 march. 
 
 It was soon found quite impossible to keep the men 
 mounted, as many horses gave out entirely, while others 
 whose shoes had been cast or worn became footsore and 
 unable to move. To favor these every possible means was 
 resorted to. In an effort to lighten their burdens many 
 threw away blankets and ponchos, and others whose am- 
 munition was exhausted, broke their carbines in two at 
 the breech so they could no longer be of use to the enemy. 
 To insure their complete destruction the pieces were 
 thrown in opposite directions into the brush or mud holes 
 on either side. 
 
 There were no fresh animals to be found, except now 
 and then a mule, whose advancing years rendered him 
 quite worthless for our purposes. Even these were cached 
 away in such a manner as to make it difficult to find them. 
 But occasionally, as if by the irony of Fate, a loud 
 "Ma-ha Ma-ha M-a-ha" would reveal the presence of 
 
218 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 a long-eared patriarch in some cellar or basement of a 
 country residence, from which he would soon be taken 
 out to enter upon a service that, the deliberate move- 
 ments and calm dignity with which old age had clothed 
 his venerable form, seemed ill suited. 
 
 The second night out (August 2d) both men and ani- 
 mals had about reached the limit of endurance, and it was 
 found to be impossible, except by the most strenuous effort, 
 to keep either awake. With both hands locked over the 
 horns of their saddles, the men would fall asleep, when 
 their horses, taking advantage of the situation, turned out 
 by the roadside and stopped. In this manner the command 
 was often strung out a distance of two or three miles. So 
 about 2 o'clock on the morning of the 3d it was deter- 
 mined to lie down for a little rest. Accordingly, pickets 
 were placed out. But as soon as the men struck the ground 
 all (including the pickets) were wrapped in profound 
 slumber. 
 
 I lay down that night with sixteen of my men around 
 me, but never saw but one again until after the close of 
 the war, while others, alas! who laid their bones in the 
 sunny South I have never seen. 
 
 By this time quite a band of colored people old men, 
 women and children had fallen in, determined to flee 
 the country with us. But, fearing an attack and not wish- 
 ing to be embarrassed by these non-combatants within the 
 lines, the negroes were compelled to go to the rear. 
 
 We lay down by " the side of the road, each man holding 
 his horse ready to mount on the instant. The night was 
 very warm, and from long continuance in the saddle many 
 of the men had swollen feet, and for greater comfort re- 
 moved their boots, while others took off their coats and 
 used them for pillows. 
 
 V 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 219 
 
 How long we had lain there is uncertain, but just at 
 break of day I was suddenly awakened by Sergeant Miles 
 Horn, who, while lifting and shaking me, cried out : "Get 
 up quick, Cap, for God's sake, they are right onto us." 
 
 The enemy, coming up in the rear, after capturing our 
 sleeping pickets, next encountered, just outside the lines, 
 the negroes lying by the road, who ran shouting through 
 the camp, throwing the men into confusion that finally 
 culminated in a panic. This was given greater impetus 
 and effect by the enemy, who by this time were "onto us" 
 sure enough, yelling like demons and firing at the men 
 who refused to surrender. 
 
 Springing to my feet, my horse still standing over me, 
 the report and flash of two or three shots near by, coupled 
 with the shouts of the enemy, enabled me to take in the 
 situation in a moment. Probably no less alarmed than 
 others, calling my Sergeant by a familiar title given him 
 by his comrades, I said : "Laddie, let's mount and get out 
 of this," and, to use an awkward phrase, we "got." We 
 soon became separated and the poor fellow was captured 
 and carried to Andersonville, and I did not see him again 
 until called upon to attend his funeral soon after the close 
 of the war. 
 
 An effort was made by Major Buck, of the Eighth, to 
 rally the men and form a defensive line in the edge of 
 the timber near by, but this was found to be impracticable, 
 as many were without ammunition or guns, and at the 
 first volley from the enemy the partially formed rank dis- 
 solved and the rout was made complete. About one hun- 
 dred men succeeded in mounting and getting away in the 
 direction of Athens, located about fifteen miles to the north. 
 The road ran through a narrow lane a distance of two or 
 three miles to the crossing of 
 
220 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 THE MULBEKRY RIVER. 
 
 The rush of so many horses across the bridge over this 
 stream proved too much for its decaying timbers and the 
 whole structure gave way, precipitating both men and 
 horses into the water below. The horses in the rear, excited 
 by the chase, continued to rear and plunge, and those 
 nearest the bank were thus crowded onto others already 
 floundering in the muddy bottom. What added to the 
 embarrassment under which we were now laboring was the 
 approach of the enemy, coming down the lane in hot pur- 
 suit, yelling and firing as they advanced. 
 
 A staked-and-ridered fence on each side of the road made 
 it impossible for the mounted men to escape by either 
 flank, and the enemy, riding boldly up, captured many 
 while sitting in their saddles. An officer with a drawn 
 saber got near enough to me to demand my surrender. 
 But two or three horses with empty saddles crowded in 
 and pushed me beyond the reach of his weapon. For 
 further security, and to keep out of range of the shots 
 that were passing over, I placed my arms around the neck 
 of my horse, and, swinging off, continued to cling to him 
 for a time, fearing otherwise to be trampled under foot. 
 At this time the men began to dismount and crawl through 
 the fence, seeking cover in the brush along the river bank. 
 Seeing this, I concluded to follow. 
 
 And now to abandon to his fate the faithful little animal 
 that had carried me hundreds of miles in and out of danger, 
 with never-faltering zeal and promptness, where many of 
 his kind gave out and fell by the way, was contemplated 
 with regret and appealed to my sense of gratitude in such 
 a manner as to add doubly to the distress at parting. And 
 even now, had he been able to scale the fence, or had there 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 221 
 
 been a bridge across the Mulberry, he would again have 
 proved his mettle and carried me to safety (without losing 
 his tail), as did the famous mare of Tam-0'Shanter in 
 carrying him away from the witches and across the Doon. 
 With arms still around his neck, giving my horse a fare- 
 well hug I thought he would understand and appreciate, I 
 dropped to the ground and soon made my way to the fence 
 and into the brush. 
 
 On rising to an upright posture and starting to run I 
 seemed to have but little control of my lower limbs, which 
 had become greatly swollen and hung from my body like 
 bags of sand. Many now took to the brush, and, seeing 
 this, the enemy (after throwing down the fence) rode out 
 into the open field just above, and wherever the brush was 
 heard to crack they directed their shots, upon which one 
 after another of our men came out and surrendered. 
 
 Making my way on hands and knees a distance of 100 
 yards or more, I crawled under a thicket by the side of a 
 large log, and there awaited developments. One of our 
 soldiers (a mere boy of sixteen) secreted himself near by. 
 In the course of the day the people in that "neck of the 
 woods" seemed to have turned out en masse. While lying 
 there we had the pleasure of listening to their shouts, 
 mingled with the yelping of dogs, as they scoured the 
 country in search of the fugitives. At times they came 
 so near we could distinguish both male and female voices 
 and understand what was said. 
 
 The little soldier near me, however, soon fell into a 
 blissful sleep, but his snoring was so vigorous I greatly 
 feared it would draw the enemy's attention, if not their 
 fire. And to reduce the danger on this score to a min- 
 imum I pelted him with little chunks. But soon becoming 
 accustomed to this source of annoyance, the more I pelted 
 
222 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the louder he seemed to snore. A long stick was then 
 brought into use, with which I gored his ribs. This treat- 
 ment caused the young sleeper to "lie over" a proceeding 
 that gave us both, for the time being, a much-needed rest. 
 
 While lying there meditating upon the past and the 
 probabilities of the future (and warned by other experi- 
 ences) I took the precaution to secrete my watch chain 
 and money under the lining of my jacket, the watch itself 
 being too large to hide successfully anywhere. 
 
 The shades of night had settled down, when all the 
 unwelcome sounds of the day seemed to have died out with 
 the setting sun, and I now resolved to leave the place of 
 concealment, and, passing to the opposite side of the river, 
 make my way to some friendly negro cabin (having learned 
 from former experience the fidelity of that race to the 
 Yankee soldier), and eventually reach the Federal lines in 
 safety. 
 
 Accordingly, at dusk I crawled out, thinking to leave 
 my young comrade asleep, as we could be of no assistance 
 to each other, and it had already been proved to my satis- 
 faction in such an emergency one man alone can make 
 better headway than any greater number. But I had no 
 sooner straightened up than my little friend stood by, wide 
 awake as an owl at midnight. It was evident he had no 
 idea of being "left." I told him then that he must obey 
 my orders and never speak above a whisper, walk stealthily 
 and move only when he saw me move. To this he agreed, 
 and together we started on our pilgrimage. 
 
 In penetrating the thickets and crossing on flood wood 
 we made slow progress, and when the uplands were reached 
 on the north side of the river daylight appeared. Soon 
 coming to a road, we moved very cautiously, fearing to 
 encounter a picket, and, on listening with one ear close 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 223 
 
 to the ground, I heard a sound like the stamping of a 
 horse, and presently heard distinctly a man cough or clear 
 his throat. 
 
 We arose to retrace our steps, but in doing so were over- 
 heard, and the challenge, "Halt ! Who goes there ?" rang 
 out upon the still air of the early morning. As we did 
 not heed the summons, but continued to run as best we 
 could, the challenge was repeated, and immediately fol- 
 lowed by a shot. By this time we had gained the cover of 
 the brush, and thence made our way again to the bottom- 
 lands. Coming to a large log that had fallen down the 
 embankment, I climbed on top of it and sprang off as far 
 as possible into the thicket below, there sinking to the 
 ground, so exhausted and worn at the time I could almost 
 have consented to remain there forever. No food of any 
 kind had passed my lips for forty-eight hours. It was now 
 the morning of August 4th, and the sleep obtained since 
 July 27th, when we started on the raid, would not average 
 more than two hours in each twenty-four. But with the 
 experience already gained I was willing to run any risk 
 of life or limb rather than be held 
 
 AGAIN A PRISONER. 
 
 My partner secreted himself about thirty feet distant, 
 and we laid there all that day, while the country around 
 was again being scoured for the escaping raiders. Dogs 
 came yelping uncomfortably near, and again the unwel- 
 come sounds died away in the distance. About 5 o'clock 
 that afternoon a squad of Confederates coming up through 
 the bottoms came upon my comrade and carried him away. 
 Upon this I felt a sense of relief, believing he would be 
 better off as a prisoner. 
 
224 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Just at sundown I heard the voice of a negro, who, walk- 
 ing along the bank above, was apparently talking to him- 
 self. 
 
 "Anybody in heah, ye's needn't be afeard uv me. I 
 wodn't hurt nobody/' he said; and soon I could hear him 
 clambering upon the log that had guided me down the 
 bank. He parted the brush, and, walking along, con- 
 tinued: "Been somebody in heah, I reckon. Any fellah 
 et fell ovah dis heah log in de dark broak his neck shue." 
 
 At this time he came into view an old man, to whom 
 there seemed no doubt I could make friendly overtures in 
 safety, and if he discovered me I would try the art of 
 diplomacy. But if not my plan was to remain quiet, for 
 I could now hear other voices not far away. Presently 
 his eyes rested squarely upon me, and doubtless believing 
 me dead I was lying flat on my back he ran back over 
 the log, and in a few moments a squad of Confederate 
 soldiers appeared upon the scene, with the old man for a 
 guide. I watched him closely through my half-closed eyes, 
 and thought a look of disappointment came over his counte- 
 nance when he found I was alive, realizing, as he must 
 have done, that through haste and fright he had been the 
 means of giving me up to the enemy. 
 
 Beaching the open field above, the soldiers laid me on 
 the ground for a consultation, or an autopsy, as the case 
 might seem to demand. Certainly I was as near dead as 
 alive. Their expressions were kindly, and, thinking myself 
 in good hands, I soon opened my eyes inquiringly, when 
 they assured me I was in friendly keeping and asked me 
 to walk to a farmhouse about a quarter of a mile away. 
 With a man at each arm to assist, I reached the place 
 designated with little difficulty. 
 
 Arriving at the house we found it already turned into 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 225 
 
 a hospital and the floor and many available places in the 
 surrounding yard occupied by sick and wounded men be- 
 longing to our command. The women of the place, both 
 black and white, were rendering every assistance in their 
 power. Covered with mud from head to foot, and hair 
 and beard matted, disgust was added to discomfiture on 
 reflecting upon my appearance and, calling for a tub of 
 warm water, which was soon produced, I proceeded to 
 relieve myself of the outside strata of dirt. This treatment 
 was followed by a bowl of hot chicken broth for the inner 
 man, furnished by one of the negro women. From all this 
 kindness my strength and spirits rapidly returned. 
 
 I then asked the privilege of visiting the wounded, and 
 among the first to greet me was my little partner, prostrate 
 from nervous exhaustion. I got an opportunity to tell him 
 (aside) the Confederates would leave there the next morn- 
 ing, as I had overheard them say, and that if he held out 
 "sick" until then they would probably leave him, and an 
 opportunity would thus be open for his escape. 
 
 On going a little farther in the same room I found 
 Eufus Waldron, a member of my own regiment, who had 
 been shot through the right breast from front to back. 
 Believing his recovery impossible, I secured the name and 
 address of the people who were extending this generous 
 hospitality, having in view, should I survive the fortunes 
 of war, the possibility of some time informing Waldron's 
 people where he was buried. But he saved his people and 
 myself any trouble on that score, for when next seen he 
 was returning to his regiment from his home in Michigan, 
 where he had been on sick leave, as fine looking a soldier 
 as ever wore the uniform. 
 
 But there was another motive in securing this informa- 
 tion which will soon appear. There were two old gentle- 
 
226 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 men who seemed to be proprietors of the premises, and 
 their names and address Levi Watts and W. B. Kuther- 
 ford, Jefferson County, Georgia I wrote on the flyleaf 
 of a little Testament, which was a gift prized by me 
 highly, and of which more anon. 
 
 The next day all the prisoners collected at this point 
 able to be moved were marched to Athens, about ten miles 
 distant. Captain Brackenridge, of a Kentucky regiment, 
 was the officer in command of the guards and exercised 
 especial jurisdiction over me on the march. After supply- 
 ing me with a horse to ride (one branded "U. S." and 
 taken from some of our men the day before) he very 
 kindly volunteered an offer to the effect that if I would 
 give my word of honor not to try to escape while under 
 his charge I should fare on the way as well as he, and be 
 subjected to no other surveillance. I readily assented to 
 this offer, and one might suppose, only for the difference 
 in our uniforms, we were comrades belonging to the same 
 command passing through the country on a pleasure 
 junket. Together we called at farmhouses by the wayside, 
 where buttermilk and cornbread were abundant, and so 
 fared sumptuously to the end of the route. 
 
 It was with a feeling of regret that I separated from 
 Captain Brackenridge at Athens, where the prisoners 
 were turned over to the tender mercies of the Home Guards 
 and consigned to the county jail. Up to this time not 
 the slightest indignity had been offered by any of my 
 captors, but on the contrary, the kindest treatment as may 
 be supposed. We remained in the quarters at Athens 
 about a week, being treated as common felons, on very 
 scant rations which we were compelled to share with negro 
 prisoners of the most degraded type. From Athens all 
 were shipped by rail to 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 227 
 
 MACOX AXD ANDERSOXVILLE. 
 
 So, instead of releasing the thirty-odd thousand 
 prisoners confined in those places, as we started out in 
 high hopes to do, Stoneman's cavalry, including the leader 
 himself, swelled the numbers in the already overcrowded 
 pens, to the extent of about 900 men. Going by rail to 
 Macon we were privileged to ride over two miles of 
 railroad track we had been instrumental in destroying 
 some ten or fifteen days before. But I was far from boast- 
 ing of my work, as the Confederate authorities were mak- 
 ing vigorous search and inquiry for any officers among 
 the prisoners whom they might hold responsible for acts 
 of vandalism said to have been committed at that time. 
 
 This sort of inquisition I did not care to face, though 
 for my own part I had at all times used every possible 
 endeavor to protect citizens in their persons and property; 
 and to this end often stood guard with drawn saber over 
 houses the men were threatening to plunder. 
 
 Arriving at Macon, after recording our names, rank and 
 regiment a vigorous search of every man was made for 
 valuables, with the expectation doubtless of finding some 
 of the plunder alleged to have been taken as stated above. 
 While this was going on the prisoners were held in the 
 shade of a structure raised two or three feet from the 
 ground, resting on abutments or piles. The ground 
 under and around this building was very sandy and while 
 waiting to be searched (otherwise apprehending serious 
 consequences) the men buried in the sand any valuables 
 they may have secured. Recalling my brother's last words 
 to me on our parting in front of Atlanta the evening 
 before starting on the raid: "Look out, my boy, or you 
 will lose that watch again," I took the watch from my 
 
228 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 pocket and placed it under the lining of my hat, while the 
 money, chain and gold ring were secreted as before de- 
 scribed. 
 
 On walking up to be questioned and searched, I took 
 off my hat, as every gentleman is supposed to do on ap- 
 proaching the presence of a dignified and important func- 
 tionary, respectfully holding it in my hand while the in- 
 quisition was going on. In this search the hat was entirely 
 overlooked and this dissembling politeness on my part no 
 doubt saved the watch for purposes to me much more 
 satisfactory than being compelled to give it up a second 
 time at the point of a bayonet. 
 
 They seemed disappointed at finding no valuables save 
 the little Testament mentioned in another chapter, and 
 while examining this I explained that it was a gift to me, 
 accompanied with the best wishes of a Christian young 
 lady residing at Nicholasville, Kentucky; and though an 
 ardent Secessionist, she was nevertheless a friend of mine, 
 and I hoped to retain this mark of her esteem. Upon this 
 the inquisitor closed the book and handed it back to me 
 with the remark that he hoped I would read it and repent 
 of having undertaken without just provocation to sub- 
 jugate the Southern people, which "never could be done." 
 
 The officers of our party were retained in Macon and 
 lodged in Camp Oglethorpe, another pen or stockade made 
 of timbers driven into the ground; while the enlisted men 
 were sent on to Andersonville. On entering the prison I 
 was greeted by a half dozen or more 
 
 OLD ACQUAINTANCES FEOM LIBBY. 
 
 All the prisoners in Richmond at this time had been 
 sent further south, to prevent their falling into the hands 
 of our forces then threatening the capture of the rebel 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 229 
 
 capital. The first to extend a welcome was Lieutenant 
 Meade, whose boots I had appropriated, leaving in their 
 place my old shoes furnished hy a rebel soldier in East 
 Tennessee at the time of my first capture; the boots in 
 question being unequal to the service required of them in 
 making the escape. Meade's first salutation was: "Hello, 
 there, Wells. Where are my boots?" 
 
 The next greeting was from Captain Thomas H. McKee, 
 of the First West Virginia, whose hat was missing at the 
 same time as the boots, and for which I was called upon 
 to account. But as before explained, the head needed a 
 covering as well as the feet; and inasmuch as my present 
 difficulty was brought about in an effort to release these 
 good comrades, we had little trouble in arriving at a 
 friendly settlement, on the broad grounds of "a military 
 necessity." 
 
 I then inquired for Lieutenant P. A. White, who went 
 through the tunnel just ahead of me, agreeing to wait at 
 the shed until I could join him. From this point we were 
 to make the escape together, as before stated; but after 
 passing through the tunnel and reaching the shed, I found 
 that White had already gone. Hearing that he had been 
 recaptured and was now among the prisoners in Macon, 
 my greatest desire was to look him up. 
 
 There was a low wooden building in the center of the 
 stockade, used as a hospital, to which my attention was 
 directed, and upon entering this I found White lying on 
 a cot. His skin, turned black, was drawn tightly over his 
 bones and he could not speak above a whisper. Recogniz- 
 ing me, he recalled the circumstances under which we had 
 separated in Libby, and said at once: "If I had waited 
 for you under the carriage shed I would not be here 
 now;" conveying the impression that had we gone out 
 
230 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 together both would have escaped as I did. In answer 
 I said: "No, had we gone together both might have been 
 recaptured, and in that case I would not be in a condition 
 to encourage or aid you in any way." He then said: "Oh, 
 if I had a little money with which to send out and buy 
 something to eat I believe I could get well." 
 
 There was a sutler's tent just outside the gate, to which 
 those having money could send and buy soft bread, sweet 
 potatoes, cornmeal and similar delicacies (?). After shar- 
 ing with White from my little savings in greenbacks smug- 
 gled through the lines, I was soon compelled to bid him 
 good-bye, as all able to be removed were sent to the 
 Workhouse Prison, Charleston, South Carolina, and there 
 placed under fire of 
 
 THE FEDEEAL BATTERIES. 
 
 The Workhouse Prison, enclosed with a high wall like 
 a penitentiary, with doors and windows heavily barred, 
 was used before the war as a slave mart. In the center of 
 the back yard was a broad platform about three feet in 
 height with steps leading up, upon which the slaves were 
 exposed for public or private sale. This was the far 
 famed "Auction Block," the name upon which the aboli- 
 tion agitators of the North had been so fond of ringing the 
 changes. Its purposes were now reversed. The former 
 slave was already virtually free, but around the auction 
 block, where formerly he had been bartered and sold, were 
 held as prisoners of war some hundreds of the men to 
 whose valor he owed his freedom. 
 
 Around this historic remnant of the slave regime the 
 Yankee prisoners assembled every day to cook their rice 
 and cornmeal. A flat piece of cast iron, formerly the top 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 231 
 
 of a stove, was utilized as a bake oven and frying pan 
 combined. Elevated a little from the ground, and resting 
 on bricks at each corner, this improvised oven when once 
 heated was covered with "hoe cakes," which were looked 
 after by anxious patrons until the cakes were baked and 
 "turned" to a finish. A large iron pot, also resting on 
 bricks, served as a receptacle for cooking rice. When the 
 meal and rice were thus prepared it was handed out upon 
 improvised plates, often made from old tin cans ham- 
 mered out into suitable form; and the fortunate possessor 
 of a dish of this kind, after receiving his ration, would 
 retire to the "block" for a seat and a table, there to enjoy 
 without interruption his own reflections and a "frugal 
 meal." 
 
 The prison was situated near the edge of what was 
 known as the "burnt district" of the city of Charleston, 
 this locality being about the limit of the range of the 
 Federal guns in the harbor, which were mercilessly trained 
 on Charleston for 286 days without cessation. During 
 this time it is estimated there were 43,000 projectiles 
 hurled, resulting, aside from destroying nearly half of the 
 city, in 319 casualties 52 killed and 267 wounded. 
 
 The prisoners were placed in this dangerous locality for 
 the purpose of deterring our Government from further 
 bombardment. But from Charleston the first shot for the 
 destruction of the Union was fired, and doubtless there 
 was "method in the madness" that prompted the sending 
 of these deadly missiles into that hotbed of secession. 
 
 It is remarkable at such a time, when events are chang- 
 ing rapidly and the worst is anticipated, how soon one can 
 adapt himself to the surroundings, no matter how unnat- 
 ural or dangerous they may be. On entering the Work- 
 house we were not long in ascertaining the fact that a 
 
232 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 large shell from one of our batteries in the harbor was 
 being hurled against the city every twenty minutes with 
 clocklike regularity by day and night. The report from 
 this gun soon became a familiar sound, and, on hearing 
 it, the prisoners had time to run across the floor to a 
 window, from which the shot could be seen as it drew 
 near and exploded. At night its course through the air 
 was readily traced the entire distance by a stream of fire 
 from the burning fuse. From the upper stories of the 
 building, or by stealing out on the roof, as was sometimes 
 done, the prisoners would sit up late to watch the progress 
 of this singular bombardment, which now had become a 
 source of amusement and diversion rather than otherwise. 
 The shots generally fell a little short of the prison, but 
 sometimes bursting overhead, their fragments came un- 
 comfortably near. A piece about ten pounds in weight 
 once struck the building, entering the roof and going out 
 through the brick on the gable end, making an opening 
 about three feet across. 
 
 Immediately adjoining the Workhouse was another 
 prison called the "Jail Yard," which, like the Workhouse, 
 was filled with unfortunate Yankee soldiers. From the 
 upper windows of the Workhouse we could look down upon 
 these prisoners, but the rules prohibiting any communica- 
 tion from one to the other were strictly enforced. 
 
 One day while standing a little back from an upper 
 window, unobserved by the guard and watching my neigh- 
 bors below, imagine my surprise on seeing my old comrade, 
 
 CAPTAIN CHARLES E. GREBLE. 
 
 Greble had been my "chum" and companion in Libby, 
 and together we were to have made the escape. We had 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 233 
 
 spent six months there together, and had made all prepara- 
 tions to go out at the same time through the tunnel. But 
 on the night the exit was made we became separated in 
 the dark and I undertook the journey alone. He carried 
 the haversack in which were the rations saved up for the 
 occasion, also a map of the country we had jointly pre- 
 pared, lining out the rivers, fords and crossings, to guide 
 us on the way. When once out, realizing myself alone 
 and contemplating the probabilities of the venture, my 
 thoughts turned to the partner who had been left behind. 
 Fearless as he was, self-reliant and generous to a fault, I 
 felt as though the better half of me, for purposes then 
 under way, had departed, and I never felt the loss of a 
 comrade so much before nor since. 
 
 From that time till now I did not know how fate had 
 dealt with him, but it transpired that some time after the 
 exit he also went through the tunnel, and, after being three 
 or four days in the swamps and lagoons of the peninsula, 
 was recaptured and taken back to Libby, where he was 
 confined in a dungeon for thirty days on a meal and water 
 diet. About the time of his release from the dungeon it 
 appears an installment of boxes containing clothing and 
 delicacies to eat came from the North, and among them 
 a second box for myself, and when the list of claimants 
 was called off in the prison, Greble answered to my name, 
 drew the prize box and enjoyed the good things it con- 
 tained. I mourned the loss of this box after reaching 
 home, and, learning of its having been sent about the time 
 of the escape, and, in consequence, believed it must have 
 fallen into the hands of the enemy, but now was more 
 than gratified to learn that my friend and comrade had, 
 by personating me, obtained the coveted prize and enjoyed 
 its contents. 
 
234 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Soon after this occurrence all the prisoners in Libby 
 were removed to prisons farther South, and Greble, still 
 determined on escape, cut his way through the bottom of 
 the car while in transit to Salisbury, and after traveling 
 250 miles in the mountains of the Carolinas, he was again 
 recaptured, and finally brought up in the "Jail Yard" at 
 Charleston, where I had discovered him. 
 
 And even now, on account of the rigid discipline of 
 prison life, I cannot speak to him or approach a window 
 near enough to attract his attention. But at last, fixing 
 my gaze steadily upon him, he looked up and saw me. 
 The surprise and gratification at this incidental meeting 
 can better be imagined than described, and the anxiety of 
 both to talk knew no bounds. 
 
 Since our separation in Libby I had returned to my 
 home in Michigan, and while there visited Greble's family 
 in Battle Creek, consisting of a wife and two little daugh- 
 ters. They listened with great interest to the story of the 
 capture and the escape, and how Greble and I had become 
 separated in the prison; but farther than this, what fate 
 had befallen him none of us could tell. Since that inter- 
 view I had returned to my regiment, gone through one of 
 the hardest campaigns of the war, and now, in the hands 
 of the enemy a second time, find my friend in Charleston, 
 South Carolina, still a prisoner, and, much as there is in 
 common between us to be said, and standing within a few 
 feet of each other in plain sight, we dare not exchange a 
 word. 
 
 During the brief period in which we stood there I 
 cautiously approached the window, and, on glancing down- 
 ward, saw a guard who just at that moment called out to 
 Greble, "Stop looking up at that window. Move on." 
 
 In the excitement incident to our unexpected meeting 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 235 
 
 he took no notice of this warning, and the guard, after 
 repeating the command, drew his gun and was about to 
 fire. I then shouted (calling Greble by his first name), 
 "Charlie, move on; that guard will shoot you!" This 
 little episode terminated our "visit." 
 
 But Greble's ill fortune did not forsake him here. He 
 was still a prisoner in Columbia, South Carolina, at the 
 time Sherman with his army entered that place in Febru- 
 ary, 1865. A large number of prisoners were confined 
 there at the time, but on the approach of the Federals 
 they were moved to other places. Greble, taking advan- 
 tage of this movement,, secreted himself in a loft, and in 
 their haste to get away he was overlooked by the guards. 
 
 The town and the prison soon after the arrival of the 
 Union troops was found to be on fire. It has never been 
 definitely determined which of the two armies was respon- 
 sible for this, but, at any rate, Greble, in hiding, narrowly 
 escaped death from the smoke and flames of the burning 
 building. Escaping from this danger, he ran into another 
 almost as great. The Yankee soldiers mistook him for a 
 rebel guard, and at the point of the bayonet he was com- 
 pelled to surrender as a prisoner of war to those who 
 should have been his friends and liberators. In the course 
 of time, however, his identity was established, and he was, 
 of course, set at liberty. He finally found his way home, 
 and thence to the regiment. 
 
 Our first meeting after this episode at Charleston was 
 in the spring of 1865, at Brigade Headquarters, Pulaski, 
 Tennessee, at which time I learned from his own lips the 
 story of his adventures as above related. We were both 
 mustered out in July of that year, and, though strong and 
 robust as Greble seemed to be at that time, he did not 
 survive the war but a few years. 
 
236 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Soon after this occurrence I found an opportunity to 
 make final disposition of the watch that has been so often 
 placed in jeopardy in the progress of this story, together 
 with the chain and gold. ring. Disposing of these for a 
 fabulous sum in Confederate money (obtaining twenty for 
 one in greenbacks), I was able to dispense little charities 
 among my friends most in need of assistance. There was 
 a broker outside engaged in this sort of traffic, with whom 
 negotiations for the sale of these articles were made. For 
 a time I was literally puffed up with money, but after 
 buying a few watermelons at twenty dollars apiece and 
 sweet potatoes at two and three dollars each, my purse 
 collapsed like a punctured balloon. But the disposing of 
 my valuables and undertaking to share the proceeds with 
 my fellow-prisoners came near proving 
 
 A DEATH WARRANT. 
 
 I now have to recount an experience in my varying for- 
 tunes since the time of enlistment that I would gladly 
 pass by. But since at this remote period we are able to 
 discuss these matters dispassionately, it is perhaps better, 
 before the time (soon to come) when there will be no 
 living witness, that all evidence pertaining to prison life 
 be sifted, to the end that what may be accepted as truthful 
 history may come out of it. 
 
 Beginning now to feel the effects of the hardships 
 already endured, and, aggravated by the inconsiderate use 
 of the good things obtained of the sutler, a terrible lassi- 
 tude came over me, and without further warning I was 
 stricken down with a disease that rendered me helpless 
 within two hours from the time of its first appearance, 
 and was soon after carried to a hospital situated on the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 237 
 
 Cooper River, in the suburbs of Charleston. For three 
 weeks thereafter I took little note of what went on around 
 me. But one thing seemed to occupy my mind during 
 that period, and that was the ceaseless echo of the Federal 
 gun in Charleston Harbor, and the screeching shell as it 
 approached the city rang constantly in my ears, and in my 
 half-conscious state haunted me day and night. In imag- 
 ination I sometimes traveled with the shot from the time 
 it left the gun until it exploded over the city or among 
 my comrades in the Workhouse prison, where I would 
 finally land as one of its many fragments. The first real 
 evidence of improvement in the condition of my health 
 came about fifteen days later. Being greatly annoyed by 
 a voice in the farther end of the ward where confined, I 
 peevishly inquired of a nurse if he could not stop that 
 loud and boisterous talking. 
 
 "Why," said he, "that is Dr. Todd, the physician in 
 charge of the hospital," whom afterward I learned was a 
 brother of Mrs. Lincoln, the wife of our President. 
 
 The greatest difficulty at the hospital seemed to be the 
 lack of medicine and other necessaries for the sick and 
 disabled. That many died is true, but it should be borne 
 in mind that conditions were the most unfavorable. The 
 patients came there in the last extremity, and with that 
 terrible longing for home and friends that sank deep into 
 the heart of every prisoner, making it almost 'a miracle 
 that he should recover at all. For my own part, while 
 lying there helpless and seeing the dead carried out daily, 
 I wondered if the time had come when I, too, would be 
 called upon to lay my bones in Dixie. But my answer to 
 the self-imposed query, coming as of its own volition, was 
 invariably "No !" and while there was no relief in sight, 
 I never did give up! 
 
238 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope." 
 As Sherman had at this time taken Atlanta, thus threat- 
 ening the recapture of the prisoners at Macon and Ander- 
 sonville, they were all removed to prisons nearer the At- 
 lantic seaboard. All, did I say ? No, not all. That state- 
 ment should be qualified, for the bones of over 13,000 were 
 already bleaching at Andersonville. 
 
 More than 30,000 prisoners under this order were re- 
 moved, and probably never before in the history of any 
 war was so large a percentage of men held as prisoners 
 reduced to such a state of misery and destitution as existed 
 among these 30,000 men. Many of them came to Charles- 
 ton, and were there crowded into hospitals already filled 
 to overflowing. A clean suit of cotton underwear was given 
 each patient as he was admitted (this simple act being a 
 source of great relief which proved the stepping-stone to 
 the recovery of some), and while every care possible was 
 given them, when the terrible straits to which the Con- 
 federacy was reduced are considered, 
 
 THE MORTALITY WAS APPALLING. 
 
 The discarded garments of the prisoners were thrown in 
 a heap in the center of a court back of the hospital, and 
 it is no exaggeration to say that in the heat of the sun 
 these piles of infected clothing were alive and reeking with 
 vermin. 
 
 On the first and second stories were verandas or gal- 
 leries about eight feet wide, extending around the build- 
 ing; and when the cots in the regular wards were filled 
 the overflow was placed on the floors of these verandas. 
 
 The dead wagon came regularly once a day and the at- 
 tendants, going around among the prostrate forms on the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 239 
 
 floors and in the wards, gathered up the dead, and placing 
 them in the wagon took them out on their last drive. 
 
 Many hecame delirious, and their only talk was of home 
 and mother, wife and child. Their appeals were pitiable 
 and how anyone seriously ill could recover with so much 
 misery about them was then and has always been to me 
 a mystery. 
 
 The Sisters of Charity visited the hospital twice a week; 
 and if there is an ex-prisoner alive to-day who went 
 through this experience and has not discarded any prej- 
 udice he may before have entertained against that numer- 
 ous class of self-sacrificing souls it is to be regretted he, 
 too, did not get a ride in the wagon above described. 
 
 These things were observed during my convalescence, 
 when an opportunity was presented to see and know what 
 was taking place. There being no prospect as yet for the 
 war coming to a close, the only hope a prisoner at this 
 time had to look forward to was 
 
 EXCHANGE OR DEATH. 
 
 One day, noticing s new patient being brought in, my 
 astonishment was great on recognizing my friend White, 
 with whom we last parted in Macon. He was placed on a 
 cot near by, in a partially reclining posture, but was 
 delirious, and evidently in the last stage of his earthly 
 career. Holding a piece of green apple in his hand 
 (probably given him somewhere on the way from Macon) 
 he crowded it into his mouth and making a spasmodic ef- 
 fort to swallow, finally threw it out, and after gasping two 
 or three times, sank back and died. 
 
 The authorities in Charleston came to the prisoners 
 with the proposition to draw up a letter directed to Mr. 
 
240 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Lincoln himself, setting forth the apparent inability of 
 the Confederate Government to provide the common 
 necessaries for so great a number of prisoners, and that an 
 early exchange, man for man, which the Confederates 
 were willing to do, would be the means of saving thou- 
 sands of lives that otherwise must be sacrificed. Such a 
 petition was written, largely signed by the prisoners, many 
 of them high in rank General Stoneman's name being 
 among the signatures and turned over to the hospital 
 officials; but it never again came to the attention of the 
 public. That this petition was forwarded there is no ques- 
 tion of doubt; but whether it ever reached Mr. Lincoln's 
 hands is still a debatable question. But this we know: 
 no general exchange of prisoners took place, while the 
 work of death by this refined process went steadily on, 
 until peace was declared; and thousands of the headstones 
 now to be seen in the National Cemeteries at the South 
 mark the final resting place of the victims of this cruel 
 policy. 
 
 During the war 180,000 Union soldiers were held as 
 prisoners in the South, and in the midst of the great suf- 
 fering and privations endured by these men there was at 
 all times held out to them one avenue of escape, one op- 
 portunity for immediate relief from the horrors with 
 which they were surrounded, and that was to renounce 
 their Government and take the oath of fealty to the 
 Southern Confederacy. It is gratifying to the pride of 
 every ex-soldier living at this time, as well as to every 
 loyal citizen of this country, to know that out of this 
 great host only two per cent, of the whole number ever 
 availed themselves of the opportunity thus offered. 
 
 A number of the Northern States have already erected 
 monuments to the memory of their soldiers who perished 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 241 
 
 in Southern prisons, but the inscription on the one erected 
 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at Andersonville 
 is the most striking and fills the requirements of a whole 
 volume though it contains but three words: "Death Be- 
 fore Dishonor." What greater meed of patriotism than 
 this was ever meted out to man on earth before! 
 
 Under whatever pretext the wars of history great or 
 small may have been waged, and no matter what sacrifice 
 in privation and endurance the armies engaged in them 
 may have made, the patriotism and fortitude exhibited 
 by the soldiers of the Union while prisoners of war in the 
 hands of the Confederate Government stand without a 
 parallel in the world's history. 
 
 One evening just at dusk, toward the middle of October, 
 while lying on my cot revolving in mind the probabilities 
 of being compelled to remain there until carried out in 
 the one-horse wagon above described, I was startled to 
 hear my name called from the head of the stairs in the 
 opposite end of the ward. 
 
 Immediately rising to a sitting posture I answered, 
 "Here/' Upon this a Confederate officer, with a scroll of 
 paper in his hand partially unrolled, came to my side and 
 informed me that an agreement had been reached be- 
 tween General Sherman and General Hood, of the Con- 
 federate Army, for the immediate exchange of General 
 Stoneman and his officers, and that my name was in- 
 cluded among the number. 
 
 Had I been standing on a scaffold condemned to death, 
 with my hands pinioned, the black cap drawn over my 
 face and the fatal cord dangling from my neck, and an 
 absolute pardon had thus been read to me, no greater 
 sensation of relief, of gratitude and of joy could have been 
 felt than that which stirred my soul at the moment of 
 
242 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 this announcement. Aside from physical exhaustion, I 
 was surfeited and overburdened with the sorrow and utter 
 desolation around me; and relief at that time was like an 
 unlooked-for glimpse of paradise. 
 
 . In answer to this summons I immediately arose, dressed 
 myself, and walked downstairs, for the first time in four 
 weeks. On entering the office, Dr. Todd, in apparent sur- 
 prise at my presence, asked what I was doing there, and 
 added: "I think you had better go back to bed." But 
 I would as soon have committed self-destruction as to 
 have willingly complied with this request. I walked 
 three-quarters of a mile that evening to the Workhouse 
 prison, where I spent the night lying on a brick floor with 
 no bed or covering of any kind, in order to be "up and 
 dressed," ready to answer to my name the next morning 
 for shipment by rail to Macon, the first objective point of 
 the exchanged prisoners. 
 
 ! The night seemed interminable, but morning came at 
 last, and when the doors were opened I was among the 
 first to step out upon the street, and thence to the station 
 and the train already in waiting. Only freight cars were 
 provided and I was unable to get into one of these without 
 assistance from a comrade. W. D. McElhenny, First 
 Lieutenant of Company F, was the good angel that picked 
 me up and set me into a car as easily and gently as one 
 might lift a basket of eggs; and in a few moments more 
 we started out on the return trip to 
 
 MACON AND ATLANTA. 
 
 Eeaching the former place we were compelled to re- 
 main several days, as there seemed to be a hitch in nego- 
 tiations for the exchange; if indeed, that most important 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 243 
 
 of all transactions had not already been declared off. At 
 this delay our hearts which since leaving Charleston had 
 been beating high again sank to the depths. But finally 
 it was announced that a portion of our number at least 
 would be called, and at once started in the direction of 
 Kough and Ready, twenty miles south of Atlanta, the 
 point where the agreed upon exchange was to take place. 
 When the day came for our departure from Macon (not 
 yet knowing whether all were to go or not) in answer to 
 our names when called alphabetically, we were to step out- 
 side the gate, ready for the train. My name was far down 
 on the list and one after another, as they were called, I 
 saw the rank dwindle away. Of course, to remain and be 
 returned to prison was regarded as equivalent to a death 
 sentence. Captain John H. Riggs of the 8th (another 
 name low on the list) was by my side. Finally he and I 
 stood there alone, and for some unexplained reason, there 
 was a pause in the roll-call. Riggs was as brave a man 
 as any, but I could hear his heart beat, and to me every- 
 thing seemed to have turned suddenly dark. But the 
 next moment, above the heart beats we heard our names 
 called, when both ran out through the gate as if escaping 
 from a cage of lions. 
 
 Many of the prisoners were very much reduced physi- 
 cally, and the trip from Macon to Rough and Ready, at 
 the best, was a trying one; but on those who were really 
 unable to help themselves, the burden fell with a greater 
 weight. 
 
 The country through which we had to pass, and upon 
 which all (guards as well as prisoners) must depend for 
 sustenance, was deserted, and desolated by the tramp of 
 contending armies. Railroad tracks were torn up and 
 often we were compelled to make the journey on foot. 
 
244 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Or, (for those who were unable to walk) conveyance was 
 furnished in ambulances or rough farm wagons drawn by 
 mules, emaciated as the prisoners themselves. But at last 
 we reach Rough and Ready, 
 
 THE POINT OF EXCHANGE. 
 
 It was early one fine morning, and the first act of the 
 officer in command was to raise a white flag in the center 
 of the track. Here we must await the arrival of the Con- 
 federate prisoners who were to be shipped from Atlanta. 
 The face of the country was comparatively level, altogether 
 sandy and covered with a growth of open pine timber 
 through which we could see up the track to the north- 
 ward, a distance of several miles. The station at Rough 
 and Ready, and the few houses to be seen still standing, 
 were all vacant, and many of them torn and shattered by 
 shot and shell. The humming of a bee or the carol of a 
 bird was nowhere to be heard, and an air of utter desola- 
 tion prevailed. 
 
 Under existing circumstances, discipline was relaxed, 
 and the guards paid very little attention to our move- 
 ments. As the day wore away, and there was no appear- 
 ance of a train from Atlanta, the thought of escape came 
 once more to mind. But from the scarcity of inhabitants 
 and the desolate condition of the country, the chances for 
 starvation in such an emergency seemed greater than 
 those for reaching the Federal lines in safety. Besides 
 the condition of my health was such as to preclude the 
 possibility of success, and so that project was abandoned. 
 
 As we lounged there in the sand, leaning up against the 
 pine trees for support, every manner of conjecture as to 
 the non-appearance of the train passed among the pris- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 245 
 
 oners. Between hope and despair, from time to time we 
 strained our eyes up the track in anticipation of some 
 hopeful sign that deliverance was at hand. But as often 
 we retired to the trees and sank down into a state of 
 almost hopeless despondency; for by this time, as night 
 approached, all were impressed with the belief that the 
 agreement for an exchange had finally fallen through, and 
 that we must retrace our steps and take up the old accus- 
 tomed haunts at Macon and Charleston, there to remain 
 until death, or the close of the War came to our relief. 
 It is said the darkest hour is the one before day, but in 
 this case it was the one just before night. The sun was 
 setting and our hearts were beating correspondingly low, 
 when for a last look before night cast its dark mantle 
 over the scene, we once more strained our eyes to the 
 northward. When lo! a little puff of white smoke not 
 bigger than a man's hat could be seen just above the track 
 nearly three miles away. 
 
 As this came into view a shout went up from the 
 prisoners that caused the pine forest to ring with its re- 
 verberating echoes. Moments now seemed like hours. 
 But presently an engine under a full head of steam came 
 into view; and back of it the long train, with guards in 
 blue uniform standing, musket in hand, on top of the 
 cars. As this to us magnificent spectacle came thun- 
 dering down the grade, white flags were seen fluttering 
 from either side of the engine. 
 
 The train came to a stand in front of us, and as their 
 names were called the rebel prisoners sprang out to the 
 ground. Although going as they were to take up arms 
 again in what must have appeared to them an almost 
 hopeless cause, they, too, seemed delighted that the hour 
 of temporary deliverance had come. 
 
246 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The terms of the exchange called for a certain number 
 of enlisted men held prisoners by our Government to be 
 given up for a certain number of officers of specified rank 
 held by the Confederacy. In exchanges of this kind the 
 following rates obtain: thirty-five privates for a Major- 
 General; twenty for a Brigadier-General; ten for a Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel; eight for a Major; six for a Captain; four 
 for a Lieutenant; and two for a Sergeant. At these 
 figures 650 husky and able-bodied Johnnies were given up 
 by our government for about 125 emaciated and half 
 starved Union officers. There was one Major-General in- 
 cluded in this number, General Stoneman, who had com- 
 manded the raid in which we were all captured, and in 
 which his command had been made a vicarious sacrifice. 
 This must have been the light in which General Sherman 
 viewed the matter, as no other general exchange of 
 prisoners took place at this period of the war. Stoneman, 
 however, who was included in this exchange, had already 
 been paroled and sent home on a transport via Fortress 
 Monroe. Why the enlisted men of the Macon raiders, 
 hundreds of whom perished in Andersonville and other 
 prisons, were not included in this exchange, is a matter 
 that does not appear of record. 
 
 As the cars were emptied of one contingent another 
 entered, and bidding our guards good-bye (they had been 
 very kind and considerate on the trip), the train, backing 
 up all the way, landed us safely in Atlanta about 9 o'clock 
 that night. On arriving, the prisoners proceeded in a 
 body to General Sherman's headquarters in a private 
 house near the center of the city. The General came out 
 bareheaded, and standing on the gallery, extended con- 
 gratulations and a welcome in a short speech in which 
 he took occasion to say he had that day received dis- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 247 
 
 patches from General Grant, who had a few days before 
 advanced his line on the north side of the James River to 
 within seven miles of Richmond; and from other depart- 
 ments in the West he had equally encouraging reports to 
 make. He admonished us to return to our regiments and 
 continue faithful to our trust; that complete victory was 
 soon to perch on the banners of the Union. 
 
 I now hastened to the telegraph office and sent the fol- 
 lowing dispatch to my sister, dated Atlanta, October 19th, 
 1864: 
 
 "SAFE WITHIN THE FEDERAL LI1STES, THANK 
 
 GOD!" 
 
 Many of our party hurried on that night to join their 
 commands farther West and North, and they were just in 
 time, as I also was just in time with my dispatch, for the 
 next day wires were cut, bridges burned, and the track 
 leading to Chattanooga and beyond, upon which the army 
 in Atlanta was entirely dependent for supplies, was 
 destroyed. Hood, after evacuating Atlanta, had swung 
 around into Sherman's rear, and having destroyed the 
 railroad, was now threatening the invasion of East and 
 Middle Tennessee. 
 
 To look after Hood and repair the damages already 
 inflicted, General Sherman at once abandoned Atlanta and 
 started the army in pursuit, leaving but one corps the 
 20th under General Slocum, to hold the citadel of 
 Atlanta. 
 
 For the time, all communication being cut off, Atlanta 
 was completely isolated and the troops and citizens therein 
 began to feel the pinch of hunger. Animals were perish- 
 ing and the garrison was placed on short rations. Heavy 
 foraging parties were sent out, but the country for miles 
 
248 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 around had been swept clean of everything needed for the 
 support of an army, and often these expeditions were fruit- 
 less and barren of results. 
 
 What added to the general discomfort, the army had 
 been so actively employed on the campaigns leading up 
 to Atlanta that no time had been taken to muster for pay; 
 and, though there were five or six paymasters then within 
 the garrison, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in 
 greenbacks locked up in strong boxes, the army was abso- 
 lutely destitute of money, and there was very little avail- 
 able that money could buy. 
 
 Meantime, the excitement incident to our exchange hav- 
 ing died out, I sought refuge in the Soldiers' Home, a 
 hospital established for the care of the disabled. Among 
 the attendants here I found Captain John Shafter (a 
 brother of the late General Shafter), who had been a boy- 
 hood friend, and I am indebted for the unremitting care 
 and attention which he gave me and under which my con- 
 dition greatly improved. The time of which I now speak 
 was the few days intervening after our arrival in Atlanta 
 before the departure of the army under General Sherman. 
 
 Through the kindness of Captain Shafter I learned that 
 my brother with his regiment was located at Decatur, near 
 the spot from which the ill-starred raid to Macon began, 
 and, learning of my presence at the Soldiers' Home, he at 
 once started with an ambulance to carry me to his head- 
 quarters. Accompanying him to the encampment of the 
 25th Michigan Infantry, I there received the care and 
 attention which only a brother can give. Although but 
 three months had passed since our last meeting under the 
 Federal breastworks in front of Atlanta, and not more 
 than two miles distant from where we now stood, the 
 dangers encountered, the labors performed and the experi- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 249 
 
 ence gained by each in his respective line of duty might 
 fill the measure of an ordinary lifetime. 
 
 Reminded now of his last admonition to me just before 
 starting on the raid ("Look out, my boy, or you will lose 
 that watch again"), my brother's first query was as to what 
 had been the final disposition of that noted timepiece. I 
 then recounted the story of my adventures since our sepa- 
 ration, naming the fabulous sum I had received in Con- 
 federate money for the watch and chain. 
 
 But this little respite came suddenly to a close, when, 
 two days later, the regiment was ordered to leave with the 
 troops under General Sherman, and there was nothing left 
 for me now but to find my way back to the Soldiers' Home, 
 which, reluctantly, I entered the second time. As already 
 intimated, the supplies at the Home were scant and the 
 commonest necessaries for a well-regulated hospital were 
 wanting. A few articles yet remained, and they were being 
 carefully parceled out to the most needy from day to day. 
 Among the few things that fell to my lot at this time was 
 a little sack containing biscuit and cakes, and carefully put 
 away among them was a letter from the young girl who 
 had prepared and contributed the sack and its contents to 
 swell the gifts of a Sanitary Commission near her home 
 in the State of Ohio, and, what seemed to me to be a most 
 remarkable coincidence, the letter and the signature affixed 
 disclosed the fact that the package had been prepared and 
 donated by the same young girl who had found and returned 
 the pocketbook, as related in another chapter. 
 
 It is a matter of deep regret at this time that I have 
 lost the letters and forgotten many names that I would 
 now gladly recall, but a half century's time in a somewhat 
 eventful life may be the cause of one forgetting many 
 things it would be a pleasure to remember, but consolation 
 
250 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 is found in the fact that time also is a great healer, 
 and the lapse of memory enables one to cast off recollec- 
 tions an accumulation of which might in time make life a 
 burden. 
 
 But "Uncle Billy," as General Sherman was familiarly 
 called by the men under his command,, was not long in 
 relieving the pressure at Atlanta and opening communica- 
 tion with the outside world. 
 
 I now reported to General Slocum, in command of the 
 garrison, who directed me in a special order to join my 
 regiment, then at Lexington, Kentucky, where it had been 
 sent on foot to be remounted. The horses of our entire 
 regiment had been worn out or disabled in the exhausting 
 marches of the Atlanta campaign. The route to the north- 
 ward was now open, it is true, but travel was dangerous, 
 the country being infested with guerrillas and other 
 marauding bands. 
 
 Finally early in November a train was made up with 
 a heavy escort to guard and protect the paymasters who 
 were about to embark with their treasure for Chattanooga 
 and other points, where they hoped to be relieved of their 
 heavy responsibilities in the care of so much money. Join- 
 ing this party we reached Chattanooga three or four days 
 later, after having been delayed en route on account of 
 obstructions on the track and bridges burned and torn up. 
 At these points a line of skirmishers was often kept up by 
 the escort, in order to beat off the bushwhackers lying con- 
 cealed along the road. 
 
 Near a little station in a wooded country where the train 
 had been brought to a stand I went into a grocery (and 
 saloon combined), thinking to beg something to eat or 
 drink, for I was faint and had no money. The door was 
 wide open, and, on walking in, I discovered no keeper, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 251 
 
 but there were three corpses lying stretched out on the 
 counter. The blood was still oozing from gunshot wounds, 
 and the bodies had not yet stiffened. They were roughly 
 dressed in butternut clothing; but, there being no one near 
 to explain, and both curiosity and appetite suddenly disap- 
 pearing, I hurried back to the train. On reaching Chatta- 
 nooga good fortune attended me in finding there in com- 
 mand of the post an old Libby prison friend, 
 
 COLONEL H. C. HOBART, 
 
 who very kindly located me in a hospital train just being 
 made up for Nashville. The cars on these trains were 
 arranged with suitable bunks, medical supplies, nurses and 
 all the accessories of a well-regulated hospital. Colonel 
 Hobart assisted me on board and introduced me to the 
 surgeon in charge, and I fared as well on the journey as 
 one could hope under the circumstances until Nashville 
 was reached. 
 
 It is said fortune favors the brave, but it was not owing 
 to any active element of bravery that occasioned another 
 streak of good luck that soon overtook me, for courage had 
 pretty well oozed out. Walking down the streets of Nash- 
 ville without a cent in my pockets and not knowing which 
 way to turn, imagine my delight on recognizing in an 
 officer driving a fine span of horses down the street another 
 old boyhood friend, Colonel William E. Shafter. Reining 
 up to the curb, after congratulations, he invited me to 
 step into the carriage. With this request I complied and 
 accompanied him to his headquarters. 
 
 At this time Shafter was Colonel of the 17th Colored 
 Infantry, located at Nashville for the winter. About two 
 months later he won a Brigadier-GeneraPs star for gallant 
 
252 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 service in command of his regiment at the battle of Nash- 
 ville. He invited me to remain with him during my stay 
 in the city, and kindly shared the contents of his purse, 
 which was really meager, as the army as yet had not been 
 paid. About the third day, after expending what little I 
 was able to borrow in the purchase of necessary clothing, 
 I renewed the journey toward Louisville and Lexington. 
 The special order I held from General Slocum directing 
 me to return to my regiment was a guarantee for trans- 
 portation over all roads controlled by the Government. 
 But at each change of road this order had to be endorsed 
 or countersigned by the local quartermaster of transporta- 
 tion. Arriving at Louisville I found the Quartermaster 
 whose signature it was necessary to obtain had his office 
 far up in the city. Being unable to walk that distance 
 and get back in time to catch my train, and having no 
 money with which to pay for a team to carry me (I had 
 spent my last dollar on the road coming from Nashville), 
 I concluded to go on and have it out with the conductor 
 on the way to Lexington. 
 
 As anticipated, he came around punctually in the dis- 
 charge of his duties. I showed him my order, and after 
 looking on the back of it he said : "This is not endorsed 
 by the Quartermaster at Louisville/' I thereupon explained 
 to him the reason why it was not so endorsed. In reply 
 to this he said : "I am very sorry, but I can't pass you 
 without this order being properly countersigned." 
 
 "Very well," I replied, "you may put me off the train, 
 but you will have to apply force to do it, for I shall not 
 leave the train voluntarily." There was a gentleman 
 occupying the seat with me, dressed in citizen's clothes, 
 who, upon hearing this sharp colloquy, arose, and, running 
 his hand in his pocket, pulled out, not a six-shooter, but 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 253 
 
 a wallet, and said to the conductor: "I will pay this 
 man's fare; how much is it?" 
 
 Seeing a sympathizing friend at hand I gathered courage, 
 and, taking hold of the stranger's arm, asked him to sit 
 down, stating that I did not wish him to pay my fare; 
 that I was entitled under the circumstances to transporta- 
 tion on Uncle Sam's cars, and now insisted upon a free 
 ride. Upon this the conductor turned around and walked 
 away without another word, and I rode quietly on to Lex- 
 ington. The stranger, so he informed me later, had been 
 a soldier in the 20th Kentucky Infantry, and, of course, 
 was a Union man. 
 
 When the train arrived in Lexington it was dark, and 
 not being able to look further for my regiment, in which, 
 of course, I would have found such relief as I stood in 
 immediate need of, as well as many 
 
 SYMPATHIZING FRIENDS, 
 
 I went to a hotel and retired for the night, though not to 
 sleep. Sallying forth early the next morning, expecting 
 to find members of my regiment strolling about the streets 
 (for when in camp a certain proportion of men are always 
 off duty with plenty of leisure), but it did not add much 
 to my peace of mind to learn that but a day or two before 
 the whole regiment, now thoroughly mounted, had left to 
 join the army under General Thomas on the Nashville 
 campaign, and I now resolved to report to General Bur- 
 bridge, in command of the department headquarters in 
 Lexington. 
 
 While moving down the street with that purpose in view, 
 and ruminating somewhat disconsolately upon the situa- 
 tion, whom should I chance to meet but Captain , 
 
254 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 of the 8th Kegiment, who had obtained leave of absence 
 and was about to start for home. Of course, we were 
 fellow-officers in the same regiment and I had known him 
 well, and as he had already remarked upon my attenuated 
 form and generally forlorn appearance, I ventured to ask 
 him for a loan of money, as that, next to friends, would 
 be most helpful under the circumstances. He had just 
 received his pay and his pockets were replete with green- 
 backs, but I saw at a glance my request had given him a 
 nervous shock, and that the proposition for a loan was not 
 meeting with that favorable consideration one might 
 reasonably hope for, everything being considered. But 
 after some hesitation he arose to the occasion and asked 
 if five dollars would answer my requirements. Now, green- 
 backs had depreciated in value two hundred per cent., and 
 five dollars then had little more purchasing power than 
 a dollar would have at the present time, and, concluding 
 that giving up such an amount would cause him more dis- 
 tress than the loan would be of benefit to me, I thanked 
 him for his generous offer and concluded the interview 
 with the remark that I was not much in need of money, 
 anyway. 
 
 But in going not more than a half square farther I met 
 another officer, Captain Samuel Wells, also about to start 
 for home. Though of the same name, Captain Wells was 
 not a relative of mine, only a comrade, as the other Cap- 
 tain was. After a cordial greeting he remarked upon my 
 distressing appearance, and while undertaking to tell him 
 something of the experiences I had gone through since the 
 unfortunate outcome of the Stoneman raid, he interrupted 
 by asking: "Are you in need of money?" and, as I re- 
 plied in the affirmative, he said: "How much do you 
 want ?" "About fifty dollars will do me for present needs," 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 255 
 
 I answered. Thereupon putting his hand in his pocket he 
 drew out a roll of greenbacks, remarking as he did so, 
 "You had better have a hundred, you will need it," and, 
 counting out that amount of money, he handed it over to 
 me. All of which goes to show one does not have to travel 
 far to find there is a vast difference in comradeship and 
 in men. 
 
 Together we went to headquarters, and while I was 
 seated Captain Wells attended to the details of securing 
 my leave of absence for thirty days. There was no pay- 
 master nearer than Cincinnati, and together we took an 
 early train for that place. Stimulated by this active sym- 
 pathy and the hope of soon meeting other friends, my 
 strength and spirits rapidly returned. At Cincinnati, after 
 drawing the six or seven months' pay then due, we re- 
 mained two days, attending the theater each night, wit- 
 nessing Edwin Adams in his celebrated roles of "Enoch 
 Arden" and "Don Caesar de Bazan" at Pike's Opera House. 
 This part of our narrative is now gladly abandoned for 
 that of 
 
 THE SECOND HOME-COMING. 
 
 The conditions at home at this time had materially 
 changed from those of twelve months before. War, as 
 aptly defined by General Sherman, had become a settled 
 condition in the daily life of the people. Many soldiers 
 were being mustered out and returned home by reason of 
 the expiration of the three-year term of service, or else 
 were "veteranizing," as the reenlistment for a second three- 
 year term was called. Many took the latter course, and 
 after a thirty days' leave of absence among friends again 
 returned to the front to fight it out on original lines. 
 
 Traveling by rail through the country in any direction 
 
256 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the fall of 1864 the grim specter of war in some form 
 confronted one at every turn. In the towns and villages 
 where trains were scheduled to stop great oblong boxes 
 made of rough boards (gruesomely styled "wooden over- 
 coats") were being unloaded from time to time. Every 
 one of these contained the remains of some soldier who 
 somewhere at the front had answered the final roll-call 
 and paid the last full measure of devotion to his country. 
 Maimed and disabled veterans were often seen, and among 
 them now and then an emaciated victim of prison life, 
 released and endeavoring to reach home while life yet 
 remained. 
 
 A single instance of this kind will suffice to cover the 
 case of thousands. A father with his son, who had just 
 been released from a Southern prison, while on their way 
 home from Baltimore to Michigan, had missed the connec- 
 tion at Toledo, where the writer met them. They were 
 only three hours' run from home, but were compelled to 
 wait here three hours for another train. Had they not 
 been so delayed the young sufferer might have reached his 
 home and his mother's outstretched arms before the final 
 summons came, but Providence ordered otherwise, and with 
 a hard bench for a bed and a military overcoat for a 
 pillow, the hapless soldier's last gaze fell upon the dark 
 and dingy walls of the railroad station at Toledo. The 
 heartbroken father, looking himself like a corpse, after 
 closing the eyes of his dead boy was compelled to go out 
 into a strange city on a bitter cold night to find someone 
 who would be kind enough to make a box (the wooden 
 overcoat above described) in which to ship his boy home 
 by express. The box late in the night was secured and 
 the shipment made, and we mercifully draw the veil over 
 the final scene of that "home-coming." 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 257 
 
 The draft still rigidly applied, scenes like this were 
 being seized upon by those who opposed the war from its 
 inception to discourage further enlistments and oppose 
 the draft; and riot and bloodshed in many of the larger 
 towns and cities made the hour a dark and gloomy one for 
 all those who stood ready to sacrifice life and fortune on 
 the altar of the Union. The ultimate success of Sher- 
 man's march through Georgia was still in doubt; and 
 Thomas had so far been unable to check Hood's steady ad- 
 vance on Nashville. But a cloud darker than all these 
 agencies combined threatened the life of the Nation in 
 1864. 
 
 It is a well-known fact that Louis Napoleon, while all 
 our resources were employed in the prosecution of the 
 Civil War, sought to establish a French Empire in 
 Mexico. Aided by Great Britain and Spain, he succeeded 
 in overturning the republican government in that country 
 and offered the emperorship to Maximilian of Austria. 
 This was a flagrant violation of the Monroe Doctrine, but 
 all that could be done under the difficulties with which 
 we were then beset was to protest, and in 1864 Maximilian 
 entered Mexico and assumed the imperial throne. Napo- 
 leon III then renewed his appeals to Great Britain to join 
 him in recognizing the Southern Confederacy, and, as was 
 believed in this country, with a very fair chance of suc- 
 cess. What would have been the result? For the astound- 
 ing statement that here follows we have the high author- 
 ity of "Ellis' History of Our Own Country," page 1294, 
 just published, which assures us that its authority for the 
 statement was that of General Grant himself. The secret 
 for such it was was known alone to him, President 
 Lincoln and Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War. Those three 
 in consultation made a careful memorandum, complete in 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 all its details, by which one hundred and twenty-five 
 thousand troops, whose officers and leaders were selected 
 and everything fully arranged, were to be thrown into 
 Canada. This resistless army of trained veterans would 
 have been across the border within forty-eight hours after 
 England recognized the Southern Confederacy. Canada 
 would thus have been overrun and wrested from the 
 mother country before she could have taken an effective 
 step to prevent it. Grant carried the memorandum in his 
 breast pocket for weeks, ready to act on the very minute 
 this overt act of enmity on the part of England reached 
 him. But England hesitated to do as Napoleon III urged 
 her to do; the Confederacy collapsed; and the crisis 
 passed. 
 
 Certainly, then, no darker days ever appeared upon the 
 horizon of the Union than the Fall of 1864. On election 
 day the weather itself was dark and foreboding. McClel- 
 lan, Democratic candidate for President, stood upon a 
 platform that declared the war for the preservation of the 
 Union a "failure" and its purposes "unholy;" and there 
 was quite a considerable element in the Northern States 
 opposed to its further prosecution under any pretext what- 
 ever, and who demanded "peace at any price." In places 
 the polls were protected by armed guards, and concealed 
 weapons were commonly carried. But the great heart of 
 the people as that of the army was fixed in its purpose, 
 and at no time was there a thought entertained in the 
 Nation's councils or on the bloody fields of giving up the 
 fight. And so the great Lincoln was reflected and re- 
 mained the chosen leader of the loyal masses. 
 
 My health now seemed to improve and I took on flesh 
 but did not recover my strength, and it has never re- 
 turned from that day to this. But under the deepening 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 259 
 
 shadows that overhung the nation, I could not well re- 
 main at home, and once more bidding good-bye to friends 
 and kindred, I started for the front, rejoining the 8th 
 Cavalry at Pulaski, Tennessee, and here in command of 
 Company M entered 
 
 AGAIN UPON ACTIVE DUTY. 
 
 Remnants of Hood's army, beaten at Nashville, and 
 many of them deserters, sometimes in large and well 
 organized bands, were fairly overrunning west Tennessee 
 and north Alabama. These soon came to be regarded as 
 banditti by citizens and soldiers alike, and when captured 
 were treated as such. Often they were summarily shot or 
 hung when and where taken without the delay of a trial 
 or a drumhead courtmartial. Throughout the spring of 
 1865 a brigade of our cavalry was stationed at Pulaski, 
 patrolling the country and running down these lawless 
 bands. 
 
 The regiment frequently moved from point to point, as 
 much for the purpose of finding ready forage for the stock 
 and rations for the men as that of hunting guerrillas. 
 The people were tired of war. The country everywhere 
 was being lighted up with the glories of a Southern spring, 
 and men and horses were on "Easy Street" (to use a 
 modern colloquialism) so far as hard marches or immi- 
 nent danger of battle was concerned; some of our expedi- 
 tions were little more than a holiday junket, and these 
 were enjoyed by man and beast alike. 
 
 Remaining several days in a place, we had an oppor- 
 tunity to become acquainted with the people, who mingled 
 freely with the soldiers, and little dancing parties and 
 other entertainments were given for their amusement. 
 
260 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The country people in this part of Tennessee were plain 
 and their manners crude, but their hearts were loyal- and 
 hospitality unbounded. Native young men were scarce, 
 as the four years' war had sadly depleted their ranks, and 
 the young women were by no means ill disposed toward 
 a good looking and well behaved Yankee soldier. 
 
 At one village a party was given to the officers of our 
 regiment to which the young people from far and near 
 were invited. The young ladies generally were brought in 
 on horseback, riding "double" behind their escorts. Of 
 course, military discipline had to be observed, and there 
 was the regular routine of guard mounting, vidette and 
 picket duty to be kept up. Heavy rains had fallen for two 
 or three days, and the roads were muddy and almost im- 
 passable. But this did not deter the young people from 
 coming from a distance of two or three miles. 
 
 I had formed the acquaintance of a young lady living 
 in the hills some distance out, but soon discovered there 
 was a lively competitor in Captain W. H. Mills, Kegimen- 
 tal Commissary. I expected to secure the lady as a partner 
 for the dance, but imagine my discomfort when notified 
 that on the morning of the day on which the dance was 
 to come off in the evening, I would be required to go on 
 duty as "officer of the day." This would occupy my undi- 
 vided attention for the next twenty-four hours at least and 
 so give a clear field to my rival. "Billy," (as the Captain 
 was familiarly called) was not slow to improve the oppor- 
 tunity thus presented, and engaged the lady in question 
 for the dance. At this outcome of the affair, all who were 
 in the secret enjoyed a good laugh at the expense of the 
 narrator; but I had my revenge. Knowing well the road 
 on which the happy pair would come (both mounted on 
 the same horse), I instructed the pickets to challenge every 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 261 
 
 one approaching the camp on that road after dark, and 
 compel them to dismount and advance on foot to give the 
 countersign. The lowering shadows of night had no sooner 
 settled down than the labored tramp of a horse was heard 
 coming through the mud. I took my position behind a 
 neighboring tree to see that the picket carried out his 
 instructions, and incidentally to watch the result of his 
 challenge. When the sounds came within about two hun- 
 dred yards (it was very dark) the sentinel called out in a 
 clear ringing voice "Halt! Who comes there?" "A friend 
 with the countersign," was the feeble response. "Dis- 
 mount and advance and give the countersign," continued 
 the faithful picket. Thus compelled to leave his girl 
 alone in the darkness, the Captain, wearing his best 
 trousers and fine polished boots, came splashing through 
 the mud to the picket post to deliver the countersign. In 
 doing so he discovered me behind the tree, and taking in 
 the situation and the joke at a glance, he began shaking 
 his fist. At this juncture, under cover of the darkness, I 
 hurried away to the next post and there remained till the 
 threatening storm had passed over. 
 
 In other localities the feeling was just as intense but it 
 took a different form. On the march one day in North 
 Alabama, Lieutenant Cray of the 8th, riding ahead, went 
 up to a house to ask for a drink of water, when two or 
 three men rushed out and shot his horse dead and mortally 
 wounded the Lieutenant who died a short time after. The 
 assassins took to the brush before the command came up 
 and escaped. Our men, upon learning the facts from Cray 
 himself, surrounded the house, and after thorough search 
 for more guerrillas, the women were ordered out, the 
 house set on fire and with all of its contents burned to the 
 ground. 
 
262 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 A desultory warfare was kept up through the spring 
 and summer of 1865 until 
 
 THE FINAL MUSTEK OUT. 
 
 Paroled Confederates from Lee's and Johnson's armies 
 now began to arrive in Tennessee singly and in small 
 groups, and what has already been said of the retiring 
 veteran in the North disabled, bleeding and footsore 
 was manifest here, but in a more exaggerated form. Re- 
 turning Confederates were frequently met on the road by 
 our scouting parties, who often "took them up behind" 
 to give them a "lift," sharing their bread and coffee mean- 
 time. They were scantily clothed, and, calling at our 
 camps, were never turned away hungry or barefooted. 
 There was an instance of a Confederate who, alone and 
 dying by the roadside, was found by a Union soldier, who 
 took him up, nursed him back into life and sent him on 
 his way. 
 
 But when the final surrender came the rejoicing in camp 
 knew no bounds. Discipline was relaxed and all sorts of 
 excesses for the time were indulged in on the part of 
 officers and men. An officer in command of a military 
 post in Tennessee issued a special order to the effect that 
 any man wearing the uniform not on duty who should 
 be found sober at any time between the hours of 12 o'clock 
 at noon and 12 o'clock that night would be arrested and 
 sent to the guard house. The American flag was carried 
 by venturesome climbers to the tops of the highest trees, 
 lashed to the limbs, and there left to wave, undisputed 
 and unmolested throughout all coming time. Some 
 laughed, while others expressed their joy in tears; but all 
 were supremely happy in this one day of unrestricted 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 263 
 
 jubilation, for with it peace and union had come, and 
 come to stay. But at what a cost ! Seven hundred thou- 
 sand lives, the best young blood of the land, had been 
 given up, and the nation was staggering under a debt 
 incomprehensible in its magnitude. The day of rejoicing, 
 however, was not one of exultation on the part of the 
 Federal troops. The victory had been too dearly won for 
 that. The contending armies had by this time learned a 
 wholesome though a dearly bought lesson. The valor ex- 
 hibited by one had won the respect and admiration of the 
 other, and both were glad to let go when they did, with 
 but little thought as to who had been the most valiant. 
 
 But what a change came over the face of everything five 
 days later, when the wires flashed the intelligence of Lin- 
 coln's assassination. A day of weeping and lamentation 
 succeeded that of joy and peace. Lincoln's untimely death 
 was an unfortunate occurrence for the South, for before 
 time had settled the calm judgment of the people, fixing 
 the crime where it belonged that of a madman it was 
 charged to the Southern leaders. The liberal spirit which 
 pervaded the army of the North at the time of Lee's sur- 
 render was by this insane act turned to bitterness and 
 gall. Among the men whose term of enlistment was about 
 to expire, and who expected soon to be honorably dis- 
 charged and sent home there was an expression of a willing- 
 ness to reenlist and fight to the bitter end. The hope 
 was often expressed in language more forcible than one 
 would dare to write that the Confederates would not sur- 
 render at all, but that the war might be prolonged, thus 
 giving the Union army an opportunity to wreak a bloody 
 vengeance. Indeed, it was feared and believed by many 
 that Lincoln's assassination and the attempt upon the life 
 of Secretary Seward at the same time was but a signal 
 
264 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 for the beginning of a war of extermination the end of 
 which no man could foretell. An entire brigade of cavalry 
 encamped near Pulaski, Tennessee, turned out to listen to 
 what the Chaplain might have to say touching this great 
 national calamity. As they came together there was an 
 air of solemnity among the men foreign to their habitual 
 demeanor, and when the Chaplain raised his hands in 
 prayer two thousand begrimed and hardened soldiers 
 dropped upon their knees or humbly bowed in silent sup- 
 plication. The sorrow was universal, and mutterings of 
 vengeance were heard for many days thereafter. 
 
 But the good sense of the American people at last pre- 
 vailed, and in the ecstasy which the vision of peace brought 
 to every heart the cry for vengeance was hushed, and char- 
 ity soon spread her soft mantle, shutting out from view 
 the hideous spectacle of war. 
 
 With many of the enlisted men the privations of the 
 camp and field were no longer irksome; with them a 
 "fight or a frolic" had become synonymous terms and 
 perilous adventure almost a passion. Four years of active 
 campaigning involving every specie of hazard, including 
 defeat and victory alike, had hardened and disciplined 
 them until they loved the service in which that discipline 
 had become so important a factor. 
 
 The regular army under Mr. Lincoln's second call for 
 three years' volunteer enlistments (May, 1861), also in- 
 cluded the increase of the regular army by the recruiting 
 and organization of ten additional regiments eight of in- 
 fantry, one of cavalry and one of artillery twenty thou- 
 sand men in all. While the power to do this was doubted 
 by many in authority, and the proposition met with strong 
 opposition from the outset, the wisdom of the President 
 in inaugurating the plan is shown in the fact that from 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 265 
 
 this organization came many of the great Generals that 
 led our armies to victory. There were many men of mili- 
 tary training, who, like Grant and Sherman, not caring 
 to follow the profession of war as a business, had already 
 resigned from the army and did not like to reenter as 
 volunteers. 
 
 At the close both officers and men were needed to fill 
 the depleted ranks of these regular regiments and keep 
 their numbers up to the minimum, for they, with the volun- 
 teers, had sustained heavy losses a total of 96 officers and 
 2,895 enlisted men. Many improved the opportunity thus 
 offered for passing directly from the volunteer to the reg- 
 ular service. What the volunteer officer has been to the 
 regular service is seen in the fact that many who thus 
 chose a life profession before reaching the age of retire- 
 ment rose step by step through the various grades to the 
 highest rank in the gift of the army, positions of great 
 responsibility, and second only in the honors they bring 
 to that of President of the United States. Miles, Chaffee, 
 Shafter and many other names might be mentioned in the 
 long roll of distinguished volunteer officers. 
 
 But there were nearly a million and a quarter of men 
 yet to be mustered out and sent home, and to do this with 
 safety to all interests and the least possible delay was the 
 problem that now engaged the attention of the men upon 
 whose executive ability the performance of this stupendous 
 work devolved. Heretofore on entering the army from 
 time to time and from year to year, recruits could be 
 assigned to the different commands where their services 
 might be required in the East or the West, the Depart- 
 ment of the Gulf, the Red Eiver of the South or the Trans- 
 Mississippi without delay or congestion at any given point. 
 But now that the vast army was to be disbanded at one 
 
266 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 stroke of the pen, paid off and transportation furnished to 
 the remotest points including in the itinerary every State 
 and Territory in the Union the question assumed gigantic 
 proportions, and proved to be one to tax the skill and 
 capacity of the men upon whom the execution of this last 
 phase of the war devolved. In justice to the soldiers and 
 the communities from which they came, the first thing to 
 be considered was how to set every man down at his own 
 door with money in his pockets, where the restraining 
 influence of home and friends would act as a lever or 
 counterpoise against any excesses into which the ex-soldier 
 might be led from habits acquired in long and arduous 
 service in the camp and in the field. 
 
 Upon their final discharge the men were allowed to 
 purchase their equipments, which otherwise were to be 
 turned over to the various State arsenals, including guns, 
 pistols and sabers, which many, as a matter of sentiment, 
 were glad to keep. From this arose great fears that such 
 an army of men just relieved from military discipline and 
 long accustomed to more or less leeway in appropriating 
 the property of the enemy without inquiry as to an equiv- 
 alent being returned, would prove a menace to the peace 
 and dignity of the communities into which they might be 
 set at liberty. But the results only show how little the 
 people knew of the temper and quality of the men that 
 comprised the rank and file of the volunteer army. 
 
 Though impatient of restraint as they were, now that 
 their work was accomplished and no more campaigns to 
 be entered upon or battles to be fought, they must be held 
 as a body and discipline maintained until every man's mili- 
 tary history was completed, muster-out and payrolls care- 
 fully prepared; his age, where, when and by whom en- 
 rolled ; where, when and by whom mustered in ; where last 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 267 
 
 paid and to what time; if a prisoner, where and when 
 captured ; whether wounded or sick in hospital, and a half 
 hundred other details all of which must appear of record 
 in justice to the soldier himself if for no other reason. 
 That hundreds of tons of these records are now on file in 
 the office of the Adjutant General at Washington, where 
 for all coming time a complete summary of every one of 
 the millions who have been or may hereafter be enrolled 
 for service can be seen, is one of the marvels in the man- 
 agement and conduct of the War Department in time of 
 peace as well as in war. 
 
 Another wise provision of the general plan and the very 
 last act in this great spectacular drama of final disband- 
 ment was to pay the soldier in full to date; and from May 
 until November, 1865, $270,000,000 were so disbursed. 
 To carry out these details within a specified time another 
 great army was employed. The printing presses of the 
 country were worked overtime in furnishing the required 
 blanks, and thousands of clerks were kept busy in the 
 various departments in preparing the rolls and other neces- 
 sary details. 
 
 Meantime the soldiers, without active employment, long- 
 ing for home, which now seemed so near and yet so far 
 and restive under restraint, began to desert in considerable 
 numbers, especially from the camps near Washington and 
 other home barracks, thus leaving, after an otherwise 
 honorable service, a tainted record. Small mutinies some- 
 times occurred, which were readily subdued without resort 
 to harsh measures ; but all misdemeanors of this character 
 on the part of the men grew out of the fact that the war 
 was over and no more real service required of them. 
 
 The armies of Grant and Sherman, being contiguous to 
 Washington (and for other reasons), were marched directly 
 
268 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 from the field to the banks of the Potomac within sight of 
 the dome of the Capitol, there to remain while these pre- 
 liminaries for muster-out were going on. The troops of 
 Sherman in their numerous campaigns in the West and 
 in the march to the sea had covered more territory than all 
 the other grand divisions of the Union army combined, 
 and "Uncle Billy" had earned the distinction of being the 
 great marching General of the War, as he was also undoubt- 
 edly the great strategist, Grant, of course, being the bull- 
 dog fighter. But, lank and nimble-footed as the Western 
 men were, they fairly broke the record in the march from 
 Ealeigh to Washington after the surrender, making a dis- 
 tance of 156 miles in five and one-half days, an average of 
 thirty miles a day for an army of nearly 100,000 men. 
 
 In this connection a story told of General Sherman on 
 his march to the sea seems to be apropos. His ultimate 
 purpose and destination on that march was only known to 
 the President, General Grant and a few of their immediate 
 advisers. Therefore curiosity in the North and anxiety in 
 the South were rife as to what strategic point Sherman 
 intended to reach; and one day when somewhere down in 
 the heart of Georgia an old planter, thinking to gain some 
 valuable information on this all-absorbing topic, approached 
 and in a very confidential manner asked General Sherman 
 where he was going. Whereupon the General replied : "I 
 don't know whether I can trust you with my secret." The 
 old Confederate, professing great loyalty, then declared he 
 would "never tell." General Sherman then rode up, and, 
 bending over in his saddle with his mouth close to the old 
 gentleman's ear, whispered: "I'll tell you where I am 
 going. I am going where I dam please." And that fact 
 no doubt accounts in a large measure for the great dislike 
 for General Sherman in the South to-day; he most in- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 269 
 
 variably went where he pleased, and the Confederates were 
 never able to stay his march. 
 
 Another story characteristic of General Sherman is told. 
 In his various campaigns through the enemy's country he 
 had rendered himself especially obnoxious to the people by 
 the destruction of a good deal of property belonging, as 
 he believed, to the Confederate Government, and thousands 
 of bales of cotton were so captured or destroyed. But 
 there was one lot in which a special plea was put up for 
 its preservation. A gentleman came forward and appealed 
 to General Sherman in person, and in his concluding re- 
 marks on the subject a veiled threat was implied. He 
 said : "You better not destroy it (the cotton in question) 
 that cotton belongs to Queen Victoria !" Whereupon 
 General Sherman replied: "Give my compliments to the 
 Queen and tell her I have been going up against her can- 
 non, her rifles and her powder ever since this war began, 
 and wherever I capture her cotton I shall burn it." 
 
 Up to the time of the Civil War deeply absorbed in the 
 development of the country's resources, and therefore more 
 or less neglectful of other important considerations, we 
 had come to be regarded abroad as a nation of farmers 
 and shopkeepers who would in all probability suffer almost 
 any indignity of a political character sooner than be dis- 
 turbed in those peaceful pursuits so dear to the national 
 heart; and the general belief prevailed that should war 
 from any chance be forced upon us the country would be 
 found in a state of absolute unpreparedness, and the people 
 wholly averse to war. Reflecting upon these views so gener- 
 ally held among strangers, just as has been lately thought 
 of the moving of our fleet of battleships around the world, 
 it was then believed that it would be an act of good 
 diplomacy to furnish the people of our own country and 
 
270 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the agents of foreign powers located in Washington with 
 an object lesson in the way of an aggregated representa- 
 tion of the army that had come forth from the heart of 
 the republic to do battle for its life. It was the culmina- 
 tion of this thought, and to check the growing discontent 
 of the waiting soldiers, that resulted in what has gone 
 down to history as the 
 
 GRAND REVIEW. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 23d of May the Army of the Po- 
 tomac, mustering 75,000 men, and followed on the 24th by 
 the Army of the West, 65,000 strong, paraded the streets 
 and avenues of Washington in one of the grandest military 
 pageants of modern times a veteran army of 140,000 
 men in line, the two occupying thirteen hours in passing 
 a given point, seven hours on the first day and six on the 
 second; the survivors of a thousand battles, in the smoke 
 and din of which 500,000 of their comrades sealed their 
 devotion in death. And while only about one-fifth of our 
 fighting force then under arms was here represented, this 
 parade afforded, as it was designed to do, an object lesson, 
 and a very comprehensive view of the whole Grand Army 
 of the Republic. 
 
 Where the march through the capital led, windows, roofs, 
 balconies and curbs were thronged with glad-hearted people 
 whose throats were paralyzed in shouting "welcome !" to 
 the army that had won an honorable peace for all. Ban- 
 ners and streamers stretched across the street and public 
 buildings, containing mottoes expressive of the joy of the 
 people and their gratitude to the army, were seen on every 
 hand. Throughout the entire march a solid mass of 
 humanity pressed forward, as cheer after cheer rent the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 271 
 
 air, and the whole cry of that vast throng was one loud 
 voice of acclaim in praise of the Union soldier. This 
 grand pageant held the people in awe and admiration 
 until the last man in the rear rank had passed and disap- 
 peared. There was a national outpouring of heart and soul 
 in gratitude for the services rendered by the victorious 
 legions of the Union. 
 
 But as if fearful of not being able to reach the heart of 
 the soldier and to impress further upon his mind the 
 sentiment of the people, a banner of white canvas was 
 stretched across the entire front of the Capitol building, 
 on which was painted, in characters so plain that he who 
 ran might read, these words : 
 
 "THE ONLY NATIONAL DEBT WE CAN NEVER 
 REPAY IS THE DEBT WE OWE THE VIC- 
 TORIOUS UNION SOLDIER." 
 
 This motto caught the eye of every man within the ranks 
 of those two great armies, and moved the soldier heart 
 as it had not been moved by any other demonstration; 
 and to him who survives to this day the vision of that 
 lettered banner has never grown dim, though we are forced 
 to the opinion that the sentiment that caused it to be 
 placed there no longer exists. Complaints of the Govern- 
 ment's liberality toward the ex-Union soldier are often 
 heard, and in this connection it may not be amiss to pre- 
 sent a few salient points bearing upon 
 
 THE SUBJECT OF PENSIONS. 
 
 The National debt contracted in the prosecution of the 
 war, as before stated, amounted to the alarming aggre- 
 
272 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 gate of two thousand five hundred millions of dollars 
 ($2,500,000,000), and the annual interest on that debt was 
 one hundred and fifty millions ($150,000,000) a sum 
 much greater than the high-water mark reached by the 
 pension list since the close of the Civil "War. But the 
 people submitted cheerfully and without a murmur to the 
 burden of taxation necessary to discharge this enormous 
 interest and the principal itself as fast as it became due. 
 These obligations were all payable in gold and the money 
 went at once into the hands of the bondholders (often in 
 foreign countries) or was immediately reinvested in other 
 securities, and not a dollar of it ever found its way back 
 among the people. But contrary to this, it should be 
 borne in mind, every dollar paid out by the Government 
 for pensions goes back at once into the avenues of trade, 
 and, with the exception of small sums that go to those 
 living in foreign countries, the people are in reality that 
 much better off than they were before the pension was 
 paid. 
 
 To carry out great enterprises debts are often con- 
 tracted; towns, cities, municipalities,, and even govern- 
 ments, are bonded for long periods, bearing heavy interest, 
 in order to give a coming generation an opportunity to 
 share in the burden of taxation necessary for such an 
 undertaking. This is the manner in which the pension 
 system inaugurated over forty years ago is acting upon the 
 present generation. Being the greatest beneficiaries by 
 the obligation incurred, the people of to-day are helping 
 to discharge a debt in the form of pensions paid out, and 
 for which they are largely benefited. 
 
 For a moment let us consider the ability of the country 
 at this time for paying this debt, as compared with the 
 conditions of forty years ago. The population upon which 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 273 
 
 taxes were indirectly levied at the close of the war num- 
 bered about 40,000,000, while the aggregated wealth of the 
 country was only fourteen thousand millions ($14,000,- 
 000,000). But how is it to-day? The population, upon 
 which but a small portion of this burden now rests, is 
 estimated at 93,000,000; and the aggregated wealth of the 
 country has reached the enormous proportions of one 
 hundred and twenty-five thousand millions ($125,000,- 
 000,000) a national growth in wealth and population 
 (under this burdensome (?) taxation) unprecedented in 
 the world's history; and all this in face of the fact, as 
 some would have us believe, the country is being im- 
 poverished by the bounties paid the ex-Union soldiers and 
 their dependent widows and orphans. 
 
 As a further objection to the pension system it is 
 claimed a portion of this money is being paid out to the 
 undeserving. There may be a modicum of truth in this 
 statement. Alone with old age and in sight of death as 
 most of them are; indigent, intemperate and garrulous 
 though some of them may be, is it not better, now that the 
 nation under a permanent Union has grown rich, powerful 
 and great, that the Government pension now and then 
 an undeserving one, or even to pay out millions to those 
 who may have sworn falsely and obtained pensions fraudu- 
 lently, than to allow one worthy soldier to suffer a single 
 day or hour for the necessaries of life? 
 
 But following this subject to its legitimate conclusion, 
 there is much more in this question of "pensions" than 
 appears on the surface. "While the bondholder received 
 his pay in gold, the man who fought the country's bat- 
 tles, won her victories, preserved her honor, and perpet- 
 uated her institutions, performed his service for the 
 magnificent consideration of thirteen dollars a month, 
 
274 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 taking his pay in a depreciated currency worth not more 
 than fifty cents on the dollar. So that,, in point of fact, 
 the average wage of the enlisted man in the Civil War 
 was about six and one-half dollars a month. 
 
 From earliest time the country has depended entirely 
 upon volunteer enlistments for men to defend its honor 
 and fight its battles, a large standing army seeming to be 
 inimical to the Republican idea. And while the stipu- 
 lated pay of the volunteer has always been meager, as 
 compared with the pay of wage earners in civil life, it has 
 been a settled policy of the Government from its very 
 inception, upon retiring from army service, to pension its 
 fighting men liberally. Immediately following the Revolu- 
 tionary War, there being no money at the disposal of the 
 Government, large grants of land were made to both offi- 
 cers and enlisted men in recognition of their services; the 
 quantity of land being graded according to rank and 
 length of service. Acting upon the recommendation of 
 the Continental Congress, each State of the new Republic 
 took a hand in this work, Virginia taking the lead. The 
 following are a few of the names of that band of patriots 
 with the number of acres of land granted to each: 
 
 Maj. Genl. Gates 17,500 
 
 Brig. Genl. Geo. R. Clark 10,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. (Baron) Steuben 15,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. Peter Muhlenburg 13,194 
 
 Brig. Genl. Hugh Mercer 10,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. Chas. Scott 15,278 
 
 Brig. Genl. Edward Stevens 10,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. Robert Lawson 10,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. Wm. Woodford 10,000 
 
 Brig. Genl. Geo. Weedon 13,333 
 
 Lieut. Col. Henry Lee 8,240 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 275 
 
 Capt. Benj. Harrison 4,000 
 
 Col. Chas. Harrison 6,666 
 
 Col. Robt. H. Harrison 6,000 
 
 Time passed on, a new generation of statesmen came 
 upon the scene, and in the 20th Congress, under the 
 administration of President John Quincy Adams, a bill 
 was brought forward and passed into law (May 15th, 
 1828), placing the surviving officers of the Continental 
 line upon full pay of their rank, the maximum not to ex- 
 ceed that of Captain. Daniel Webster and other great 
 statesmen espoused the cause, and the bill was promptly 
 approved by President Adams. The statesmen of that 
 period felt that the surviving officers of the Revolutionary 
 Army had a just claim upon the gratitude and bounty of 
 the nation and they responded to that sentiment. This 
 was followed four years later by the act of June 7th, 1832. 
 These two acts placed all surviving officers, non-commis- 
 sioned officers, musicians, soldiers and Indian spies who 
 served in the Continental line or State troops, volunteer 
 or militia; and all officers, non-commissioned officers, 
 mariners or marines of the navy, who served two years in 
 the war of the Revolution, upon full pay of their rank 
 during life, and those who served less than two years and 
 more than six months, received a proportional ratio of 
 such pay, according to the length of their service no pay 
 to exceed that of a Captain. 
 
 The above shows the liberal spirit and gratitude with 
 which the statesmen of a former generation were moved 
 toward the surviving sailors and soldiers of the Revolu- 
 tionary War. Now it is an inherent principle that in time 
 of war, officers of the same rank, performing the same 
 duties and incurring the same hazards should be entitled 
 under equal laws to the same rights, honors, and emolu- 
 
276 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ments to whatever branch of the service they may have 
 chanced to "belong. But that in late years there has been 
 unjust discrimination in this respect made in favor of the 
 Eegular Army as against the Volunteer officer, it is the 
 purpose of this writing to show. 
 
 The act of July 28, 1866, provided: "That officers of 
 the regular army entitled to be retired on account of dis- 
 abilities occasioned by wounds received in battle may be 
 retired upon the full rank of the command held by them, 
 whether in the regular or volunteer service at the time such 
 wounds were received." 
 
 Under this act many officers of the regular army who 
 had received commissions of higher rank in the volunteer 
 service were retired with three-quarters pay of the rank 
 of their command in the volunteer army; Captains were 
 retired as Major-Generals, but no volunteer officer who did 
 not hold a commission in the regular army was retired, 
 however great his command, however brilliant his service, 
 however serious his disabilities from wounds or otherwise, 
 or however advanced his age. A case is recalled of two 
 Brigadier-Generals of Volunteers who had been breveted 
 Major-Generals of Volunteers for conspicuous gallantry, 
 one from private life, the other holding a commission as 
 Captain in the regular army. They were both permanently 
 disabled by wounds and were mustered out of the volun- 
 teer service at the close of the war. The citizen General 
 having lost a leg was pensioned at $30 per month, while 
 the Captain in the regular army was retired as a Major- 
 General with retired pay of $137.81 per month. But other 
 acts equally discriminating have followed. 
 
 The act of April 23d, 1904, is as follows: "That any 
 officer below the grade of Brigadier-General who served 
 with credit as an officer or as an enlisted man in the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 277 
 
 regular or volunteer forces during the Civil War prior to 
 April 9, 1865, otherwise than as a cadet, and whose name 
 is borne on the official register of the army, and who has 
 heretofore been, or may hereafter be, retired on account 
 of wounds or disability incident to the service, or on 
 account of age or after forty years' service, may in the 
 discretion of the President, by and with the advice of the 
 Senate, be placed on the retired list of the army with 
 the rank and retired pay of one grade above that actually 
 held by him at the time of his retirement." 
 
 Under this act 354 officers who had served with credit 
 during the Civil War and were then on the retired list 
 were re-retired with the rank and retired pay of one grade 
 above that actually held by them at the time of retire- 
 ment; 254 of these officers had served in the volunteer 
 army of the Civil War and had been commissioned in the 
 regular army; many of them had been retired for thirty 
 years. Ninety-two of these officers had been retired as 
 Colonels, and by operation of law they were immediately 
 re-retired as Brigadier-Generals and granted $1,125 per 
 annum additional retired pay. A number of other officers 
 of Civil War service have been retired under the provisions 
 of this law with increased rank and retired pay. It is 
 noteworthy that the discriminating recognition of regular 
 army officers in the legislation above cited was not at all 
 on account of their prolonged or life service during peace 
 and war in the regular army, but solely because of their 
 service in the Civil War. 
 
 Following the above-cited act for the benefit of officers 
 of the regular army comes the act of June 29th, 1906, for 
 the benefit of officers of the navy below the rank of Rear- 
 Admiral. Those who served with credit during the Civil 
 War, whether on the active or retired list, are entitled to 
 
278 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 retirement with one grade increased rank and retired pay. 
 Paymasters, Chaplains and other officers of the rank of 
 Captain being retired as Rear-Admiral, the Chaplains re- 
 ceived $2,800 full pay and $2,100 retired pay per annum, 
 but when re-retired under the above-named act received 
 $4,500 per annum, the increase of $2,400 per annum being 
 granted solely in recognition of meritorious service during 
 the Civil War. To complete the work of discrimination 
 between regular and volunteer officers who served with 
 credit during the Civil War the House amendment to the 
 army appropriation bill was adopted by the 59th Congress, 
 authorizing the retirement as Major-Generals certain 
 Brigadiers, thus giving them $1,500 per annum additional 
 retired pay. 
 
 Aside from pensions for wounds and disabilities of serv- 
 ice origin, the only provision made by general law for 
 volunteer officers since the close of the war is a pension 
 under the act of June 27th, 1890, of $6.00 per month at 62 
 years of age; $8.00 per month at 65, $10.00 per month 
 at 68 and $12.00 per month at 70 years of age, these allow- 
 ances having been increased, however, by the recent pension 
 law to $12.00 per month from 62 to 70 years of age, $15.00 
 per month from 70 to 75, and $20.00 per month to those 
 over 75 years of age. The practical operation of the legis- 
 lation of Congress in regard to officers of volunteers of the 
 Civil War has been to disregard and ignore rank. To cite 
 an instance: A surviving Major-General of Volunteers 
 who commanded an army corps and a department, and who 
 served with great distinction during the Civil War, would 
 now under existing law be entitled to apply for and receive 
 a pension of $20.00 per month at 75 years of age. 
 
 These statements are not made in disparagement of the 
 gallant officers and men of the regular army nor in objec- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 279 
 
 tion to the pay and emoluments they receive at the hands 
 of the Government, which are meager enough at best. In 
 view of these facts it is claimed simply that volunteer 
 officers performing like service and equally efficient have 
 not been so well remunerated. Surely the man whose life 
 pursuits have been along peaceful lines, who at his country's 
 call forsakes home, friends and business prospects to take 
 up arms to fight his country's battles, ought to be entitled 
 to as much consideration at the hands of his Government 
 and a grateful people as the professional, trained and 
 educated at the expense of the Government for the life of 
 a soldier. 
 
 What the efficiency of the volunteer has been is well 
 attested in the fact that he has universally met every 
 requirement of the service and stands to-day without a 
 peer in our military annals. In all of our wars who but 
 the volunteer has drawn together the fighting forces of the 
 country and led them to victory. Six of our Chief Execu- 
 tives chosen since the close of the Civil War won their first 
 distinction as soldiers in the volunteer service. A volun- 
 teer stands at the head of the army to-day. Of the 2,900 
 officers of the line of the army, 1,818 have been appointed 
 since the beginning of the war with Spain. Of these 1,818 
 but 276 were supplied by West Point Academy; the re- 
 maining 1,542 have come 414 from the ranks and 512 
 from civil life and 616 from the volunteers of the war with 
 Spain and the Philippines. 
 
 However, leaving the subject of pensions in the endeavor 
 to keep "Touch of Elbow" in the great march of events 
 inaugurated by peace, we are enabled to present in a life- 
 picture another critical phase in our country's history 
 equally stirring and dramatic with that already recounted 
 in other chapters, and one little understood by the present 
 
2 8o With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 generation. Reference is had to the years immediately 
 following the Civil War, and now designated as the 
 
 "PERIOD OF RECONSTRUCTION." 
 
 To bring the seceded States back into the Union and 
 extend over them the authority of the general Government 
 under laws that should do justice to the people so lately 
 in rebellion, and at the same time safeguard the liberties 
 of the ex-slave, for a long time baffled the skill of the 
 ablest and most conscientious statesmen, if, indeed, the 
 results of their labor are altogether satisfactory to either 
 party even at this remote day, for the race problem still 
 hangs like a dark cloud over the political horizon. 
 
 The overthrow of the institution of slavery, and the 
 reestablishment of Federal authority, with other inevitable 
 changes resulting from the war, brought with them con- 
 ditions of a social and political character in the Southern 
 States that never before obtained in any other time or 
 country. The Ku Klux Klan and the Freedman's Bureau 
 were among the least of the evils with which the people 
 of that afflicted section were surrounded after having suf- 
 fered the humiliation of defeat. Had it been possible for 
 the leading men of the South, business men and planters, 
 to have joined heartily in the effort to establish just laws, 
 very much if not all of that which is now a disagreeable 
 memory namely, "Carpet-bag Rule" might have been 
 avoided. But instead of accepting the situation and al- 
 lowing the bitterness and rancor to pass with the lapse of 
 time, fuel was added to the flame by the enactment of 
 local laws in the Southern States placing the freedmen 
 (who had now become the nation's wards) under a bond- 
 age more degrading than that which prevailed in ante 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 281 
 
 bellum days. It would be difficult to exaggerate the 
 unfriendly character of the legislation affecting them that 
 was enacted immediately after the war in most of the 
 seceding States. And when provisional governments 
 were established for the enforcement of the negro's rights, 
 many of the best citizens held aloof, and by a studied 
 indifference (if in no other way) often embarrassed and 
 retarded the efforts of those delegated to aid in main- 
 taining stable authority and in bringing order out of 
 chaos. It was the rule (to which, of course, there were 
 many honorable exceptions) that good men refused 
 utterly to take any part in the new regime, and in con- 
 sequence, carpet-bag government became inevitable. This 
 was often arbitrary and sometimes corrupt; and incom- 
 petent men were inducted into office and held responsible 
 positions. But this was by no means the invariable rule, 
 for there were among that much maligned class a goodly 
 number of as brave, competent and trustworthy men as 
 could be found in any State or section. Native born 
 citizens who accepted the situation and came forward in 
 an endeavor to aid the Federal authorities were tabooed 
 and held in greater contempt than the carpet-bagger him- 
 self. This fact will be strikingly illustrated in the story 
 to which these comments are a preliminary introduction. 
 But as an example of the indifference often exhibited: 
 In State a leading planter who had been re- 
 quested by the provisional governor to come in and con- 
 sult as to the best manner of adjusting the difficulties 
 that were constantly arising between planter and freed- 
 man refused a proffered seat when in the presence of the 
 executive, standing with hat in hand throughout the 
 entire interview, assuming the demeanor formerly re- 
 quired of the slave when in the presence of his master; 
 
282 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 thus apparently, instead of aiding and encouraging the 
 governor, even hy a tacit cooperation, seeking to embarrass 
 him by this sham humiliation. 
 
 In view of these conditions and to enable the negro 
 the better to protect himself in his political rights, and 
 also to fix the status of citizens lately in armed defiance of 
 the Government, two amendments to the Constitution 
 were proposed and finally adopted. The Fourteenth 
 Amendment provides that no man having been in armed 
 hostility against the United States shall be allowed to be- 
 come a member of Congress or to fill any Federal office 
 unless Congress by a two-thirds vote remove such disa- 
 bility, and that the United States or any State shall not 
 pay any debt incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion, 
 or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave. 
 This amendment, like every other proposed general law, 
 was opposed by the Southern people, but had they ac- 
 cepted it, all the difficulties arising from the negro fran- 
 chise would have been avoided, for, with the Fourteenth 
 Amendment accepted, and all the seceding States restored 
 to their former status in the Government, the ratification 
 of the Fifteenth Amendment (which is the bone of all 
 contention to-day) by the requisite number of States (two- 
 thirds) would have been an impossibility. 
 
 The Fifteenth Amendment provides that no State shall 
 have the power to deny or abridge the right to vote on ac- 
 count of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 
 It appears like the irony of fate that the Southern leaders 
 should have opposed the first amendment, thereby causing 
 the introduction of the second amendment, and the final 
 adoption of both. "Home Rule" and local self-government 
 without interference by the Federal authorities was their 
 constant demand, but, as before intimated, this meant the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 283 
 
 virtual reenslavement of the negro, whom the Govern- 
 ment, having given him his freedom, was in honor bound 
 to protect. 
 
 But viewing the whole field with calm judgment at 
 this time, possibly it is more than one could expect of 
 human nature that the Southern people should have done 
 differently. With their homes desolated, neglected and 
 gone to decay, their principal wealth that of the slave 
 swept from them at a single blow; smarting under defeat, 
 as a proud and high-spirited people must necessarily have 
 done; a local government thrust upon them by the con- 
 queror, and often administered by unscrupulous aliens, it 
 is not surprising that the spirit of unrest and resentment 
 led them to extraordinary measures in the effort to throw 
 off the, to them, galling yoke of oppression. If, in re- 
 viewing the history of the past, with charity for all and 
 malice toward none, we recall only those acts of heroic 
 devotion called out by the exigencies of the period, chal- 
 lenging the admiration of all, are we not then on the 
 broad highway leading up to a union of peoples as well 
 as States, whose law and liberty-loving precepts and 
 example are one day likely to encircle the globe? 
 
 Out of these extraordinary conditions grew that state of 
 society in the South which rendered possible the enact- 
 ment of the tragic scenes to be described in the following 
 
 STOEY OF A BRAVE GIRL.* 
 
 It was a delightful day in the early spring of 187 that 
 a family group, consisting of mother and daughter a 
 
 *NOTE. The names of the characters here introduced have 
 been changed and fictitious names substituted. Also the dates 
 and locality in which the events transpired have been changed 
 to other dates and places. In all other respects this story is 
 a narration of facts of which the author was cognizant. 
 
284 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 lovely girl of eighteen summers and three sons, aged 
 sixteen, twelve and nine years respectively, were sitting 
 on the front porch of their country home, situated on 
 elevated ground overlooking the little village of Kendall. 
 Here, through the scant foliage in the foreground, the 
 waters of the bay could be seen twinkling in the sunbeams. 
 The soft genial atmosphere, already cooling in the slant 
 rays of the afternoon sun, came in gentle waves like the 
 pulsating throbs of the ocean when wrapped in slumber; 
 and freighted with the fragrance of sweet flowers just 
 leaving their winter beds, and springing into life from 
 hillside, copse and woodland as far as eye could reach, 
 added to the soothing influence of a scene as fair as Eden, 
 and well calculated to put one at peace with the world 
 and make him forget that "man alone is vile." 
 
 Owing to the position taken by Judge Clinton (an 
 original Union man) in the restoration of government for 
 the seceded States his wife and children had been com- 
 pelled to live aloof from many of the friends of former 
 years, and their society was formed largely within the 
 home circle. Alone in the land of their birth, yet sur- 
 rounded by the neighbors of a lifetime, the family were 
 anxiously looking for the return of the husband and 
 father (now overdue) from a visit to a neighboring city; 
 while his prolonged absence was a matter of the gravest 
 apprehension to them. 
 
 The daughter, most alert, soon catching a glimpse of a 
 well-known form coming up the pathway from the village, 
 hurried to be the first to welcome her father (as she had 
 always been first in his affection), and greeting him with 
 a kiss when half way down the path they walked back 
 hand in hand to the porch, where they were joined by the 
 mother and the three boys, Harry, Jamey and Wallie. 
 
CAROLENA CLINTON. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 285 
 
 The presence of Carolena, during the brief period of 
 her life, had been like a sunbeam lighting up the recesses 
 made dark by the proscription under which the family had 
 lived; and, animated by the spirit and buoyancy of youth, 
 she was an inspiration of joy wherever her presence was 
 felt. Just graduated from one of the best schools of the 
 country, accomplished in the higher branches, and en- 
 thusiastic in all outdoor sports, her recreation was often 
 found in horseback riding, in which she excelled. 
 Mounted on her fleet-footed "Clinker" (a spirited animal 
 trained behind the hounds) she was often seen in com- 
 pany with her brother, riding at full speed through the 
 meadows and forest glades. At such times she looked 
 fresh and blooming as the flowers among which she 
 reveled, and free and happy as the birds, whose songs 
 were to her an endless delight. 
 
 Notwithstanding these outward appearances of gayety, 
 that unfailing perception accorded to woman where love 
 and affection rule, had enabled Carolena at an early age, 
 to mark the expression of care upon her father's face; the 
 result of the hazardous life he had led so long. She had 
 thus been drawn to him with the double tie of sympathy 
 and love, and having a warm and impulsive nature, her 
 devotion to her father fell little short of adoration. 
 
 Seated on the porch, the family had been engaged in 
 conversation but a short time, when a neighbor named 
 "Jack" Lilly, well known in the community, and living 
 a couple of miles down the road, went by on horse-back, 
 on his accustomed route home. A large family connection 
 of the Lilly's had intermarried and spread over the coun- 
 try, of which "Jack" was the head and dominating spirit. 
 With this prestige he was able to call around him a large 
 number of partisans having little ambition of their own, 
 
286 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 but quick to do the bidding of one they thought superior 
 to themselves in the attributes of physical courage and 
 brute force; and in the political arena, from the outset, 
 "Jack" had pitted his strength against that of Judge Clin- 
 ton, who, by aid of the colored vote and a few daring 
 whites, held that portion of the State in line, politically, 
 with the policy of the national party then in power. In 
 this manner, a bitter and uncompromising enmity had 
 grown up between the two men and their followers. 
 
 Lilly had been out of sight but a few moments when a 
 negro came riding past in great haste, bearing the start- 
 ling intelligence that Jack Lilly was lying dead in the 
 road near his own home, where he had been waylaid and 
 shot from ambush not more than twenty minutes before. 
 The people of the community were ignorant as to who was 
 the perpetrator of the crime. The assassin having suc- 
 cessfully covered his tracks, there could be found no 
 clew to his identity. 
 
 In point of fact there was very little effort made to ap- 
 prehend the guilty party. But as a part of a conspiracy 
 (and contrary to long established usage), the remains of 
 the murdered man were kept in state for forty-eight hours, 
 ostensibly awaiting convenient opportunity for burial; but 
 in reality to give time to call in the clans from all parts of 
 the country; and over the "Dead Caesar," by the rude 
 oratory at command, inflame the passions of the people 
 until ready for any service, no matter how unlawful or 
 desperate. 
 
 Accordingly, mounted couriers were dispatched to dis- 
 tant and remote parts to spread the intelligence of the 
 approaching Lilly obsequies; and at the appointed hour a 
 motley group had assembled, prepared not only to hear the 
 virtues of the deceased extolled, but ready to listen with 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 287 
 
 attentive ear to any extravagant tales relating to his un-' 
 timely taking off. So at the funeral the feud animosities 
 existing for so long between the two factions were in- 
 voked. Now for the first it was whispered about from 
 mouth to ear that Judge Clinton was the instigator of 
 Lilly's murder, and upon his head the avenging wrath of 
 the clans should fall. The better to carry out this pur- 
 pose and insure their own safety, some form of law must 
 be observed. Accordingly, warrants were issued and 
 sworn to before a magistrate, charging Judge Clinton and 
 the two Huddlestons (brothers), Gardner and Kousseau 
 (all white and natives of the country), with being ac- 
 cessory to the murder. 
 
 The warrants were to be served the following day (Sun- 
 day) and throughout Saturday night the sound of iron- 
 shod hoofs might have been heard reechoing along the 
 highways and bridle paths leading from every part of the 
 surrounding country to the village of Kendall. As the 
 rays of the morning sun reached the spire of the little 
 church standing just in front of the Clinton cottage, two 
 hundred and fifty men, grim-visaged and armed to the 
 teeth, had assembled in the streets, apparently awaiting 
 the appearance of some one to assume leadership. 
 
 They had not long to wait. The usual hour for break- 
 fast had not arrived, when the sheriff came with a number 
 of deputies and took the Huddlestons into custody. These 
 men expressed a desire to eat their breakfast before going 
 to jail, which request was granted. While so engaged, 
 they clandestinely sent a note to Judge Clinton, inform- 
 ing him of what had taken place and that a warrant was 
 also out for the latter's arrest. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton and daughter, apprehensive of the worst, 
 an,d quick to comprehend the full import of the gathering ^ 
 
288 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 storm, besought the husband and father to mount a horse 
 and flee from the imminent danger that threatened. To 
 this he replied that he had nothing to fear, as he was in- 
 nocent of any crime or offense against the law; that to 
 leave would but strengthen the suspicion of guilt already 
 aroused by false accusation; and that his decision to re- 
 main and face his accusers was irrevocable. 
 
 Nevertheless, while the breakfast was in preparation 
 Carolena sent a servant to the stable with orders to saddle 
 and bring out her horse, thinking her father might yet be 
 prevailed upon to place hiniself out of reach of his enemies 
 until such time as the first heat of passion had subsided. 
 But while the mother and daughter were thus pleading 
 the Sheriff came with a number of deputies and placed 
 Judge Clinton under arrest. The Judge then sought an 
 opportunity to send word to Gardner and Rousseau, who 
 lived in an adjoining village, advising them to come in 
 and give themselves up. 
 
 At this time armed 'men came from the street into the 
 yard and surrounded the house, and the Sheriff told Judge 
 Clinton he must be taken to jail. To this the family 
 objected, as the Sheriff had previously promised that the 
 Judge would be kept under guard in his own house. But 
 the Sheriff was unmoved and seemed to be governed en- 
 tirely by the demands of the mob. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton now asked the privilege of being alone with 
 her husband for a few minutes before bidding him good- 
 bye, perhaps for the last time, and, without waiting for a 
 reply, she took him into a closet in an adjoining room, 
 through the ceiling of which was a trap-door leading to 
 the chamber above. This chamber was set apart for sleep- 
 ing rooms for the servants. A broad stairway went up from 
 the kitchen to these apartments, at the head of which was 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 289 
 
 a heavy door opening into a hall. There was no other 
 way of reaching this chamber save by the trap-door before 
 mentioned. In the closet were three guns, all supposed, 
 at the time, to be loaded. 
 
 The mob on the outside, now grown impatient, were 
 loudly clamoring for the prisoner to be taken to jail, and 
 many had already entered the house. 
 
 Self-preservation being an immutable law of nature, 
 Judge Clinton now determined not to risk his life by going 
 out, and, hesitating no longer, sprang up through the open- 
 ing, while Mrs. Clinton handed him the guns. He closed 
 and fastened the trap with a heavy bar, while she at the 
 same moment came out, closed and locked the closet door. 
 
 The two Huddlestons were taken to the jail, but, not 
 seeing Judge Clinton with them, the mob stampeded in a 
 body toward the house. Noticing his absence, the Sheriff 
 asked Mrs. Clinton where her husband was concealed. 
 
 "That," said she, "is for me to know and for you to 
 find out. My husband has decided that if he must die 
 it will not be like a dog or a felon in the street or the 
 county jail, but under his own roof, surrounded by his wife 
 and children, who adore him. He will not leave this house 
 alive today, be assured of that. Now, sir, do your worst !" 
 
 Believing the crisis was at hand and that Judge Clinton 
 would soon be assaulted in his own house, all the children 
 ascended the stairs and took refuge in the rooms above 
 with their father. 
 
 With the onrush of the mob at this time, and unobserved 
 by its members, came Andrew McDonald, an old Scotch- 
 man and intimate friend of the Clinton family. He 
 slipped into the kitchen, from which the children were 
 ascending the stairs. Taking a gun that chanced to be 
 behind the door, he followed them to Judge Clinton's room, 
 
290 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 and there announced his purpose to remain in their de- 
 fense. 
 
 Meantime Gardner and Eousseau, having received the 
 note sent them early in the morning, set out for Kendall in 
 compliance with Judge Clinton's request. Arriving in the 
 outskirts of the village they sent word to the Sheriff an- 
 nouncing their determination to remain there awaiting his 
 order, and immunity from danger in the streets was prom- 
 ised them. 
 
 It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when a deputy 
 came, and, placing the two men under arrest, started with 
 them toward the jail. In passing along the street armed 
 posses fell in and surrounded them from every accessible 
 point. As the prisoners began to show signs of uneasiness 
 one of the deputies seized Gardner by the wrists and held 
 him pinioned, while another standing in the rear emptied 
 the contents of a double-barreled gun into his back. 
 Gardner fell dead in his tracks, but Eousseau, by appeal- 
 ing to a man in the mob who had formerly been his friend, 
 and at the same time seizing and holding him in a position 
 to prevent others from shooting, was finally carried to the 
 jail unharmed. 
 
 Gardner was now dead and Eousseau and the two 
 Huddlestons were securely locked in an iron cage, and no 
 friend of Judge Clinton bore arms save the dreaded Scotch- 
 man, McDonald. 
 
 Prisoners in their own house from an early hour on that 
 Sabbath morning until the sun had sunk well-nigh down 
 the western horizon the doomed family waited, watched 
 and prayed, while a mob of two hundred drunken and 
 frenzied men, like hungry wolves surrounding the premises, 
 were clamoring for their blood. The sharp report of two 
 or three shotguns from up the street and the subsequent 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 291 
 
 appearance of Kousseau being thrust into jail told too well 
 the fate that had befallen Gardner. 
 
 Carolena now, in examining the guns her father had 
 taken with him, found, to the consternation of all, that 
 none of them were loaded and no ammunition was at hand. 
 She then told her father that in her belief the assault 
 already determined upon would no longer be delayed, and 
 in such an event they must withstand a siege or be 
 
 SHOT DOWN WITHOUT MERCY. 
 
 She then proposed to go to the storehouse, about fifty 
 yards distant (a place where general supplies for the 
 plantation were kept), and there secure ammunition. 
 
 To this her father objected, fearing the girl would meet 
 with insult or personal injury, but she insisted, and with 
 her younger brother went to the storehouse, where she 
 found powder and shot, and, after secreting a quantity 
 under her skirts, took some canned fruit and crackers in 
 her hands and soon rejoined the family in the chamber, 
 first having sent Wallie to a negro cabin near by. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton now decided to go and feed the stock, 
 which had been entirely overlooked in the excitement of 
 the morning. As Carolena seemed especially anxious con- 
 cerning her own horse, the mother went to the stable, and 
 while there (the servants had all deserted the place) the 
 dreaded shotgun again rang out its deadly message, and, 
 looking out from the stable, Mrs. Clinton saw McDonald 
 fall lifeless upon the steps. 
 
 Mrs. Clinton had no sooner left the house than the 
 Sheriff entered, and, calling to McDonald, told him he 
 must come down and out; that in refusing to do so he 
 was resisting an officer and disobeying the laws. To this 
 
292 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the old Scotchman replied that he had never disobeyed a 
 law in his life, and if the law demanded that he should 
 go out he would obey the Sheriff's summons, and, reluc- 
 tantly and sorrowfully putting down his gun, he deliber- 
 ately walked out to his death. 
 
 The death of McDonald had given fresh impetus and 
 courage to the mob, and they now rushed into the kitchen 
 and up the stairs to the chamber. On the inside stood 
 Carolena and Jamey, interposing their frail strength 
 against the impacted force of a dozen infuriated men. 
 
 The entrance being barred, the leader called for an axe, 
 which was soon brought, and after a few well-directerl 
 blows the door gave way. Guns were then thrust through 
 the opening and fired into the room at random. One of 
 these shots severed Jamey's arm at the wrist, and, crying 
 out in the agony of fear and pain, the little fellow ran 
 back into his father's arms, exclaiming, "Oh, don't shoot 
 my father!" 
 
 Then with a crash the door flew open and the foremost 
 man, with a gun presented, appeared on the threshold. 
 Carolena alone interposed her feeble strength against the 
 monster, with no thought of self, but only to die, if neces- 
 sary, by her father's side. First receiving a savage blow 
 in the face, with brutal force she was hurled against the 
 wall, when the bullet from a second barrel, doubtless aimed, 
 at Judge Clinton, went crashing through Jamey's heart. 
 The sight of the boy lying dead at his feet and Carolena 
 struggling at the door, frenzied with grief, Judge Clinton 
 seized a gun (previously loaded by the brave girl) and 
 rapidly discharged barrel after barrel into the mob; two 
 of the foremost fell headlong down the stairs. Seeing this, 
 they all rushed back in a panic and the stairway was 
 cleared in a moment. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 293 
 
 Mrs. Clinton then for the first was able to get through 
 the door, and father, mother, sister and brother sank down 
 over the lifeless form of the murdered boy; and from that 
 chamber of horrors there went up a wail of agony and 
 despair that cannot be expressed in words. 
 
 A stratagem was now resorted to worthy the genius and 
 cruelty of a savage. The cry of "Burn them out ! The 
 house is on fire!" next greeted the ears of the doomed 
 family. The halls were filled with the smoke of burning 
 powder and it was believed by all that the house was in 
 flames. 
 
 Fearful of the consequence of fire, and as ever first in 
 expedient, Carolena said to her father, "See how easy poor 
 McDonald died; it is better for us all to go down and be 
 shot to death than to remain here and be burned alive/' 
 
 So it was decided to go down the stairs, taking whatever 
 fate awaited at the bottom, and Mrs. Clinton and Harry, 
 with the dead body of Jamey, led the forlorn hope, while 
 Judge Clinton, with Carolena's arm around his waist, fol- 
 lowed close behind. The former made the landing in 
 safety and laid their sorrowful burden on the floor, but the 
 Judge and Carolena were confronted when a few steps 
 from the bottom of the stairs by one of the mob with a 
 gun in his hand. Carolena, with one arm around her 
 father's neck and shielding his body with her own, now 
 kept him out of range of the guns that were leveled at 
 his breast. 
 
 Where in any account of remarkable filial devotion or 
 unselfish bravery in woman do we find a picture like this? 
 Herself already bleeding from shot that, glancing in pieces 
 from the iron grating in the door, had struck her face, 
 causing the blood to flow from a score of wounds. Nothing 
 short of the divinity which is said to have raised up a 
 
294 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Joan of Arc could inspire a courage and heroism like that 
 displayed by Carolena Clinton on that fatal day. 
 
 But this sublime vision of heroic devotion failed to 
 touch the stony heart of a monster standing near, who 
 discharged his gun, the shot striking a gold bracelet on the 
 girl's arm, cutting it in two and driving a piece of the 
 ragged metal into her wrist. One bullet, passing entirely 
 through the bracelet, shattered the bone, while a portion 
 of the same shot entered her father's side and breast, when 
 he sank to the floor, still in the arms of his devoted 
 daughter. 
 
 From a commanding position in the garret of the store- 
 house throughout that terrible day there looked out upon 
 this scene a 
 
 SILENT AND UNWILLING WITNESS. 
 
 Overcome with alarm at the flight of the other servants, 
 yet unwilling to desert his master in such dire extremities, 
 "Leary," an old colored man and former slave in the Clin- 
 ton family, hearing all the shots fired, and from his hiding 
 place in the loft seeing the family descend the stairs bear- 
 ing the lifeless form of little Jamey, and the Judge and 
 his young "missus" torn and bleeding, he could no longer 
 remain an idle spectator of a scene that had harrowed his 
 soul to the very depths. 
 
 But what could an old, unarmed and despised negro do 
 with a mob of over two hundred frenzied and desperate 
 men? In the midst of these reflections, his mind, as if 
 to taunt him for his helplessness and inaction, reverted 
 to the many acts of kindness he had heretofore received 
 at the hands of the Judge and his fair daughter, who now 
 lay prostrate and bleeding before him. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 295 
 
 Among the guests that had been entertained there at 
 the Christmas season only just past (that happiest of 
 times for the colored man in the South) he remembered 
 very gratefully Major Weldon, a gentleman holding a posi- 
 tion in the service of the general government; and who 
 had for several years been on terms of intimacy with the 
 family, as "Leary" well knew. His mind turned to this 
 friend of the family as the one most likely to render effi- 
 cient aid. The old man's heart was in the right place, 
 and his instincts prompted him to act quickly upon this 
 thought. 
 
 As the care of the wounded could not be entrusted to 
 the local physicians (and indeed fearing to be discovered 
 in an effort to assist his friends), Leary resolved to go to 
 the stable and, mounting the best horse there, with all 
 possible speed ride a distance of twenty-five miles, and 
 apprise Major Weldon of the calamity that had befallen 
 the Clintons. 
 
 Reaching the stable unobserved, he was delighted to 
 find Carolena's horse still saddled, as if waiting to carry 
 out the part assigned him by his mistress in the early 
 morning. Without a moment's hesitation, Leary mounted, 
 and keeping under cover of the timber, on unfrequented 
 bridle paths the better to escape detection and arrest 
 by scouting parties of the mob he gave Clinker his head; 
 and the horse soon proved himself a past master in the 
 art of scaling rocks, fallen timber and deep gulches, that 
 constantly beset his way through the forest. 
 
 Arrived in Staunton, Leary at once disclosed to Major 
 Weldon the object of his mission, giving the details of 
 what had transpired at Kendall that day, so far as his 
 bewildered mind could retain the -facts. 
 
 Though aware of the great confidence reposed in Leary 
 
296 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 by the family, Major Weldon could not but believe he had 
 overdrawn the picture and that matters were not so bad 
 as they had been made to appear. But decisive in action, 
 he at once began preparations for departure to Kendall; 
 and here his experience as a cavalryman during the Civil 
 War was his guide in caring for the horse upon which so 
 much depended in carrying him to the object of his 
 heart's desire. 
 
 First ordering Clinker to be taken to the stable, un- 
 saddled, groomed and otherwise cared for, his next 
 thought was of a surgeon. The only one that could be 
 found at the time, first hesitated, and finally refused to 
 go at all with Major Weldon as driver, giving as his rea- 
 son that the Major was well known in the country as a 
 friend and associate of Judge Clinton; and he, the doctor, 
 feared they might be molested on the way by members of 
 the clan and made to turn back, if no worse fate befell 
 them. Accordingly, the faithful old Leary was again 
 called into service, and when asked to drive the Doctor to 
 Kendall, without hesitation he sprang into the carriage 
 and taking up the reins, started on his return trip. 
 
 Major Weldon had frequently met Carolena while at 
 school at Staunton, and there learned to admire this 
 amiable and vivacious girl of sixteen, standing at the head 
 of her classes and soon after to graduate with the highest 
 honors. It is not surprising that this strong man of af- 
 fairs, single as he was (though her senior by twelve years), 
 should become more and more interested, as their ac- 
 quaintance ripened, in this attractive and accomplished 
 young woman. 
 
 After seeing the Doctor off on his journey, and bidding 
 good-bye to a few friends and sympathizers, he went to 
 the stable where he found Clinker, now thoroughly rested 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 297 
 
 and ready for the road. As he came up behind him, the 
 horse turned and whinnied, which, in Major Weldon's 
 heart, was interpreted to mean: "All the strength and 
 courage you and I possess is about to be put to the test, 
 for those we both love are in the direst peril." 
 
 He lost no time in mounting, and first reaching tne 
 open country on an easy lope, Major Weldon gradually 
 relaxed the pressure on the bit, and the fire soon began 
 to fly from Clinker's steel plates like sparks from the 
 blacksmith's forge; as, with head down, in a long swing- 
 ing stride, he measured the ground for the first fifteen 
 miles without a break. 
 
 Here, coming to a little creek, Major Weldon dis- 
 mounted and gave his horse a light drink of water. Then 
 walked by his side for twenty minutes, at the end of 
 which time he remounted, and Clinker resumed his 
 former gait. The journey thus far had been made with- 
 out incident. 
 
 It was now becoming quite dusk, and two or three miles 
 from Kendall, when passing through a thickly-wooded 
 ground in a lonely spot, Major Weldon saw two horsemen 
 coming toward him, whom he recognized as being desper- 
 ate men. Knowing the purposes of the men engaged 
 in the affair at Kendall, he had grave apprehension of 
 danger, so taking a six-shooter in his hand he covered it 
 with a light overcoat that hung on the pommel of his 
 saddle, and rode on, keeping the center of the track, and 
 as he drew near, the two men separated, going on either 
 side of the road, leaving room for a passenger to pass 
 between. This was an ominous movement that put Major 
 Weldon more thoroughly on his guard; but realizing there 
 was nothing to be gained in hesitation, or showing any 
 signs of taking the back track, he rode quietly forward 
 
298 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 until nearly abreast of them when the man on the right 
 cried out: 
 
 "Halt! Who are you, and where are you going?" 
 
 Immediately throwing himself forward on the left-hand 
 side of his horse and putting the spurs into his flanks, he 
 at the same instant discharged his revolver full in the 
 face of the man who had challenged. 
 
 Clinker, desperately frightened hy the shots, and mad- 
 dened hy the spurs, now sprang forward with the velocity 
 of the wind. Two shots followed the Major in rapid suc- 
 cession, hut still unharmed, glancing hack he saw his man 
 reeling from the saddle as the one from the opposite side 
 rode forward and caught the wounded man in his arms. 
 An angle in the road soon placed them out of range, and 
 within the next twenty minutes, with a foaming horse, 
 the Major rode up to the hack gate of the Clinton cot- 
 tage, where he met Harry, the older son, and learned from 
 him that the Doctor had arrived but a few moments be- 
 fore. 
 
 The scene that met his gaze as he entered the house was 
 one to appall the stoutest heart. Jamey dead in the 
 parlor, Judge Clinton and Carolena on beds in another 
 room, both wounded to the death; and the lifeless bodies 
 of Gardner and McDonald lying in an outhouse. The 
 wounded were on the first floor and not far from the 
 street, and as threats had been made that the assault 
 would be renewed should the Judge's wounds prove to 
 be not fatal, planks were nailed up at the windows for 
 greater security against an attack. A half dozen shotguns 
 were kept loaded ready for instant use, and this once 
 happy home was thus suddenly changed to charnel house 
 and a barrack. ***** 
 
 Within fifty yards of the spot where, at the beginning 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 299 
 
 of our story, the dead body of Jack Lilly was found in the 
 road, some ten years before, there stood a little cabin with 
 trailing arbutus over its door and only window, orna- 
 mented with a curtain of cheap material gathered into 
 folds, and hanging gracefully from its top and sides. This 
 was the home of 
 
 ISAAC LANDERS. 
 
 Isaac was an ex-slave reared in the Lilly family, and 
 Martha, his wife, was a mulatto of more than ordinary 
 comeliness. In this snug little cabin, located on the Lilly 
 plantation, all were happy, until Isaac, having to go a 
 distance to obtain work, returned one day after a long 
 absence, and found his wife just packing up her belong- 
 ings, preparatory to going, as she declared, to take up her 
 residence with the Lillys. 
 
 Filled with indignation and jealous rage, Isaac went at 
 once to seek the man who had despoiled his home and 
 robbed him of all he held dear. He had gone but a few 
 yards from his house, when he met Lilly on the road with 
 a team, then about to carry Martha away with all her 
 effects. An encounter ensued in which Isaac made an at- 
 tempt upon Lilly's life, but succeeded only in inflicting 
 wounds from which he recovered in a few weeks, and 
 Isaac was compelled to flee the country. 
 
 In the long years that intervened up to the time our 
 story begins, Isaac had never been heard from, and the 
 incident in Kendall was forgotten. But after years of 
 patient effort, he succeeded in accumulating enough money 
 to carry him back to the place of his once happy home, 
 where he went, determined to be avenged for the great 
 wrong he had suffered. 
 
 Reaching the neighborhood of Kendall, unknown and 
 
300 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 unobserved by anyone, secreted in the woods and dense 
 thicket by the roadside, he waited the opportunity that 
 soon came, and Lilly fell from his horse to the ground 
 and expired, as narrated above. 
 
 Unable to escape from the country, Isaac was finally 
 apprehended, arrested and convicted of the murder of the 
 man who had ruined his home and driven him into exile, 
 and this crime was made the pretext for the slaughter of 
 Judge Clinton and five other innocent victims. 
 
 And now comes the most remarkable incident in this 
 long line of dramatic events, and one that furnishes an 
 explanatory key to our story, in that it shows the anxiety 
 that moved the hearts and consciences of the people in 
 that blood-stained community. 
 
 Anticipating his execution, it was reported that Landers 
 would on that occasion make a full confession of his guilt 
 and give the names of white men accessory to the murder. 
 Accordingly, a scaffold was erected in a deep forest, where 
 a natural amphitheater afforded a commanding view from 
 every direction. At the foot of the gallows a grave of 
 ample proportions was dug to receive the remains of Isaac 
 after his confession had been made and the trap sprung. 
 
 At the appointed hour for the execution a large crowd 
 had assembled on the grounds. The Sheriff, with a posse of 
 deputies, driving the prisoner in a rough farm wagon, soon 
 appeared upon the scene and halted close by the side of the 
 scaffold. Isaac stepped down from the wagon unaided and 
 sprang lightly up the steps leading to the platform. Stand- 
 ing there and looking into the grave he must soon fill, he 
 declared before high Heaven and the multitude there as- 
 sembled that no person living or dead (save himself) had 
 any knowledge of or anything whatever to do with the 
 killing of Jack Lilly. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 301 
 
 For more than two hours he stood there and patiently 
 and respectfully answered the questions that were plied, 
 one after another, by persons indiscriminately, who sought 
 to trick and cross-examine him into an expression of some 
 kind that would implicate Judge Clinton in the crime for 
 which he (Landers) was then about to suffer death, but 
 all to no purpose. And so the black cap was drawn over 
 his face and the trap sprung. Whatever may have been his 
 faults in the past, Isaac Landers died with the bearing of 
 a hero. 
 
 Thus the conspirators and the people of that stricken 
 community were left to shoulder the responsibility of this 
 innocent blood, and we now return to the chamber where 
 death is hovering over 
 
 THE WOUNDED FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 In an isolated country hamlet, having no direct communi- 
 cation either by rail or telegraph with the outer world, 
 with few of the necessaries at hand in such an unforeseen 
 emergency, the odds were in favor of death. But so long 
 as life remains there is hope, and there were brave hearts 
 and willing hands ready to do, and, if necessary, to die 
 for the afflicted family. 
 
 Among the few that came to their relief (with the excep- 
 tion of Major Weldon) there were none with experience 
 in the nursing or care of gunshot wounds. The time, 
 therefore, of the faithful wife and mother was at first 
 divided between husband and daughter, but as the Judge 
 grew worse from day to day her services were entirely 
 devoted to his necessities, while the care of the sick girl 
 as surely fell upon Major Weldon. But never was a service 
 accepted more willingly, or performed with a devotion more 
 
302 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 single and steadfast. This more especially after the doctor 
 had unavoidably been called away. 
 
 By this time the newspapers of the country had spread 
 the intelligence of the affair, and the heroism of the brave 
 daughter was a universal theme for editorial comment 
 and an inspiration for song and story. Letters of con- 
 dolence and sympathy for the heroic girl now began to 
 come in from every part of the United States and Canada. 
 
 It was the pleasure, as it became the duty of Major 
 Weldon to open these letters and read them to Carolena, 
 who, though prostrated from her wounds and the terrible 
 nervous shock to which she had been exposed, was yet able 
 to converse and take an active interest in all that tran- 
 spired around her. 
 
 Serving as her amanuensis, Major Weldon answered 
 many of the letters that affected her most deeply. Thus, 
 being her constant companion, as well as the only nurse 
 and physician, he would have been something more than 
 human had he not been influenced by that most potent 
 and irresistible force that draws a strong man toward a 
 woman in whose immediate presence he has been thrown 
 for a prolonged period by fortuitous circumstances over 
 which neither has control. Doubly is this true when that 
 woman, possessed of those graces of heart and mind that 
 so often make her master of the man, is lying prone and 
 helpless at his feet in imminent peril of her life, and with 
 pleading eyes looks up to him for assistance that no other 
 human hand can bring. So from day to day his heart 
 went out to 
 
 THE SUFFERING GIRL. 
 
 But Carolena's very helplessness, from a sense of deli- 
 cacy, restrained Major Weldon from making any outward 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 declaration of his passion, though to ease her suffering 
 by a change of position he must often take her in his 
 arms like an infant and carry her from bed to armchair 
 and back to bed again. No mother's hand was ever laid 
 upon her first-born babe with touch more gentle or a 
 regard more affectionate and pure. 
 
 While no word was spoken, the look of gratitude Caro- 
 lena constantly bestowed upon him, and the apparent com- 
 plete abandon with which she gave herself up to his care 
 only plunged him deeper into an abyss from which, as 
 matters then stood, there seemed no avenue of escape. 
 
 But finally one day when holding her uninjured hand 
 and bathing her wounds with a cooling draught, unable 
 longer to restrain the emotion struggling within his breast, 
 Major Weldon leaned over and kissed her pale lips and 
 brow, whispering as he did so: "Oh, my darling, how I 
 love you ! Would to God that I might suffer, and, if need 
 be, die for you !" 
 
 These were the only words spoken at the time, but the 
 slight pressure of the hand and the blood that came 
 mantling to Carolena's cheek, with the look of ineffable 
 sweetness that lit up her face and shone from her speaking 
 eyes, expressed more for him than volumes of idle words. 
 "Silence is the perfect harbinger of joy." 
 
 So there in the shadow of death and in a silence as com- 
 plete a courtship was begun and a troth plighted that may 
 have been recorded in Heaven, though to the world never 
 known. But early one morning, after a night passed by 
 the patient in fitful slumber, Major Weldon went to her 
 side as usual to dress her wounds and offer such comfort 
 as he was able to give. Now for the first time the thought 
 came upon him like a crushing blow that this lovely being 
 in whose life his own had become centered could not long 
 
304 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 survive the great mental and physical strain to which she 
 had been exposed. 
 
 Noting there was something she wished to say, he bent 
 his ear to her mouth, when, in a low whisper, she said: 
 "If I die promise me that some time you will give to the 
 world all the facts connected with this terrible tragedy, 
 and tell how wrongfully my dear father, Jamey and all of 
 us have suffered." An appeal from such a source was not 
 to be denied, but no one living can know with what a 
 weight of sorrow that promise was made. 
 
 When the doctor returned, the patients had been three 
 days without skilled attention, and meantime their condi- 
 tion was steadily growing worse. By day and night the 
 ceaseless vigil was kept up in that stricken household until 
 on the twelfth day Judge Clinton breathed his last in the 
 arms of his devoted wife. 
 
 After his death, by advice of the physician, Carolena 
 was kept in ignorance of her orphanage. The body of the 
 dead man was soon prepared for the grave, as had been that 
 of little Jamey, by the members of the household. After a 
 prayer offered by the faithful wife it was removed from 
 the house and driven to the burying ground on the old 
 homestead, twenty miles distant in the country, and there 
 placed at rest by the side of the martyred boy. 
 
 For more than two weeks Major Weldon kept watch, 
 never removing his clothing during the time, and on the 
 fifteenth day at noon the doctor came in and informed 
 him that to save her life an operation on Carolena's 
 wounded arm must be performed. While this was sup- 
 posed ordinarily not to be severe, the weakened condition 
 of the sick girl caused the gravest apprehension on the 
 part of the family as to its final result. But there seemed 
 to be no other alternative, and consent was finally given, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 305 
 
 and she was tenderly lifted into a large armchair, placed 
 partially under the influence of an anaesthetic and the 
 
 DANGEROUS OPERATION BEGUN. 
 
 The surgeon lanced the arm in several places, but dur- 
 ing the operation she returned to consciousness, complained 
 of great pain and immediately fainted. All needful 
 restoratives were at hand, and from this she was rallied, 
 but fainted again, exclaiming, as the swoon came upon 
 her: "Oh, how dark, dark, dark! Will the light never 
 come again!" Only that light which illumines the path- 
 way of the glorified in Heaven ever came to her again. 
 
 Every assistance was given, and every remedy applied 
 that could, under the existing circumstances, be devised; 
 but she continued to sink. The day was bright and balmy, 
 and as the breath of the dying girl grew short and labored, 
 the doors and windows were thrown open, and the frag- 
 rance of sweet flowers from many varieties growing in the 
 yard, wafted by a gentle and refreshing breeze, filled the 
 room. A pure white lily, almost the last object upon 
 which she bestowed a look or caress, rested on her bosom 
 as she lay in a reclining posture in a large armchair. But 
 the scent of her favorite flowers, or the touch of soft 
 winds from the cool forest shade, failed to quicken the 
 senses already dimmed by the leaden shades of death. 
 
 The heartbroken mother and little brothers, wild with 
 grief, gathered around, and their cries and sobs went out 
 across the green meadows, beyond the limits of that blood- 
 cursed town. "0 God of mercy," cried the elder brother, 
 "Must sister die, too? My sweet, sweet sister!" 
 
 The stricken family, with Major Weldon and the few 
 friends that stood by, sank upon the floor by the martyr's 
 
306 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 side, and in the mute eloquence of woe prayed God to 
 spare her precious life. 
 
 Among the mourners gathered there none were more 
 deeply moved than the negroes about the place. Many 
 of these had watched the growth of this bright being from 
 a child, and had learned to love her with an unselfish 
 devotion. They, too, gathered in large numbers as they 
 had done at the deathbed of Judge Clinton, and their tears 
 were mingled with those of the family and friends. 
 
 At 2 o'clock Carolena's spirit took its flight, and there, 
 within the charnel house where the victims were offered 
 up, lay the mangled corpse of this pure and innocent girl, 
 with the dark blue marks left by blows from the assassin's 
 hand still visible upon her fair face and brow, now calmly 
 composed in death. Had an angel from heaven lain sleep- 
 ing by her side its loveliness would have been eclipsed by 
 the surpassing beauty of that dead girl. 
 
 Thus ended the career of a family whose only rule of 
 law in the domestic circle was that of love; and whose 
 worst offense against their fellows was the exercise of an 
 honest conviction which the Constitution of our country 
 guarantees to its humblest citizen. 
 
 Carolena, at once a martyr to a God-like filial affection, 
 and a victim of savage outlawry, the eldest of the children 
 and the brightest jewel of the household, was her mother's 
 hope and joy, and her father's especial pet and idol. 
 Happy and vivacious, tender, true and faithful to every 
 kindly impulse, her heart was large enough to include in 
 its tender embrace all that is lovely in this world. Pos- 
 sessed of superior intelligence, her character was graced 
 with a purity that gave her an elevated place in the scale 
 of young and useful womanhood into which she was just 
 entering, and her untimely and terrible death became a 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 307 
 
 wound in the hearts of those who knew her, and a stain 
 upon the fair escutcheon of our country, which time will 
 be slow to heal. ******* 
 
 Looking out from the Clinton cottage a few weeks later, 
 all seems as peaceful and still as when the curtain first 
 lifted upon this lamentable drama. Through an open 
 vista in the luxuriant foliage of the forest trees the 
 waters of the bay are still seen glistening idly in the sun. 
 Anon a white sail passes silently in panoramic view over 
 the smooth surface of the water, to be followed by a mer- 
 chant steamer, rushing across the angle of vision like 
 some deep-sea monster in pursuit of his prey; recalling 
 the world and its busy commerce, that takes little heed of 
 sorrow, disappointment and death. The flowers, more 
 beautiful now than before, have reached their meridian 
 in the glories of a Southern spring, and clothed the mead- 
 ows and hillsides in robes of ever-changing beauty. 
 
 From this enchanting scene we turn to look once more 
 upon the stage, ablaze with incandescent lights and decked 
 with all the gaudy trappings that lure the unwary and 
 deceive the eye. The characters that have appealed so 
 long to that kinship that humanity finds in grief are no 
 longer there. They have made their exit, gone behind the 
 wings, and passed from sight; and now in mercy let the 
 curtain fall, shutting out from the bewildered gaze this 
 melancholy picture of the "Days of Reconstruction." 
 
 In compliance with the promise he had made at the 
 deathbed Major Weldon remained at the Clinton cot- 
 tage, for the purpose of gathering the data for the above 
 narrated facts. A number of letters had already appeared 
 in the newspapers of the country written from Kendall, 
 detailing the events of the tragedy; the authorship of 
 which, in the minds of the clans, had been fastened upon 
 
3o8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Major Weldon, and threats of vengeance were now being 
 hurled at his devoted head. 
 
 Finally, as his labors were drawing to a close, the Major 
 was aroused from his slumber one night by a negro woman 
 at the door (a former servant of the Clintons), who had 
 just come across the country from the home of one of the 
 clans, where a secret meeting had been held in which she 
 had overheard them discussing plans for his "removal," 
 upon which question a vote was finally taken, and by 
 unanimous voice they had decided to put their plans into 
 execution that night. 
 
 The story seemed plausible, and if true, matters were 
 grave enough. The woman was questioned closely as to 
 the source of her information, and her answers were so 
 direct and the alleged facts so convincing that the Major, 
 after a consultation with his friends, decided to leave the 
 country at once. As facts developed, he was none too 
 soon. The woman, it seems, had only been mistaken as to 
 the time the contemplated "visit" was to have been made; 
 for on the night following the rooms that had been oc- 
 cupied by Major "Weldon were surrounded and placed 
 under the surveillance of an armed posse of the des- 
 peradoes. 
 
 In accordance with these facts, under cover of the 
 night he struck out through the timber for the nearest 
 sidetrack. This was fifteen miles distant, and, thoroughly 
 mounted, he was able to reach the station about daylight. 
 After turning the horse loose to find its way back with 
 empty saddle, the Major remained secreted in the brush 
 on the "blind" side of the track until the train pulled out, 
 when he ran from his cover, and, jumping onto the plat- 
 form, bade farewell to scenes that had cost him dearly, 
 casting a shadow over his future life. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 309 
 
 On business connected with the Department of Justice, 
 the writer, soon after the above occurrences, was called to 
 Washington, D. C. A series of years spent in the South- 
 ern States had made him more or less familiar with the 
 processes with which it was believed the lately enfran- 
 chised negro was being deprived of the rights now guaran- 
 teed him under the Constitution, and such information 
 being eagerly sought by men most prominent in political 
 affairs, the writer was brought in contact with public 
 men and in time was enabled to see a good deal of 
 
 LIFE AT THE NATION'S CAPITAL. 
 
 Through acquaintances thus formed I was first given 
 employment with the Eepublican Congressional Commit- 
 tee, a political organization maintained in Washington 
 for the purpose of forwarding the election of members of 
 Congress in the doubtful or close Congressional Districts; 
 and to that end a regular bureau of information is main- 
 tained throughout each Congressional year. George C. 
 Gorham was then Secretary of the United States Senate 
 and also Secretary of the Congressional Committee, as 
 indeed he was its leading spirit. Eugene Hale, then mem- 
 ber of Congress from Maine, was the presiding genius 
 under the title of chairman. In these rooms consultations 
 by the party leaders were often held, and matters pertain- 
 ing to the campaign in the various districts discussed. 
 
 Around every political headquarters there are to be 
 found a large number of "hangers on," usually distinguish- 
 able by their unwashed linen. They are generally self- 
 sacrificing souls and more than willing to devote their 
 time and talent to the forwarding of almost any great and 
 glorious "cause." This "talent" is often chimerical, exist- 
 
3 io With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ing only in the minds of the would-be patriots. These 
 individuals always seem to have a claim real or imagin- 
 ary for services rendered or soon to he rendered, either 
 by themselves or through their influence, or they lean 
 wearily upon the tomb of some ancestor whose good name 
 is expected to add strength to their claims and bring them 
 a doubtful and precarious support. So they wait patiently 
 in anticipation of the crumbs to fall, though these take no 
 more substantial form than an occasional refreshing drink. 
 
 While in the committee rooms I was presented one day 
 to a gentleman of commanding figure clad in rusty gar- 
 ments of a fashionable cut, whom I had often seen about 
 the rooms, and was surprised to learn the introduction 
 had made me acquainted with the son of an ex-President, 
 John Tyler, Junior. To a casual observer he had the ap- 
 pearance of a gentleman, but his features revealed in 
 strong light the brutalizing effects of the whiskey habit. 
 
 Calling me into a side room we took seats on a couch, 
 when, after a few introductory remarks, he went directly 
 to the subject doubtless uppermost in his mind, and said: 
 "In the whole course of my life I have never met a 
 person that pleased me on short acquaintance as I have 
 been pleased with you." Ordinarily, one passes over such 
 a remark as the extreme of fulsome flattery, and allows it 
 to pass without further thought; but now I wondered 
 what compensation would be required for this extraordi- 
 nary effusiveness. The query was soon answered. After a 
 brief pause he broke in with: "Say, can't you give me a 
 dime? I haven't had but one drink to-day." 
 
 We often hear it said that sons of eminent men seldom 
 rise to the intellectual standard of their fathers. Strik- 
 ing proofs of this are frequently found in Washington, 
 that place of all others for the congregation of great 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 311 
 
 soldiers, statesmen and scholars; and where, also, we see 
 such men as Orvil Grant, the son of a respected citizen, 
 the brother of our greatest General and one of the most 
 eminent of our Presidents, plodding the streets, unkempt 
 and in seedy garments, with bare toes exuding from his 
 worn-out shoes. The son of General Butler, although a 
 man of rare talent, having the advantage of a fine educa- 
 tion, and the example of an illustrious father, was little 
 better respected than John Tyler, Junior. 
 
 In controversion of these, however, we find that John 
 Quincy Adams, as President, gave the country an abler and 
 more satisfactory administration than his illustrious 
 father; and Eobert T. Lincoln has displayed ability as a 
 diplomat and financier. General Frederick D. Grant holds 
 high rank in the United States army; and the sons of 
 President Garfield have risen to distinction in political 
 and private life, and now enjoy an enviable prominence 
 among their fellow men. But how much the eminence 
 and success of the distinguished characters above referred 
 to is owing to the great names which they inherit is not 
 so clearly defined. 
 
 The Congressional elections over, the committee rooms 
 were closed and the next situation was found in the service 
 of the War Department. This is to be enlisted as a clerk, 
 and in lieu of the $13 a month, the regular pay of a soldier, 
 the enlisted man receives commutation for rations and 
 clothing amounting in the aggregate to a salary of $85 a 
 month. This being drawn in three different places the 
 Commissary, Quartermaster's and Adjutant General's De- 
 partments three distinct payrolls have to be made out 
 and signed. There are no army restrictions placed upon 
 an employee of this kind; one is enrolled to serve during 
 good behavior and can resign at any time. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 A subordinate position in this office, however, is more 
 irksome than the life of a private soldier in the Regular 
 Army, for it is sought here also to keep up a marked dis- 
 tinction in rank. Many of the older employees of the 
 Adjutant General's Office are men who have served one 
 or more terms of enlistment as private soldiers, and when 
 discharged from the army have obtained clerkships or 
 positions more desirable in the general service. Having 
 a long acquaintance with the class of records to be handled 
 here, they may in time be advanced to become executive- 
 chief of a room or a division, and there it is sought to en- 
 force that discipline and self abasement to which they 
 were subjected while in the military service proper. Every 
 clerk, however exalted his position, is liable to the caprice 
 of someone in a grade just above him, and the man whose 
 business it may be to sweep and dust the rooms lords it 
 over the one who empties and cleans the spittoons. 
 
 This is a rule that obtains more or less in all of the 
 Government departments. Almost every employee owes 
 his position to someone higher in authority; and, strange 
 as it may seem, even under Civil Service rules that prac- 
 tice obtains very largely to-day, and this fact itself makes 
 the position of the average clerk a precarious and irksome 
 one. Standing as he does in constant dread of the time 
 to come when, walking into his office some fine morning 
 he finds the "yellow envelope" lying on his desk contain- 
 ing his final discharge, and that without a reason being 
 given therefor, the clerk soon loses that spirit of inde- 
 pendent manhood essential to the highest order of citizen- 
 ship. 
 
 But for him who becomes expert in some special line, 
 or who has talent or attractiveness of a social or literary 
 character and in the departments at Washington there 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 313 
 
 are many accomplished men and women he may feel 
 a little more secure in his place, and the one in authority 
 to whom he owes his appointment may introduce him into 
 almost any social circle to which he himself has access. 
 So it is frequently at private receptions honored with the 
 presence of many distinguished men and women the ques- 
 tion goes round in bated breath: "Who is this lady (or 
 gentleman) that sings or performs so elegantly?" And 
 
 the answer is returned: "Why that is Miss (or Mr.) 
 
 of the Treasury Department." A clerk in the employ of 
 the Government it may be, working for a small salary and 
 living in comparative seclusion in a cheap boarding house. 
 Out of the vast number of employees it is not surprising 
 that marked ability is sometimes discovered. Mr. Cortel- 
 you, now Secretary of the Treasury, thirty years ago was a 
 $1,200 clerk in the State Department. 
 
 The general information one gains by a prolonged stay 
 in Washington, if qualified to properly assimilate, may be 
 of greater practical value in after years than the stilted 
 instructions received within the narrow walls of a school- 
 house or academy. Here a young man is constantly sur- 
 rounded with those influences best calculated to arouse 
 within him a just pride of country, and a realizing sense 
 of the worth of good citizenship. One meets here the 
 brightest and foremost of our own people and those of 
 foreign countries. These soon become familiar figures on 
 the streets and in the lobbies and galleries, and they are 
 often seen and heard in public places. Of course the evil 
 influences of a gay capital are present, but they are also 
 felt in less pretentious communities and in every walk of 
 life. 
 
 In order to forward my own prospects I now resolved 
 to call upon General Butler, who, as stated elsewhere, I 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 first met while he was in command at Fortress Monroe 
 and I an escaped prisoner from Richmond. It was hardly 
 expected General Butler would recognize and remember 
 me after so many years and on so slight an acquaintance, 
 and some misgivings were entertained as to the treatment 
 I might receive at his hands. This more especially as the 
 interview was sought for the purpose of asking a favor. 
 To a stranger or casual observer General Butler's appear- 
 ance was not inviting. But I had known his son-in-law 
 and daughter (General and Mrs. Ames) while the former 
 was provisional Governor of one of the seceding States, 
 and these facts gave me greater courage to undertake an 
 interview with the General. 
 
 Accordingly, bracing myself for a supreme effort, I sent 
 in my card. To see General Butler in his law office on 
 Capitol Hill at the time one must wait as visitors now 
 have to do before obtaining an interview with the Presi- 
 dent; but after remaining in the ante-room some time I 
 was finally ushered into the august presence. I had already 
 prepared a little speech, expecting to deliver it at once on 
 reaching the audience chamber,, and began by stating that 
 in all probability he would not remember me; that I had 
 first met him at his headquarters with other escaped pris- 
 oners from Richmond the winter of 1863. In answer, and 
 before I had fairly concluded my speech, the General spoke 
 up and said: fr Why, Captain, I remember you very well 
 on that occasion ; you came in with Hobart and McCreary. 
 I have heard of your connection with General Ames in 
 the South ; please be seated and tell me what I can do for 
 you." 
 
 This was a cordiality unlocked for, and I was more 
 embarrassed than would have been the case had he treated 
 me with greater brusqueness. After making my wishes 
 
HEADQUARTERS 
 
 RATIONAL QOMMIJJEE, 
 
 No. 242 FIFTH AVENUE, 
 
 FLrYort City, A<W,- 
 
 i / // 
 
 1 884. 
 
 . 
 
 C *"*-+- 
 
 IXVITATION FROM THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO 
 SPEAK IN THE CAMPAIGN OF 1884. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 315 
 
 known, without further explanation being required, he 
 called in his stenographer and in my presence dictated a 
 strong letter advocating my claims. That letter aided me 
 materially in obtaining what I then most desired a more 
 lucrative position in the United States Treasury. 
 
 A statement of this occurrence seems chiefly valuable as 
 an evidence of General Butler's regard for the Union 
 soldier, as well as his goodness of heart, and it affords 
 a striking illustration of a wonderfully retentive memory. 
 
 In the United States Treasury I served through a great 
 portion of two administrations under Secretaries Sherman 
 and Windom, and in the Presidential years, though still 
 under pay of the department, was given leave of absence 
 for the purpose of entering the field as a campaigner under 
 the auspices of the Republican National Committee. The 
 last service of this character is indicated by a facsimile 
 of the letter of invitation from the committee found on 
 another page. 
 
 During the Civil War and for many years thereafter the 
 United States Senate was looked upon as the great chro- 
 nometer balance to keep the Government on an even keel. 
 Any mistakes in the form of legislation that may have 
 emanated from the Lower House of Congress the Upper 
 House could be relied upon to check and counteract. In- 
 deed, having had, as a rule, their first legislative training 
 in that body, who better prepared than the Senate to meet 
 the vagaries of the House of Representatives. But the 
 great names that most adorned the Senate in the past- 
 standing as they did for everything admirable in states- 
 manship and patriotic fidelity by the hand of death have 
 been stricken from the rolls. Sumner, Sherman, Morton, 
 Edmunds, Zach Chandler, Blaine, Conklin and others 
 equally talented, though perhaps not so widely known, seem 
 
3i 6 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 to have been raised up for that period in the nation's 
 history of which their life-work forms so conspicuous a 
 part. In erudition, in eloquence and in virtue the Amer- 
 ican Senate in those days, like that of Rome in the reign 
 of the CaBsars, was justly entitled to the distinction it bore 
 of the 
 
 "GREAT FORUM." 
 
 That the esteem and confidence in which that body was 
 then held by the people no longer exists cannot well be 
 denied, and it is doubtful, even though the exigencies 
 should again arise, as in the war period, whether the degree 
 of excellence exhibited by the men whose names are above 
 written would again be found. 
 
 That corporate greed, political ambition and self- 
 aggrandizement are influencing the deliberations of that 
 once incorruptible body there is no longer a doubt existing. 
 The few men in public life who have ability and integrity 
 so far are unable to leaven the mass of corruption stalking 
 abroad in the lobbies, corridors and committee rooms of 
 our legislative halls, and the people are fast losing faith 
 in their own representatives. That this distrust is to con- 
 tinue indefinitely is hardly to be believed, for there is as 
 much good in the world to-day as ever before, and already 
 there are influences working in high places and among 
 the people that are more than likely in the end to purge 
 the political atmosphere of the miasmatic germs with 
 which it is now fetid. 
 
 Among the prominent men whom it was the good for- 
 tune of the narrator to know in the period above spoken 
 of was the Honorable William E. Chandler, at the time a 
 member of Congress from New Hampshire, and a strong 
 personal friend of Mr. Elaine, who was then a Senator 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 317 
 
 from the State of Maine. Now, Mr. Elaine being the most 
 aggressive of the Eepublican leaders touching matters per- 
 taining to Southern politics, had given notice on the first 
 day of the Senate session of that year that on a certain 
 day following he would introduce a resolution of inquiry 
 as to the conduct of the elections held that fall in the 
 States of Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina, where 
 fraud and intimidation were alleged to have been com- 
 mitted at the polls. 
 
 A resolution of this character was calculated to arouse 
 sectional feeling to a white heat, and that a very lively 
 and acrimonious debate would follow its introduction there 
 was no doubt, and Mr. Chandler was of the opinion that 
 an interview by Mr. Elaine, who would likely take the 
 lead on the Eepublican side in defense of his resolution, 
 with someone qualified to speak from personal observation 
 touching the question at issue would be of great assistance 
 to him in fortifying himself for the debate soon to follow. 
 Accordingly, two or three appointments were made for 
 such an interview with the writer, but the pressure of 
 more important engagements made it impossible for Mr. 
 Elaine to spare the time for such a meeting. 
 
 But when the appointed day for the introduction of 
 the resolution arrived Mr. Chandler, still in hopes of a 
 brief interview, walked with the writer to the Senate 
 Chamber, where, on invitation of Mr. Elaine, we were 
 admitted to the cloakroom. The aisles, lobbies and cor- 
 ridors of the Capitol were already crowded to overflowing 
 with people anxiously awaiting the galleries to be thrown 
 open, in order that seats might be obtained the better to 
 catch the first bugle note in the contest of intellectual 
 giants likely soon to take place. 
 
 The hour for the Senate to come to order finally arrived, 
 
3i8 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 and as the presiding officer's gavel descended Mr. Blaine 
 hurriedly came to the door of the cloakroom to apologize 
 for his inability to give us any time, as he expected to take 
 the floor in a few minutes. But, indicating by a wave of 
 his hand a large upholstered chair on the floor of the 
 Senate, he said to me: "Won't you have a seat and re- 
 main through the debate?" Meantime, as I was later 
 informed, Mr. Blaine had received five hundred cards from 
 outside parties who believed they had something of interest 
 for him to consider before entering the arena. I quickly 
 accepted the proffered seat and the honor it signified, and 
 there remained fascinated until the Senate adjourned 
 about four or five hours later. The galleries, both foreign 
 and domestic, by this time were filled to the limit of their 
 capacity, and hundreds of people were still in the aisles 
 and lobbies, when, as soon as order was restored and the 
 minutes of the preceding day had been disposed of, Mr. 
 Blaine arose and sent up his resolution, and, after hearing 
 it read, moved its adoption. Then from a prepared manu- 
 script read a short and conservative speech advocating the 
 adoption of the resolution. 
 
 This was an unusual course for Mr. Blaine, and every- 
 body seemed disappointed, even the Democrats, who were 
 on tiptoe of anticipation and ready for the combat. Mr. 
 Blaine then took his seat, when three or four Southern 
 Senators sprang to their feet, and Mr. Lamar, of Missis- 
 sippi, was awarded the floor. The debate was now on and 
 the very air seemed to emit electrical sparks, the feeling 
 was so intense, and (must I add), in some quarters, bitter. 
 
 Mr. Lamar made an impassioned speech in defense of 
 his State and the position occupied by the South relative 
 to the political status of the negro under the new order of 
 things. The Senate chamber was now like an arena, the 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 319 
 
 contest being waged along intellectual lines. So far as the 
 Republican side was concerned the entire combat was 
 left to that most eminent of all gladiators, the Honorable 
 James G. Elaine, and no other Republican Senator tilted 
 a lance in the debate that followed. 
 
 Mr. Lamar had no sooner sat down than Mr. Elaine 
 arose and answered him point by point. Three Demo- 
 cratic Senators made speeches that day, to which Mr. 
 Elaine replied; and, leaving his seat, he walked down the 
 aisles and confronted his antagonists face to face, his whole 
 body meantime apparently aflame with inspired eloquence. 
 The words flew from his lips like bullets from a gatling 
 gun, and every word seemed especially coined for the pur- 
 pose to which it was put. The facts and figures he pre- 
 sented, and the historical and other data with which he 
 verified his statements and supported the reasoning he put 
 forth afforded an exhibition of forensic oratory seldom if 
 ever before witnessed in the Senate chamber. 
 
 We now come to a scene in the other branch of Congress 
 that took place when, out of "general parliamentary law," 
 
 CZARISM WAS EVOLVED. 
 
 Legislation deemed to be of great importance by Repub- 
 licans, and which the Democrats were equally anxious to 
 defeat, was pending in the House, with Speaker Reed in 
 the chair, when the following colloquy took place between* 
 the Speaker and Mr. Springer, of Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Springer : "Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do 
 now adjourn." 
 
 The Speaker : "The Chair decides the motion to adjourn 
 to be not in order." 
 
 Mr. Springer: "From the decision of the Chair I ap- 
 peal" 
 
320 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 The Speaker : "The Chair declines to entertain the ap- 
 peal/' 
 
 Mr. Springer: "When will a motion to adjourn be in 
 order?" 
 
 The Speaker: "At the proper time." 
 
 It is noteworthy that at the close of that momentous 
 sitting the House adjourned on Mr. Springer's motion. 
 But the lucidity couched in the Speaker's last response in 
 the above colloquy is almost sublime. 
 
 It would seem impossible by any ordinary process of 
 parliamentary practice to circumvent a doggedness of the 
 character indicated by Mr. Reed's replies as given in the 
 above. A monosyllable escaping from his lips or the sound 
 of his descending gavel apparently being the only explana- 
 tion required on the part of the Speaker for hasty decisions 
 where grave and important legislation is pending. That 
 so much power should be vested in one man by a delibera- 
 tive body appears to the uninitiated a very strange thing, 
 and when measured by the American standard of govern- 
 ment by the people, such a course seems wholly incon- 
 sistent. But at the same time a sovereign citizen sitting 
 in the House galleries for a time, watching the movements 
 of that august body, soon becomes convinced that some 
 power should be invoked to shut off debate and end the 
 bickering motions and countermotions that often delay and 
 sometimes defeat important legislation, if they do not 
 block outright the wheels of government. 
 
 But of the marked events in life at the capital the most 
 noteworthy and longest to be remembered was the 
 
 ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 For reasons not difficult to explain Mr. Garfield's death 
 moved the people of the capital city more profoundly than 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 321 
 
 that of any like calamity. The assassination of Mr. Lincoln 
 was the outgrowth and culmination of a civil war unpar- 
 alleled in its bitterness, and the bloodiest of ancient or 
 modern times. The public had long been accustomed to 
 angry strife and deeds of violence, and Lincoln, already an 
 old man, had well-nigh rounded out the crowning work 
 of his life. Besides, it has been thought by many that, 
 had he lived longer, his great conservatism and kindness 
 of heart would have led him into public acts of such a 
 conciliatory nature that the more radical element of the 
 Northern States would have been slow to endorse, if they 
 did not condemn outright. It in no way detracts from 
 the exalted place which his memory holds in the hearts 
 of the American people to say the day of Mr. Lincoln's 
 greatest usefulness in all probability had passed, and as 
 time advances the benefits of his life-work are more clearly 
 defined. 
 
 But it seems to be so ordered in the conduct of human 
 affairs that the men whose acts have been most potent in 
 inaugurating reforms and bringing blessings upon their 
 fellow-men seldom live to enjoy the benefits of their labors. 
 
 President McKinley, while beloved for his exemplary 
 character and evenly balanced temperament, died in a 
 distant city, and the people in Washington at least did not 
 feel his death so keenly, while as Chief Magistrate his 
 record has been somewhat eclipsed by the virile and bril- 
 liant national administration immediately following. 
 
 But President Garfield, in the prime of mature man- 
 hood, had just entered upon his Executive career when his 
 life was cut short in broad daylight in a public place by 
 the assassin's bullet. While with the masses he could not 
 have been considered at the time a popular President 
 there being much dissension in the party that elected him 
 
322 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the courage, patience and fortitude he displayed after 
 having been shot and wounded unto death, won the sym- 
 pathy and admiration of the people everywhere, and his 
 untimely taking off was as much lamented by his country- 
 men as that of any of the great men whose names are now 
 a cherished memory. 
 
 In Washington, where the people are in close touch with 
 the leading men of an administration, from the President 
 down, an opportunity is given to judge of their characters, 
 and often it happens their private lives are laid bare to 
 critical inspection. 
 
 It was the good fortune of the writer to have known 
 intimately Dr. D. W. Bliss, an ex-volunteer army surgeon 
 and an eminent practitioner of Washington, who was the 
 leading physician in charge of President Garfield's case 
 and was his constant nurse and attendant until death came 
 to the relief of the sufferer. Dr. Bliss, a large and power- 
 ful man, in the hundred days of unremitting service at the 
 bedside of the distinguished patient himself lost forty-five 
 pounds in weight. That the President's strength was main- 
 tained and his life prolonged for many days through the 
 vitality of this strong and determined man there is no 
 question of doubt. 
 
 The writer chanced to be on Pennsylvania Avenue the 
 morning of July 3d, 1881, where he met Dr. Bliss going 
 toward the Sixth Street depot. A few moments later the 
 two shots rang out that struck the President down. To 
 learn the occasion of the shots I turned and walked 
 leisurely back, but soon the report ran along the avenue 
 like an electric current that the President had been shot. 
 Hurrying on to the station, a large crowd had already 
 assembled, and threats of "Lynch him ! Hang him !" were 
 heard on every hand, but the assassin had already been 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 323 
 
 spirited away under a heavy guard. At this time a light 
 two-horse express wagon was called, into which the Presi- 
 dent was carried from the station and laid on the bottom, 
 Dr. Bliss sitting down and holding his head. In this posi- 
 tion they were driven to the White House. 
 
 Diabolical as this assassination was, the case affords a 
 very strong argument against the meting out of unlawful 
 or summary vengeance. There was at this time two fac- 
 tions in the Eepublican party between which a bitter feud 
 existed the Regulars or "Stalwarts," and the "Mug- 
 wumps," a faction that claimed to be seeking the purifica- 
 tion of the party and the reform of existing evils. The 
 former was headed by Senator Conkling, of New York, 
 who led a forlorn hope in the Chicago Convention the year 
 before to have General Grant nominated to the Presidency 
 for a third term. This was the issue that opened wide 
 the breach already existing between the two wings of the 
 party. Of course, General Grant was defeated and Mr. 
 Garfield was nominated. Although the latter could not 
 possibly have been elected without the united support of 
 both wings of the party, it was thought Mr. Garfield's 
 administration in its political preferments was being run 
 largely in the interests of the Mugwumps and adversely 
 to Mr. Conkling and the Stalwarts, and noticeably so in 
 his selection of Federal officers in the State of New York, 
 he having already appointed a collector of the port of New 
 York especially obnoxious to Mr. Conkling. Besides, he 
 had chosen Mr. Blaine as his chief secretary and adviser, 
 between whom and Mr. Conkling there was the bitterest 
 antagonism. So when Mr. Garfield was suddenly stricken 
 down by an assassin's bullet the suspicion was aroused and 
 the whisper ran around that Senator Conkling, and pos- 
 sibly ex-President Grant whom Garfield had defeated in 
 
324 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the nominating convention had had something to do in 
 bringing about this cruel and cowardly attempt upon the 
 President's life. So in all probability had Mr. Garfield's 
 assassin been lynched and killed at once a suspicion of 
 guilt might have rested upon Grant, Conkling and others 
 fully as unjust and almost as cruel as the assassination 
 itself. But the murderer was permitted to live to undergo 
 a fair trial, and long before his conviction and execution 
 took place every shadow of suspicion that he may have had 
 accomplices in the execution of the crime such as at first 
 existed in the minds of a few partisans was dispelled. The 
 assassin's own avowal and corroborative circumstances as 
 developed in the trial went clearly to prove that no other 
 hand and no other mind than that of the assassin alone 
 entered into or bore a part in the President's untimely 
 taking off. 
 
 In Mr. Garfield's illness the counsel of the most emi- 
 nent physicians and surgeons in America and in Europe 
 was called to the aid of the home physicians. In accord- 
 ance with Dr. Bliss' suggestion, the names of twelve of 
 the leading physicians of this country were placed in a 
 hat and drawn out by lot, the three first drawn to be em- 
 ployed as assistants in the case. Days were set apart for 
 special prayer in behalf of the sufferer by the churches 
 throughout Christendom; and, while all the physicians vir- 
 tually agreed as to what was deemed to be a correct diag- 
 nosis of the case, all this scientific skill, combined with the 
 prayers of the Christian world, was unable to save Mr. 
 Garfield's life. After lingering for many days in the fetid 
 air of the capital without any improvement, he was car- 
 ried in a special car to Elberon, New Jersey, a watering 
 place on the seashore. 
 
 The bullet that inflicted the President's death wound 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 325 
 
 entered the right side and lodged in the bony structure of 
 the spinal column and was never located until an autopsy 
 was held; and it was only after a prolonged search during 
 this examination that the bullet was found encysted as 
 above described. 
 
 On the second of July, when the President was stricken 
 down, Washington was alive in anticipation of the gayeties 
 of the approaching anniversary. But this terrible calamity 
 put a stop to any further preparations for celebrating the 
 great national holiday. Excursions, picnics, balls and 
 parties in many cases were declared off. Pianos in private 
 houses were closed, and for many days were never opened. 
 From the time the fatal shot was fired until the funeral 
 cortege had passed out of sight; for a period of one hun- 
 dred days the general demeanor of the people at their 
 homes in Washington was like that of a family where 
 some dear one lies ill and at the point of death. 
 
 The trial and execution of his murderer created an in- 
 terest equally absorbing, but with this difference. The 
 sickness and burial of the President called out all the 
 tender and sympathetic emotions, while the trial and exe- 
 cution of the assassin was but an affirmative declaration 
 of the scriptural injunction: "Vengeance is mine saith 
 the Lord," and appealed to the baser elements of human 
 nature. 
 
 But suffering from injuries contracted while in the 
 army, and only partially recovered from a severe illness, in 
 which he was attended by Dr. Bliss, the writer, by the 
 advice of his physician, obtained leave of absence from the 
 Treasury Department with permission to go abroad, and 
 forthwith journeyed to Boston, and there engaged passage 
 in a barque-rigged schooner bound for the Azorean and 
 Cape De Verde Islands. 
 
326 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 While awaiting the time set for sailing many places 
 were visited in and near Boston, around which cluster 
 memories dear to Bostonians and to all patriotic Ameri- 
 cans. Standing upon the top of Bunker Hill Monument 
 the morning sun in every direction as far as the eye can 
 reach seems to light up and recall scenes made glorious 
 by the struggles of our early ancestors. The feeble efforts 
 first put forth by the little band of Pilgrims and outcasts 
 from the mother country at Plymouth Rock have gone 
 steadily on, gathering strength with the onward tide of 
 progress, until a vast continent has been subdued, over 
 which the "Cradle of Liberty" has rocked her millions of 
 healthy and free born babes. The first shots fired at Lex- 
 ington and Concord have been heard around the world, 
 and awakened the echoes of liberty in the breasts of all 
 mankind. These are Meccas toward which at least one 
 pilgrimage should be made in the life of every citizen in 
 whose veins courses the inspired blood of 1776. 
 
 After many delays, the day and hour for sailing ar- 
 rived and all was bustle and confusion at the wharf and 
 on the deck of 
 
 THE GOOD BARQUE "SARAH." 
 
 Piles of boxes and bundles, mostly the effects of steerage 
 passengers, all Azoreans returning to their native islands, 
 were being hastily tumbled into the vessel's hold, while 
 those of the cabin (utter strangers and now thrown to- 
 gether for the first time) were busy looking after lug- 
 gage, arranging staterooms, and in exchanging whatever 
 gossip may have been gathered in regard to the hour of 
 sailing, the sea-going qualities of the vessel, and the 
 character of her officers, upon whom so much of the com- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 327 
 
 fort or discomfort of a voyage in a sailing vessel depends. 
 All were anxious to learn something of the ship and her 
 master, into whose keeping their lives were soon to be 
 entrusted for an indefinite period. 
 
 On the afternoon of Saturday, August 18th, 18 , the 
 bark, with twenty-one cabin passengers, buoyant in anti- 
 cipation of the coming pleasures, was towed out into 
 Boston Harbor, first passing City Point and Fort Inde- 
 pendence on the right, and Fort Warren on the left. 
 Boston Light and Nantasket next appear; and as the 
 shades of evening begin to fall, glimmering lights from a 
 thousand cottages along the beach illumine the waters of 
 the bay from shore and hillside; while countless numbers 
 of swift-flying sails, some outward and some homeward 
 bound are passing constantly in review. Dark portentous 
 clouds springing suddenly up from the south, lit up now 
 and then by vivid flashes of lightning, add grandeur and 
 beauty to the scene and intensify the interest of the occa- 
 sion. 
 
 Having passed outside the harbor, the towline is cast 
 off, when the pilot and the friends who had accompanied 
 us after many hearty hand-shakings jumped on board the 
 tug, which, heading about, soon passed out of sight. The 
 lights in Boston Harbor grew less by degrees, and finally 
 the last faint glimmer died away. Barnet's Light on our 
 starboard quarter, towering a distance of a hundred feet 
 in height, and situated far out at sea, soon sank to the 
 water's edge, cast its faint rays for a brief period along 
 the smooth surface of the water, and then disappeared. 
 Thus, the last tie binding us to native land seemed to have 
 been severed, and we found ourselves fairly out on "Old 
 Ocean's gray and melancholy waste." 
 
 Until a late hour the passengers were up on the quar- 
 
328 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 ter-deck, enjoying the novelties of the surroundings; pay- 
 ing, so far, very little attention to the ship, which had al- 
 ready begun to roll in a manner not well calculated to 
 soothe the qualms of a bilious stomach. The first gray 
 streak of the following morning had no sooner appeared 
 then one after another of the passengers came stealthily 
 out of their staterooms; but alas! how changed in appear- 
 ance. The ship was now rolling and plunging in a reckless 
 manner. Hasty and very scant toilet had been made, and 
 an almost total absence of sleep during the night added to 
 the disconcerted appearance of the ladies, whose hair and 
 partially adjusted garments were alike streaming in the 
 wind. Every one on board was apparently going through 
 the ludicrous pantomime of trying to maintain an upright 
 position, while upon their faces an ashy paleness began to 
 settle. Among the passengers who had become the most 
 intimate only furtive glances were now and then ex- 
 changed, each deceiving himself with the belief that he 
 was deceiving the other in the ease with which he dis- 
 posed of trifles, and took to a sailor's life; for no one yet 
 was ever willing to acknowledge frankly the first qualms 
 of seasickness. 
 
 The morning meal was announced, and out of the 
 twenty-one cabin passengers only three came up smiling 
 to the table. The other eighteen, where, oh where, were 
 they? It is said that Julius Caesar groaned aloud and in 
 abject humiliation with the miseries of an ague chill; but 
 if there is one thing more than another calculated to take 
 the conceit out of a proud mortal, and unbend the arro- 
 gant and haughty, it is to be bounced about for a succes- 
 sion of days in a sailing vessel, and all the time on the 
 verge of "throwing up" one's immortal soul. But matters 
 soon began to mend, and after the lapse of a day or two 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 329 
 
 normal habits were resumed, appetites returned, and the 
 situation rapidly improved. A steady hreeze kept up from 
 the southwest, and aided by the Gulf Stream kept our 
 vessel ploughing on its eastward course at the rate of ten 
 knots an hour; and whether by day or night, from this 
 time forward the journey was one of uninterrupted 
 pleasure. 
 
 The deck was protected by an ample awning through 
 the day, and the soft temperature of that latitude, with 
 the aid of a full moon, made the nights especially delight- 
 ful, and until a late hour, lounging in wicker chairs, we 
 whiled the drowsy hours in contemplation of the scene, 
 varying the monotony with games at cards and in reading 
 or discussing the latest novel. Now and then the cry of 
 "Sail ho!" from the man on the lookout was heard, when 
 all eyes were fastened on the strange ship until she passed 
 far astern. 
 
 It is an interesting episode to be able to speak a vessel 
 far out at sea; for, at such a time, the thought will occur 
 that possibly this may be the last that one or the other 
 may be seen or heard of by the friends at home who watch 
 in vain for the return of the vessel and its precious 
 burden. For this and other reasons an international sys- 
 tem of signals has been adopted, by which an English 
 speaking officer may hail a Norwegian or German vessel, 
 as well as one from his native land. There is an awful 
 significance in the report we sometimes read of a ship long 
 overdue having been "last spoken" in some remote lati- 
 tude. 
 
 On the morning of the 20th day out the cry of "Land 
 ho!" from the lookout was taken up and reechoed by the 
 sailors about the forecastle, and instantly every eye on 
 board was strained ahead. The crew were all Portuguese, 
 
330 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 as were the steerage passengers, and native Azoreans. 
 Many of the latter, having been absent for years, were now 
 returning to the land of their birth. These would crowd 
 up in the bowsprit, all anxious to catch the first glimpse of 
 their beloved isles, the "dearest spot on earth" to them. 
 They had not long to wait, for when still a distance of 
 fifty miles away, just above the water's edge, like a dark 
 cloud, appeared the first in our course of the Azorean 
 group, 
 
 FLORES, THE ISLE OF FLOWERS. 
 
 Keeping the pace with which the "Sarah" had been 
 dividing the waves since her departure from Boston, we 
 hoped to sail alongside this little oasis in the great desert 
 of waters while daylight remained, but alas, how fickle is 
 the wind. The steady breeze that had in so short a time 
 swept us across the broad Atlantic suddenly died out, and 
 for twenty-four hours we lay at a provoking distance from 
 this enchanting spot. 
 
 As night comes on the sails at regular intervals flap 
 lazily against the spars, and the vessel rolls lightly from 
 side to side, with the regular pulsating throbs of the ocean's 
 breast. The highest peaks of Flores are swathed in soft 
 silver-tinted clouds, an Italian sky is over the broad ex- 
 panse, while in the west, where the sky and waters meet, 
 the sun goes down amidst a scene the most dazzling and 
 beautiful; and the island, but dimly seen in the distance, 
 soon fades from sight. At a late hour we retire to dream 
 of the day passed, and to speculate upon what the morn- 
 ing may reveal. 
 
 Looking upon the distant shore at daylight the words 
 of the old song, "Thou Art So Near, and Yet So Far," 
 are suggested; but with the rising sun a freshening breeze 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 331 
 
 springs up and the vessel's prow is turned shoreward. Like 
 the gradual opening of *a flower, the beauties of the island 
 develop as the distance lessens. Its entire surface is as 
 green as a meadow in June. Beginning at the water's 
 edge, the ground, volcanic in formation, rises to a height 
 in the center of two to three thousand feet. Little 
 rivulets of water, glistening in the sun, are first seen de- 
 scending from rocks and precipices above, and, disappear- 
 ing for a time, they emerge with more majestic flow, fol- 
 lowing the downward course until swallowed up in the 
 broad ocean. 
 
 Small herds of sheep, goats and cattle can now be seen 
 grazing far up the mountains' sloping sides, dotted here 
 and there with little white specks, which, upon closer ob- 
 servation, prove to be houses built of lava rocks and 
 whitewashed. They are surrounded with bamboo hedges 
 that look like towering rectangular walls. These grow to 
 a height of twenty or thirty feet, serving at once as a wind- 
 break and for fencing between little holdings of land of 
 not more than an acre or two to each occupant. Here the 
 farmers and gardeners of our own country might derive a 
 wholesome lesson on the subject of intensive cultivation, 
 for on these little patches of ground whole families are 
 supported. 
 
 Santa Cruz is the capital and only city of Mores, and 
 there is no harbor excepting for small coasting vessels. 
 The waters immediately surrounding are so deep that an 
 anchorage cannot be obtained at a distance from the shore 
 far enough to enable a ship to swing clear at the end of a 
 cable. Freight and passengers are transferred in large 
 pinnaces, propelled by six or eight barelegged and bare- 
 headed oarsmen. 
 
 While waiting for the Health and Custom officers to 
 
332 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 board, the breeze continuing to freshen, the "Sarah" is 
 forced to beat about from point to point, all the while 
 keeping a respectful distance from the shore. Approach- 
 ing the landing in one of these launches, with a strong 
 breeze and a heavy sea running, where there is barely room 
 for the boat to pass among the rocks, it seemed our little 
 craft would surely be dashed to pieces, and the continuous 
 gabble of the oarsmen and the orders and counter-orders 
 excitedly passing among them, were not calculated to in- 
 spire confidence. 
 
 Presently a narrow channel opened before us, and into 
 it we were borne on the crest of a tremendous wave. All 
 held their breath, for a critical moment had come. The 
 boatmen tugged manfully, but just here an oar on the 
 starboard bow struck and snapped in two. This threw 
 them all out of stroke, and the boat veering around, 
 crashed into a boulder. The next instant, however, she 
 passed through the narrows, and without further accident 
 we glided into the waters of a little bay not more than an 
 acre in extent, and the shore was reached in safety. 
 
 The city of Santa Cruz is built on a high cliff, its prin- 
 cipal street running down to the water's edge. Up this 
 incline we labor, step by step, until the central square is 
 reached. From here a half dozen or more narrow streets 
 radiate at all points of the compass. The houses are built 
 of lava with tiled roofs, and one or two stories in height. 
 The first floor is generally used for stabling donkeys, which 
 afford the only means for conveying freight and passen- 
 gers on the island; and families are domiciled on the floor 
 above. The streets are about the width of an alley in our 
 American cities, and there being no sidewalks, pedestrians, 
 donkeys and ox-carts find their way through these narrow 
 passages together. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 333 
 
 The natives, those who were fellow passengers, seemed 
 to vie with each other in their efforts to make our visit on 
 the island one of pleasure and profit. The hospitality and 
 native politeness of the people is phenomenal. In passing 
 through the most populous portion of the town, every man 
 or boy one meets lifts his hat and hows, and a like cour- 
 tesy is expected in return. The houses are provided with 
 balconies or green blinds at the windows, from behind 
 which dark-eyed women take a sly look at the passing 
 stranger. 
 
 There is no physician in Flores, and no provision made 
 by law for the poor, and beggars ply their vocation without 
 let or hindrance. They are quick to scent a traveler and 
 often hound his tracks until he gladly ventures another 
 passage of the "narrows," and takes, not "to the woods," 
 but to the more uncertain fortunes of the sea. 
 
 In company with a Portuguese fellow-passenger I vis- 
 ited the penitentiary, a large stone building near the center 
 of the city; but instead of waiting for an official to open 
 the door and escort us through, my friend took me to the 
 main entrance, and, finding the doors and corridors open, 
 we walked in. Presently a gentleman stepped out from 
 one of the "cells" and kindly joined us, acting as a guide. 
 A little later I was surprised to learn that our "guide" was 
 himself a prisoner, and the only one at the time in the 
 institution. But this extraordinary liberty given a prisoner 
 charged with an offense against the law seems to have been 
 the course commonly pursued. It was explained that it 
 was impossible for a prisoner to escape from the island, 
 and, should there be a jail delivery at any time, and the 
 escaped took to the hills in the interior, it would be only 
 a question of hours to overtake and again place them in 
 duress. So the better way for all, we were told, was to 
 
334 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 leave the doors open and allow the "prisoners" to go in 
 and out at will. But the real secret lies in this. They 
 have no use in that country for jails. Criminal offenses 
 there are seldom known. The people are simple-minded 
 and primitive in their habits as were the natives of the 
 West Indies as described by Columbus. They are a blithe 
 and light-hearted peasantry for the greater part, taking 
 little heed of the future (so far as temporal affairs are 
 concerned), living simply and reposing implicit faith in 
 the priest as a safe counselor, guide and prophet for this 
 world, and in his ability to prepare them for an exceeding 
 weight of glory in the next. For four hundred years their 
 ancestry have lived here, and up to the time of this inquiry 
 but one murder had been committed on the islands. 
 
 The Azoreans are living in an atmosphere of mediaeval 
 Europe and seem to have but little desire or ambition to 
 emerge from the drowsy past and "go up against" the 
 problems of the present. France, we are told, in her efforts 
 to separate Church from State, has been brought close to 
 the verge of civil war. But that will never be the con- 
 dition among the inhabitants of these islands. There is 
 no such thing as State government with them, where the 
 priest constitutes the only court of law and the Church 
 dominates and controls legislation. 
 
 On approaching the islands from the sea the first object 
 to catch the eye is the cathedral, which in all of the towns 
 and cities is the largest and most imposing structure. 
 They also are built of lava rock in the old Moorish style of 
 architecture. Around these everything worth living for 
 seems to center. At the sound of the cathedral bell all 
 animation in the street and domestic circle is suspended, 
 and, whatever the hour may be, the people en masse turn 
 their faces toward the holy shrines. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 335 
 
 But our good ship, having discharged her cargo, is ready 
 to proceed on her eastward course, and we must say good- 
 bye to Flores and its strange and interesting people that 
 have so engrossed our attention for a day and a night. 
 This we do reluctantly, for there is a simplicity about 
 them that captivates the stranger. 
 
 On the final leave-taking crowds of people assemble on 
 the bluffs near by, and many descend with us down the 
 stony steps to the quay, and once more on board the lighter 
 that carries us away, cheerful greetings are called, hand- 
 kerchiefs waved and good wishes of "God-speed" are heard 
 on every hand. 
 
 Meantime the "Sarah," a mile or two out, is beating 
 up and down the coast, first on one track and then on 
 another, like a mettled charger impatient for the start. 
 Once more on board, with all sails set, braces hauled taut 
 and heading east by south, we begin the passage for the 
 second to be visited of this charming group, 
 
 SAN MIGUEL. 
 
 This is the largest, most westerly and most populous 
 of the Azorean Islands. Ponta Delgada, its capital and 
 only harbor for large sea-going vessels, is a city of 30,000 
 inhabitants, and the third in size in the Portuguese 
 dominions. 
 
 For the tourist seeking health or the traveler looking 
 for untrodden fields there is no more inviting spot than 
 the Island of San Miguel. A counterpart of the others 
 in formation, San Miguel (about thirty miles in width by 
 seventy-five in length) rises in the center to a mountain 
 range about three thousand feet high, and contains a 
 population of 150,000 people. Being but a short distance 
 
336 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 from continental Europe, it possesses many attributes of 
 refinement and civilization, though the peasant class here, 
 as elsewhere, are living three hundred years behind the 
 age. 
 
 At the time of this visit there were said to be but seven 
 horses on the island; the ox, burro and mule, all diminu- 
 tive in size, were the sole dependents for travel and carry- 
 ing heavy burdens. 
 
 The first morning in Ponta Delgada I was awakened by 
 the unseemly noises with which the air was filled. The 
 sounds were like the blowing of sirens and steam whistles 
 in one of our large cities on the occasion of a gala day, 
 when huge noises seem most in demand. Walking out 
 into the suburbs I soon learned their cause. Scores of 
 ox-carts were being driven in, carrying vegetables and 
 supplies for the early market. These are constructed 
 entirely of wood, there being not a particle of iron or 
 steel in their make-up. The wheels are of solid blocks, 
 through the center of which a wooden X projects. The 
 bearings are never relieved by the application of grease 
 or any sort of lubricant, and when the carts are heavily 
 loaded the noises caused by the friction of X and wheel 
 are something appalling. This, however, is music to the 
 peasant ear, for in this manner evil spirits and hobgoblins 
 of every species, it is believed by them, are kept at bay, 
 and their dangerous influences counteracted. To an ear 
 unattuned to this sort of music the "hobgoblins" would 
 seem to be preferred. 
 
 In the central portion of San Miguel in some remote 
 age was a volcano of tremendous proportions. In the 
 bottom of a crater called the "Valley dos Furnas," at a 
 depth of 1,200 feet, are still to be seen the evidences of 
 its expiring energies. Great clouds of vapor and steam 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 337 
 
 are hanging over the cavernous depths. Acres of ground 
 in the center are hot and turbid, throwing up mud and 
 water to a height of several feet, like a seething, boiling 
 cauldron. Kegular pulsating throbs, as if a giant trip- 
 hammer were beating against the walls beneath, causes the 
 earth to tremble for many yards around. There are both 
 hot and cold springs of water within a space of a few 
 feet. Public baths are maintained near the geysers by the 
 Government, making the place altogether a popular resort. 
 There are hotels where accommodations can be had at a 
 moderate charge, and the springs are visited yearly by 
 many invalids and pleasure-seekers from England and the 
 continent of Europe. At an elevation of nearly three 
 thousand feet in the center of the island is a broad table- 
 land supporting a large population, though the ground is 
 seared with deep canyons running out to the sea. Tower- 
 ing buttes now and then rise above the common level, from 
 the top of which a fine view is obtained the Valley of 
 the Furnas on one hand, the broad ocean on the other, 
 and numerous lakes of sparkling water, whose banks are 
 dotted with little villages and white cottages and all 
 embowered in a deep foliage of green. 
 
 Descending the mountain to the sea I reach the hamlet 
 of Villa Franca. The objective point is Ponta Delgada, 
 fifteen miles distant. The hour is late and a fresh animal 
 must be procured in order to reach my destination before 
 night closes in. With a diminutive mule and a little boy 
 to drive, whose age is scarcely more than nine years, the 
 journey is begun. The road leads along the waters edge, 
 and, with a high tide and the wind blowing inland, the 
 route is dangerous, and my little driver urges the donkey 
 forward at every step. The shore is inhabited by fisher- 
 men and we are frequently interrupted by beggars. The 
 
33$ With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 little driver, assuming a guardianship over me, waves the 
 intruders aside. I can understand enough of his language 
 and gestures to know that he informs them I am an Eng- 
 lish gentleman and must not be interrupted by beggars. 
 I correct this error on the part of the boy and tell him 
 I am an American, and not an Englishman. On meeting 
 more beggars, with an air of authority he confronts them 
 with : "Americano ! Americano I' 9 and flippantly waves 
 them aside. Before reaching the end of the journey night 
 is upon us and this little muleteer must return alone over 
 this rugged pathway, across which in places the waves 
 surge in volume sufficient to carry both horse and rider 
 out into the sea. At one time on our passage the surf 
 rolling in engulfed the little man to the waist, and, fear- 
 ing for his life, I took him up behind me and carried 
 him beyond the point of danger. 
 
 The natives are trained from early childhood to this 
 employment. While making a journey from Ponta Del- 
 gada to the Furnas (a distance of twenty-four miles), 
 being constantly hurried along, I remonstrated with the 
 driver, insisting that I was in no haste, but wished rather 
 to proceed slowly, the better to enjoy the scenery. There- 
 upon he modestly informed me he was anxious to get 
 through and return to the Furnas that evening, in order 
 to meet an engagement with a young lady to accompany 
 him to a chimerite or dance. As he expected to carry a 
 passenger back with him, he would be compelled to make 
 the journey both ways forty-eight miles' travel on foot, 
 and then to dance all night. Young men who can travel 
 that distance in the twelve hours of daylight (receiving 
 fifty cents for the labor) and then dance all night, even 
 with their best girl, are scarce in these degenerate days. 
 
 On reaching Ponta Delgada it is found the "Sarah" 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 339 
 
 has already sailed for Fayal, and I am compelled to await 
 the arrival of a steamer. The intervening time is em- 
 ployed in visiting the private gardens located here, many 
 of which surpass in beauty anything of the kind in this 
 country, if not in the world. At every step taken through 
 these enchanting grounds fresh surprises are presented. 
 There are acacia trees imported from Africa, around and 
 over which creepers, honeysuckle and trumpet vines revel 
 and cling. Palm trees and poplars and hedges of oleander 
 laden with blossoms overreach the graveled walks. A 
 mountain stream of limpid water running through a rocky 
 glen, forming cascades and miniature lakes, is finally lost 
 in a grotto or underground cavern green with moss and 
 overhanging ferns. 
 
 But sojourning in the Azorean Archipelago, no matter 
 for how long a period, there is one object that is seldom 
 lost sight of and which grows upon the beholder as it is 
 viewed from a distance, till one feels impelled as by some 
 mysterious power to make a closer inspection. It is an 
 abrupt peak, cone-like in shape, rising out of the sea a 
 distance of nearly eight thousand feet more than a mile 
 and a half and not over fifteen miles across its base. 
 This is 
 
 THE MOUNTAIN" OF PICO. 
 
 Prom this mountain the island takes its name. For weeks 
 Pico has been seen looming up against the blue sky from 
 every point of compass, sometimes at a distance of fifty 
 miles or more, seeming to challenge one to the ascent of 
 its dizzy height, and, 
 
 '^Variable as the shade 
 By the light changing aspen made," 
 
340 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 it has never appeared twice alike. Vapory clouds hang 
 over its summit, changing with the wind, and varying in 
 color as different hues of light reach it from the rising 
 or setting siin. 
 
 At last bidding good-bye to San Miguel I take passage 
 on the only steamer plying regularly between Lisbon, the 
 Azores and Madeiras, and at the end of twenty-four hours 
 set off in a lugger that lands me at Magdalena, the capital 
 city of the island. 
 
 The outer rim of Pico clear down to the water's edge 
 is dotted with the whitewashed houses so common to the 
 country, and these are embowered in grapeladen vines. 
 Having formed the acquaintance of an intelligent native 
 acquainted with the English language Senor Antone 
 Garcia I was soon able, through his assistance, to procure 
 the services of three native guides with five burros, these 
 being the first requisite for making the ascent. Two of 
 the little animals carried the necessary supplies for a two 
 days' journey, though we hoped to make it twenty-four 
 hours. Bread, cheese, cold chicken, a few bottles of wine 
 for the inner man and an extra suit of clothes in case 
 of necessity from storm or exposure completed the outfit. 
 The road was rough and stony from the start, leading 
 through narrow lanes shut in on either side by immense 
 bamboo hedges or walls of lava rock until we pass beyond 
 the limits of Magdalena. We next come into green pasture 
 lands on which herds of goats, sheep and cattle range in 
 great numbers, attended by shepherds, who watch their 
 flocks by day, seeking shelter in stormy weather beneath 
 the shelving rocks. 
 
 As we reach the higher altitude a magnificent view is 
 presented. Not a breath of wind is stirring, and through 
 a September haze the vast expanse of ocean and sky seem 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 341 
 
 blended into one. The rays of the sun, just disappearing 
 in the depths, are reflected upon the overhanging clouds, 
 transforming them into a blaze of glory. Fertile valleys 
 are beneath our feet, and the faint echo of a shepherd's 
 voice calling his sheep into shelter for the night is faintly 
 heard, and Magdalena, the capital city, is but a white 
 speck in the distance. 
 
 Our object now is to reach a place on the mountain 
 where the donkeys are to be left in the keeping of one 
 of the guides until our return, while the remainder of the 
 party, traveling on foot, come to a sheltered cave, there to 
 rest until daylight, and then, if possible, reach the summit 
 in time to see the sunrise. 
 
 Night coming on, we reach the point where the donkeys 
 must be abandoned, and from this time forward the ascent 
 is gained only through the utmost exertion. A dense fog 
 turning first to a heavy mist and then to a downpour does 
 not add to the general comfort. There is a thick green 
 moss growing that is saturated with water, and into this 
 we sink at every step; our garments soon become thor- 
 oughly wet, and, notwithstanding the great exertion re- 
 quired to make headway, we are soon chilled to the 
 marrow. The guides with lanterns search every cleft of 
 rock and declivity in an effort to find the cavern that would 
 afford us some shelter until morning, but nothing of the 
 kind is found. About 12 o'clock we came upon an open- 
 ing into which one of the guides penetrated, and found a 
 dry spot as was believed large enough to accommodate our 
 party. Entering this cave we settled down with backs 
 against the wall, and there fell asleep; but no more than 
 an hour had passed when the water came pouring in like 
 a shower bath, and we hurried out, fearing to be caught 
 and engulfed like rats in an overflowing cellar. 
 
342 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 With one guide traveling ahead, and the other bringing 
 up the rear, we push on, compelled to keep in motion or 
 perish with the cold, as the wind is now blowing a gale. 
 Thick gloom and darkness shut out the closest objects, and 
 often we have to assist each other over perpendicular 
 walls; or descending suddenly into a gulch, we land on 
 loose slag that slips from under foot, precipitating one in 
 a downward flight until shelving rocks are reached, fifteen 
 or twenty feet below. 
 
 At daylight the wind went down and the clouds began 
 to lift, when we found ourselves on the thin rim or wall 
 of a crater 250 feet deep, and a picture of desolation. The 
 bottom of this crater covers a space of about two acres, in 
 the center of which is a chimney or loose pile of rocks 
 thrown up by volcanic action to a height of two or three 
 hundred feet above the rim. The apex of this pile of 
 rocks forms the summit of Mount Pico, the point which it 
 is our ambition to reach. 
 
 Without delay we descend to the bottom of the crater 
 and begin preparations for the ascent. The chimney is 
 about as near perpendicular as loose rocks can be made to 
 lay, and to make headway over its jagged surface looks 
 like a formidable undertaking. The only hold or support 
 in making the ascent is found in placing the hands and 
 feet in the cracks and crevices between the boulders. But 
 divesting ourselves of all superfluous clothing, we begin 
 cautiously making our way from rock to rock and from 
 crevice to crevice. The intense cold encountered during 
 the night is no longer felt, for in many places hot air and 
 vapor issue from the fissures between the rocks, warming 
 both hands and feet. Scarcely venturing to look around 
 or beneath, the topmost stone is finally reached, on whose 
 flat surface there is barely room for a dozen men to stand. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 343 
 
 Daylight has now revealed the universe, and there is ' 
 opened to the view a scene of indescribable grandeur and 
 beauty. The sun, like a red blaze of light, is just coming 
 out of the ocean in the east; while beneath, nestling in 
 little green valleys and ravines in every part of the isl- 
 and, a hundred white cottages are visible. Casting the 
 eye seaward, Fayal, San Jorge and Graciosa appear like 
 little gems in a diamond setting. The rays of the sun, 
 unobstructed by mist or cloud, striking the mountain side 
 cast a shadow over the smooth surface of the water, coni- 
 cal shaped, in lines distinct as could be drawn with pencil 
 or brush, a distance of thirty-five miles beyond the 
 farthest shore of Fayal. Within the space covered by this 
 shadow might easily anchor the combined fleets and navies 
 of the world. Presently, and far below, fleecy clouds begin 
 to gather and spread till their soft folds encircle the 
 mountain and the entire island is shut out from view. 
 Like gaunt specters in mid-air, the clouds continue to 
 move, engulfing one object after another, until beneath, 
 an ocean of silvery vapor is all that can be seen. Not a 
 sound is heard, and there is an awe-inspiring majesty in 
 this isolation from the world and in the silence that pre- 
 vails as we stand in space, 2,000 feet above the clouds. In 
 looking downward one is seized with an almost uncon- 
 trollable desire to plunge headforemost into the soft and 
 downy mass beneath. 
 
 About 9 o'clock the sun rose clear above the shifting 
 clouds, lighting them with a dazzling splendor. Often 
 they move aside sufficiently to allow glimpses of the green 
 island through the rifts. Again towering upward like 
 mountain peaks, they re-form and move like armed hosts 
 in battle array. 
 
 Beginning the descent, imposing spectacles shut out by 
 
344 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the darkness in our upward course appear on every hand. 
 In passing around to the northern side of the crater we 
 find a space of ahout 100 yards where the rim or wall has 
 broken off and fallen down the mountain. Approaching 
 this opening, with a guide on either hand warning me 
 back with word and gesture, I soon find myself standing 
 on the edge of a precipice with perpendicular walls, and 
 having no rock or other impediment to prevent one from 
 plunging into a yawning chasm whose depths cannot be 
 penetrated by the unaided eye. 
 
 Lying loose in every direction are great pieces of 
 cream-colored lava twisted into curious and fantastic 
 shapes. One enormous specimen of a rich creamy color 
 is lying on the surface entirely separate from others. It 
 is cylindrical in form, hollow from one end to the other 
 and about six feet in diameter. The opening contains a 
 quantity of ice-cold water, and here we are able to slake 
 our thirst. It is the only place on the mountain at this 
 elevation where water can be obtained. 
 
 It is said that during the heavy storms of winter the 
 rain is driven into this opening, and as the sun never 
 penetrates the bottom of the cavern the water remains 
 there cool and fresh throughout the year. 
 
 Continuing below this point, the dangers that beset the 
 pathway in coming up are apparent. Deep seams and 
 gulches that once formed passageways for streams of 
 molten lava are found. These we must often descend or 
 cross on projecting rocks, the crevices between being the 
 only foothold one can obtain. These lava courses some- 
 times take the form of a complete tunnel. The lava ap- 
 parently having first cooled on the surface, forms a crust, 
 while that beneath, still hot, continues its downward 
 course like water through a main. 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 345 
 
 Continuing the journey, the first appearance of vege- 
 table and animal life has a counter-effect from the scenes 
 of desolation through which we have just come; and the 
 sensation of delight is almost as keen as that on first 
 reaching the summit. Standing on the pinnacle of this 
 wonderful mountain one is fully impressed with the 
 majesty of creation; but on reaching a firm footing four or 
 five thousand feet below, where the air is redolent with 
 the odor of blossoms and ringing with the song of birds, 
 there is a feeling of thankfulness that the dangers inci- 
 dent to the ascent are left behind. Even the braying of 
 the donkey now hailing from a distance is a welcome 
 sound to the ear. 
 
 After reaching the camp where the animals are found in 
 waiting we lose no time in mounting, and for the re- 
 mainder of the journey their backs seem like downy beds 
 of ease. Facing a beautiful sunset as we descend, labor- 
 ers, milkmaids and herdsmen join us on the trail, and as 
 the shades of evening begin to fall we reach Magdalena. 
 
 The collective name of the Azorean group "Illhas dos 
 Acores" or "Isles of Hawks" is derived from a species of 
 bird that once inhabited the islands in great numbers, sup- 
 posed to be a hawk. San Jorge, San Miguel and Santa 
 Maria are said to have been discovered on days dedicated 
 to those Eoman Catholic saints. Graciosa is the "beauti- 
 ful," and Pico, the "peak." Terceira was the third in the 
 order of discovery, Angra being its chief city and only 
 seaport. In physical characteristics it is not unlike the 
 other islands, and Angra, the commercial center, is 
 situated on a mesa about one hundred feet above the sea. 
 It is the most modern in its construction and general 
 appearance, having wider streets, and larger and more 
 commodious buildings. 
 
346 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Terceira has a history peculiar to itself that would be 
 exceedingly interesting for the student to follow, but to 
 which we can but briefly allude. There is in print a little 
 volume entitled, "Among the Azores," by Lyman W. 
 Weeks, to which we are indebted for a good deal of in- 
 teresting and valuable data upon this subject. 
 
 Centuries ago the Azores were a bone of contention be- 
 tween the Portuguese and the Moors, and aside from the 
 dangers incident to these conquests, the natives of Ter- 
 ceira were compelled to defend themselves and their pos- 
 sessions against the incursions of pirates and robbers that 
 infested the Archipelago in the early years of its history. 
 Many of the defensive works built by them in that roman- 
 tic period are still standing, and in a fair state of preserva- 
 tion. 
 
 Apropos of the American Civil War, Angra gained some 
 celebrity as being the place where the Confederate cruiser, 
 the Alabama constructed, armed, equipped and manned 
 by the English was there delivered to the Confederate 
 authorities represented by Admiral Semmes and his staff 
 of naval officers. They took possession of the ship at 
 Angra and with it started on her memorable cruise for the 
 destruction of American commerce on the high seas. But 
 it is a long road that never turns. The English govern- 
 ment later on was required to pay to the United States the 
 snug little sum of $15,500,000 for damages wrought to 
 our merchant ships by the Alabama and other cruisers, 
 this being the compensation fixed by what is known as 
 the "Geneva Award." 
 
 Bidding farewell to Terceira, and once more on board 
 the steamer, we head for the port of Horta and the 
 
 ISLAND OF FATAL. 
 

With Touch of Elbow. 347 
 
 As a fellow passenger we have a no less distinguished 
 personage than the Commander-in-Chief of the Portu- 
 guese army. In military parlance one often hears of a 
 "corporal's guard," but a corporal without a guard is not 
 necessarily a very luminous factor in the organization and 
 control of an army. As compared with the great armies 
 of the present, the Portuguese would scarcely be able to 
 muster more than a "corporal's guard," and the import- 
 ance attached to the office of its commanding general 
 would have the same relative significance. But our 
 Portuguese commander seemed to entertain a different 
 estimate of his worth. 
 
 He was making the rounds of the fortifications on the 
 Azores and Madeira Islands, built centuries ago and gar- 
 risoned by a few soldiers or gendarmes who act as police 
 in the towns and cities where located. On these anti- 
 quated works a few old guns of the Fifteenth Century 
 pattern are mounted. A military sentinel paces up and 
 down the parapets; the blare of a bugle is occasionally 
 heard, and the outward forms of a military post are ob- 
 served. The maximum strength of the entire force on the 
 islands is about two or three hundred men; with head- 
 quarters at Horta, where the greater number of these are 
 to be found. 
 
 Through the courtesy of an Englishman acting as inter- 
 preter (an engineer of the ship who chanced to be off 
 duty), I had the pleasure of a conversation with the 
 General. He seemed pleased to meet an ex-officer of the 
 American army, and asked a number of questions relating 
 to the Civil War, upon which subject he seemed well in- 
 formed. The occasion to me was an interesting one, more 
 from what took place at the end of the journey than from 
 the pleasure derived from the trip. On reaching the port 
 
348 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 of Horta we find ourselves in the midst of a holiday given 
 in honor of the distinguished fellow passenger. The gar- 
 rison is turned out under arms; the blue and white flag of 
 Portugal floats from pole and masthead; the shipping in 
 the harbor is decked in colors; a General's salute is fired 
 from the rusty cannon in the fort; and the report of the 
 guns rolling across the bay, mingled with the music of a 
 band, and the ye-ho-heave-ho of the sailors on an out- 
 ward-bound barque, all combined to make the scene one 
 of extraordinary interest. 
 
 From a commercial standpoint the island of Fayal is 
 the most important of the Azorean group. Horta, the 
 chief city, has a commodious harbor frequented by vessels 
 from all parts of the world. Historically it is an exceed- 
 ingly interesting place. It is the seat of government 
 under the authority of the Portuguese crown for the dis- 
 trict comprising the islands of Fayal, Pico, Flores and 
 Corvo. For many years, a United States consulship has 
 been maintained here, from which agencies generally 
 native appointees are supported on each of the islands. 
 
 The scene on entering the harbor is one of extraordi- 
 nary beauty. The high rocky bluffs and promontories jut- 
 ting out into the sea, in color and formation are not un- 
 like the walls of the Grand Canyon in our own country, 
 presenting almost every hue of the rainbow. The city of 
 Horta lies in amphitheater form encircling the harbor, 
 the business streets running down to the water's edge; 
 while the residence portion rises terrace on terrace far 
 up the mountain sides, enriched by fine gardens and 
 hedged in by a luxuriant growth of ornamental trees, 
 plants and shrubbery. 
 
 Fayal is a station where passing ships receive coal and 
 water, and whalers coming in from long cruises leave their 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 349 
 
 cargoes of oil and bone to be carried by steamer to 
 America and other countries, then laying in fresh supplies, 
 they return without loss of time to the whaling grounds. 
 Indeed the Azorean waters at the time of which I speak, 
 afforded a very profitable territory for whaling operations; 
 and a station was maintained at Horta for the purpose of 
 capturing the Leviathans of the deep. From a tower and 
 outlook a man with a glass constantly swept the sea, and 
 on the first appearance of a "spouter," small boats con- 
 taining harpoons, guns and all the tackle in use at that 
 time for netting the quarry were immediately launched, 
 and propelled by strong arms, an exciting chase, result- 
 ing sometimes in a battle to the death began. 
 
 There is also an extinct volcano situated near the center 
 which forms one of the many attractive features of Fayal. 
 So a party is made up and, mounted on the ever patient 
 and never failing donkey, we start out to 
 
 EXPLORE THE CALDEIRA. 
 
 On reaching the summit the first impression was disap- 
 pointing, for a dense fog was hanging over it, and, what 
 added especially to the discomfort, a drenching rain soon 
 began to fall, in which we stood unsheltered for half an 
 hour. The rain, however, ended as suddenly as it began, 
 the clouds lifted and the sun coming out soon dispelled the 
 mist, and, standing on the rim of the crater, we were 
 afforded an uninterrupted view to a depth of 700 feet. 
 
 The opening is a mile across at the top, descending fun- 
 nel-shaped to the bottom, where there is a lake of crystal- 
 like water. Looking up from the lake the stars can be 
 seen at mid-day. The descent is abrupt in places, and if 
 a misstep is made one is liable to plunge headlong to the 
 
350 
 
 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 bottom. In such a case more stars are likely to be seen. 
 The story was current at the time that a young American 
 in this way a short time before lost his life. 
 
 The heavy rains of the mountains wash out deep gullies 
 down their sides, the ground being of a reddish clay for- 
 mation that hardens when exposed to the air. In this 
 way perpendicular walls are frequently left standing fifty 
 feet in depth, making it dangerous for one unacquainted 
 with the country to venture among these pitfalls alone. 
 
 Eecent rains had rendered the ground very slippery, 
 and on the return trip the guides exercised the greatest 
 caution, endeavoring to keep the party together and to 
 avoid dangerous places. But in spite of repeated warnings 
 I wandered off, trusting to the instinct of the donkey to 
 select a good route and carry me safely down the 
 mountain. 
 
 The little animal kept on a ridge about ten feet in 
 width at the beginning, having a gulch two or three feet 
 deep on either side. Not noticing particularly any change 
 in the formation, and while I was absorbed with other 
 and more interesting objects, the donkey came suddenly 
 to a standstill. Casting my eyes downward I realized at 
 once the difficulty into which we had come. The ridge 
 had dwindled to a width of not more than twelve or four- 
 teen inches, and there abruptly came to an end, and a 
 yawning cavern on either side fully fifty feet in depth 
 confronted us. The sensation was like that of being sus- 
 pended in midair. 
 
 No assistance was in sight, though I could hear the 
 voices of our party in the distance. The intelligent little 
 donkey stood motionless as a statue, with eyes and ears 
 cast downward into the gulf below. The ground was slip- 
 pery and I dare not move, and almost hesitated to breathe, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 351 
 
 fearing to throw the donkey out of balance and into the 
 gulf. The suspense, though but for an instant, was any- 
 thing but agreeable, and no possible suggestion of relief 
 had as yet come to mind. But presently there was a 
 slight motion or tremor perceptible in the little animal 
 on whose back I was perched and upon whose sagacity 
 and coolness my life depended. All four of his feet occu- 
 pied a space but a few inches apart, but, keeping their 
 relative position, his feet began to change with the move- 
 ments of his body. I sat motionless while this transforma- 
 tion was going on until the little burro had completely 
 turned around as if on a swivel, when, without a word 
 spoken by me, he shot out on his back track as if impelled 
 by some more persuasive power than the goad usually 
 carried by the driver. 
 
 On reaching safe ground again I met a guide who had 
 started out in search of me. After dismounting and giving 
 the donkey an affectionate salute, a demonstration of 
 gratitude I thought he would understand and appreciate, 
 I then handed the driver a sarelia (a small Portuguese 
 coin), requesting him to expend it in the purchase of an 
 extra ration for the donkey's supper. This last act I fear 
 never affected the burro any more substantially than the 
 hug I gave him,, for soon after reaching the city the driver 
 was seen purchasing cigarettes, and there is good reason 
 for believing my donation to the donkey went up in smoke. 
 
 A number of industries more or less important are car- 
 ried on in the Azores. The native peasantry, while jovial, 
 happy and thoughtless, are also industrious. The women, 
 who labor for the smallest wage (often not more than 
 five or six cents a day), are very ingenious in the manu- 
 facture of knitted and drawn work, chief in this class 
 being very delicate lace known in commercial centers as 
 
352 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 the "Fayal" lace and made from the fiber of the century 
 plant. The separating of the fiber from the pulp is done 
 in Oporto by some sort of milling process, when the rough 
 fiber is returned to the islands, where the lacemakers take 
 it, reduce and polish it by hand labor into an exquis- 
 ite fabric, which, when woven into lace, becomes of great 
 value. 
 
 Grapes are a natural product of all the islands and 
 their cultivation, with the manufacture of wine, is the chief 
 industry. Every foot of ground is utilized. Seams and 
 caverns in the rocks having perpendicular walls fifty feet 
 high are often seen covered with a luxuriant growth of 
 grape or other fruitful vines. These are planted on shelv- 
 ing rocks that jut out from the walls often not more than 
 two feet wide. 
 
 Water fresh and cool from the hills flows continuously 
 into large stone troughs in the public squares, around 
 which bevies of dark-eyed women are to be seen with large 
 earthen jars, which, when filled with water and the gossip 
 of the day has been exhausted, they balance on their heads 
 and carry away. Sometimes water is transported by plac- 
 ing a large barrel or hogshead between two oxen or mules 
 and suspended from poles fastened across their backs. 
 
 There are no forest trees, though cultivated varieties 
 attain a wonderful growth. But there is a low, hardwood 
 bush, something like the sarvis berry growing in mountain 
 regions of the Pacific,, that is found in great abundance 
 on the higher elevations here. These are cut for fuel and 
 carried on the backs of donkeys to the villages below. 
 They generally go in large numbers, like the pack trains 
 of the West in an early day. The bushes are about six 
 or eight feet in length, and when laid across a donkey's 
 back there is nothing visible of the propelling power b:.t 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 353 
 
 four little feet. One of these large trains moving slowly 
 down the side of a mountain is a strange sight, giving 
 the impression of a forest in motion and recalling the 
 scene in "Macbeth" as prophesied by the witches "Birnam 
 Wood moving to Dunsinane." 
 
 While traveling among the islands a book chanced to 
 come into my hands written in support of a theory not 
 altogether new, but rather an ancient tradition more re- 
 cently revived, to the effect that the Azores, Cape de Verde, 
 Madeira and Canary Islands are but the mountain peaks 
 of a lost or sunken continent once inhabited by a people 
 in a high state of civilization; but owing to a flood or 
 cataclysm of some kind the land gradually sank beneath 
 the surface of the water, carrying with it its precious 
 burden of human life. 
 
 Here, according to the legend, was located the Garden 
 of Eden; all science and literature known to the ancients 
 originated with its people, and the real kings and queens 
 of Atlantis were the mythological kings and queens of the 
 more ignorant Greeks and Egyptians; and finally the en- 
 gulfing of the island by the overflowing sea was nothing 
 more or less than the deluge recorded in the Bible. 
 
 The result of more recent scientific expeditions sent out 
 under the auspices of the British and American Govern- 
 ments tends strongly to support the belief entertained by 
 many that somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, situated 
 opposite the "Pillars of Hercules," an island continent 
 vast in extent as Australia once existed. 
 
 We come now to an investigation of the fortifications 
 in the harbor of Horta, where a gun of immense propor- 
 tions and of more modern cast than those mounted by its 
 side is the first object to attract the visitor, and the more 
 one learns of its history the more anxious he becomes to 
 
354 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 extend his observations. The gun was christened and its 
 record has gone down to history as 
 
 THE "LONG TOM." 
 
 It was a part of the armament of an American privateer 
 the General Armstrong sunk in the harbor of Fayal 
 in an engagement with a British fleet of battleships, Sep- 
 tember, 1814. The Portuguese later on recovered the 
 "Long Tom" and mounted it on their ancient works, where 
 it remained an object of special interest to travelers for 
 more than seventy years. 
 
 Having accidentally fallen upon this much, I at once 
 determined to learn the history of the big gun in detail, 
 and, after some delay and many trials, the services of a 
 native were obtained, who accompanied me in a systematic 
 search of the records kept at Fayal relating to this event, 
 and which, through my efforts, were translated into 
 English. 
 
 While it is very gratifying to hear the courage of one's 
 countrymen extolled by strangers in a strange land, it is 
 nevertheless surprising that no intelligent account of this 
 affair has ever been given to the world. A fleet of Amer- 
 ican battleships in command of a Rear-Admiral, carrying 
 some thousands of sailors and marines, has recently been 
 sent across the ocean to bring from their resting place 
 in a foreign land the remains of John Paul Jones for 
 final interment in the country for which his services as 
 a brave sea fighter were performed. This is a just but 
 tardy tribute to the memory of one for whose courage and 
 fidelity the people must ever feel grateful, though by it 
 we are reminded that the gallantry displayed by the officers 
 and men of the General Armstrong in the harbor of Fayal, 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 355 
 
 having no parallel in the annals of our navy, has never 
 received any just recognition. The Government, however, 
 has taken interest enough in a general way to have the 
 Armstrong's big gun transported across the Atlantic and 
 placed among other curios in the Smithsonian Institution 
 at Washington, where an interested American may find 
 its history summed up in a placard containing two or 
 three short sentences. 
 
 The General Armstrong had been for months cruising 
 in the channel and off the coast of Gibraltar, inflicting 
 great damage upon British commerce, when, on the 26th 
 of September, 1814, she entered the port of Fayal to 
 obtain water and supplies. According to the usages of 
 civilized warfare a ship should be secure from the attack 
 of an enemy while in a neutral port ; but some time during 
 the day the Armstrong was followed by three large British 
 men-of-war the brig Carnation, mounting eighteen guns ; 
 the Portia, forty-four guns, and the line-of-battle ship 
 Plantaganet, mounting sixty-four guns the three ships 
 carrying two thousand men and mounting one hundred 
 and twenty guns in all. Admiral Lloyd, of the British 
 fleet, having been informed by the pilot in the harbor that 
 the American cruiser was in port, determined upon her 
 capture, and at once cleared his ships for action. Captain 
 Samuel Eeid, a young man then only thirty years of age, 
 in command of the Armstrong, at this hour had some 
 visitors aboard his ship, expecting to give them an even- 
 ing's entertainment, among the number being Mr. J. N". 
 Dabney, the American Consul at Fayal. Captain Reid 
 was assured by the Consul and his Portuguese friends on 
 board that his vessel would be entirely safe from attack, 
 being in a neutral port. 
 
 But the brig Carnation had already launched four large 
 
356 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 open boats and commenced loading arms into them. 
 Captain Eeid, at last forced to the conclusion that trouble 
 was imminent, requested his friends to leave the ship, as 
 in the event of an attack it was his purpose to fight. The 
 visitors accordingly went ashore, and, after holding a 
 council of war with his officers, Captain Reid decided to 
 attempt putting out to sea. But the wind was unfavor- 
 able, and he then resolved to take the Armstrong under 
 the batteries of the fort. Accordingly, all hands were piped 
 to quarters and the situation explained to them. 
 
 The sailors on board a privateer are not enlisted to fight, 
 only conditionally, and Captain Eeid now gave all who 
 chose to do so an opportunity to go ashore before hostilities 
 actually began. But not a man, from his first officer down 
 to the colored cook, left, and the unanimous decision was 
 to stand by Captain Eeid, the Armstrong and the Amer- 
 ican flag. 
 
 The decks were then cleared for action, and for better 
 defense (as the odds against them were likely to be very 
 great) the oars were gotten out and the Armstrong was 
 pulled up close under the guns of the fort. 
 
 Seeing the attempt first made to make sail, the British 
 ship Carnation set her top sails and got under way so as 
 to prevent the Armstrong leaving the harbor. This was 
 about 8 o'clock in the evening. A full moon shed a halo 
 of soft light over the bay, on whose glistening surface not 
 a ripple was to be seen, except that made by the oars of 
 the British boats now moving rapidly toward the privateer. 
 
 Captain Eeid, having ceased rowing, let go an anchor 
 bow and stern and tightened the chains so that his vessel 
 might remain broadside to the enemy. One of the British 
 boats, being considerably in advance, ran straight to the 
 stern of the Armstrong, and Captain Eeid in his shirt- 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 357 
 
 sleeves, with a speaking trumpet called to them three 
 different times, but received no answer except by one of 
 the men, who in a gruff voice cried out, "What is it?" 
 The commanding officer of the boat then exclaimed, "Give 
 no answer, sir ! Eow away, my boys ! In with the oars !" 
 and soon, with their boathooks they grappled the side of 
 the privateer, and the command was then given, "Fire, 
 and board her, my men I" 
 
 Meantime Captain Eeid with his men at quarters, 
 numbering only ninety souls all told (including the cook), 
 stood motionless, awaiting the attack, and simultaneously 
 the report of the guns rang out on both sides. Lieutenant 
 Worth, a brother of former General Worth, of our army, 
 was severely wounded, and one man of the Armstrong was 
 killed at the first volley. The crew of the privateer, how- 
 ever, pouring a deadly fire into the boat, the enemy were 
 terribly cut to pieces and compelled to retire. 
 
 While this was taking place the other three boats made 
 all possible speed to the starboard quarter of the Arm- 
 strong, where they began the attack. But receiving a 
 charge of grape from the privateer's nine-pounders (there 
 were six of these guns) that decimated their ranks, the 
 cries and groans of the wounded and dying were heard 
 by the lookers-on from the shore. The enemy then made 
 a desperate attempt to board, but the fire from the priva- 
 teer was so well directed the enemy's numbers were deci- 
 mated and their boats soon rowed away in a sinking con- 
 dition. 
 
 Captain Eeid then got up anchor and drew the Arm- 
 strong in shore not more than a half pistol shot from the 
 fort, where she was again moored by both bow and stern, 
 having her port side close to the land. This was a strategic 
 movement of great importance, as the British now hesi- 
 
358 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 tated to train their big guns, for every shot that passed 
 over the Armstrong was likely to enter the city, so their 
 eventual success must depend upon boarding and in the 
 use of small arms. The Carnation meantime sailed out, 
 evidently determined to make a 
 
 FINAL ASSAULT. 
 
 The American consul, watching the contest from the 
 shore, had by this time forwarded a note to the Portu- 
 guese governor asking protection for the privateer. In 
 response the Governor went in person to Admiral Lloyd, 
 begging him to desist from further hostilities, but this 
 the Admiral flatly refused to do, and continued prepara- 
 tions for another attack. 
 
 About 9 o'clock P. M. the wind freshened and the 
 enemy's brig was seen towing out a flotilla of boats to the 
 number of fourteen, each containing fifty men. When at 
 a distance of a rifle shot, the boats left the brig and took 
 their position under cover of a ridge of rocks just in front 
 of the fort where now lies the breakwater, but within 
 musket range. The brig kept under sail so as to cooperate 
 with the boats. 
 
 During this time, as might well be imagined, terror and 
 dismay spread over the quiet and peaceful city of Horta. 
 The windows of the houses near the scene were filled with 
 anxious and terrified women; while the shore was thronged 
 with men, all watching with intense interest the approach- 
 ing combat. The little brigantine, meantime, appeared 
 as if asleep on the bosom of the water; not a sound or a 
 motion could be heard or seen on her decks, but every 
 preparation to receive the enemy had been made, and the 
 crew were hidden at quarters. For three long hours 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 359 
 
 silence reigned supreme, while each combatant watched 
 the other with painful interest. At last, about midnight, 
 the British boats emerged from their temporary cover 
 behind the rocks, and moved to the attack. But instead of 
 moving by divisions as Captain Reid supposed they would 
 do, they came in a compact column and in line. 
 
 Breathlessly and calmly the men of the American vessel 
 stood to their guns, awaiting the commands of their offi- 
 cers. The "Long Tom/' a gun of forty-eight calibre, and 
 set on a pivot amidship, had been loaded to the muzzle, 
 while the other guns had been so arranged that after the 
 first broadside they could be immediately run in and the 
 portholes closed, as it was feared the enemy would reach 
 the deck of the Armstrong before they could be reloaded. 
 
 The British came gallantly to the attack. Captain Reid 
 again challenged, but received no answer. The fatal 
 order was then given, and a volume of smoke and fire 
 belched forth from the side of the Armstrong, while the 
 iron missiles struck death and terror into the ranks of the 
 enemy. Staggering under the shock, the British desper- 
 ately returned the fire and again plied their oars. Impetu- 
 ously coming forward amid shouts and cheers they 
 finally reached the bow of the privateer on her starboard 
 side, and the officers gave the command to "board." At 
 this moment a second broadside rang out from the priva- 
 teer. The crew of the Armstrong, with their boarding 
 helmets made of black leather with iron skulls, their faces 
 at the same time begrimed with powder, looked more like 
 demons than men, while they fought with pistols, pikes, 
 muskets and swords. Groans and shrieks, orders and 
 curses, mingled with the clashing of swords, were heard 
 far across the bay. Repeatedly the British attempted to 
 gain the decks of the American vessel, but as often were 
 
360 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 they beaten back with fearful slaughter. The combat 
 raged on both sides with the most reckless bravery and 
 determination. Mr. Alexander 0. Williams, First Lieu- 
 tenant of the Armstrong, was killed while courageously 
 commanding his division forward; and Robert Johnson 
 fell severely wounded, while Captain Reid was engaged in 
 a hand to hand combat with Captain William Matterface, 
 the commanding officer of the boarding force, who had 
 reached the Armstrong's decks. One thumb and one finger 
 of Captain Reid's sword hand (his left) had been severed 
 while discharging his pistol at another man with his right 
 hand. At this critical moment the English officer con- 
 fronting him made a desperate lunge and well-nigh closed 
 the combat in his favor; but Captain Reid, gaming a tem- 
 porary advantage, with a terrible blow cut the Englishman 
 down and he fell a corpse on the deck. 
 
 For more than an hour the battle raged with demoniac 
 fury. At last, after having exhausted all their powder, 
 the Americans threw cold shot into the English boats, 
 compelling them to push off for some distance to avoid 
 sinking. Finally Captain Reid with his own hand again 
 discharged the "Long Tom" into their ranks, producing 
 great havoc, resulting in the complete defeat of the at- 
 tacking force. This discharge threw the big gun from its 
 pivot onto the deck. 
 
 The scene now presented was appalling. The silvery 
 waters of the bay were red with blood, while the dark 
 forms of dead bodies were floating on its surface for many 
 yards away; and the cries of the wounded rent the still 
 air of night. Three of the enemy's boats had been sunk 
 outright, while four others were loaded with the dead and 
 dying. In one of the boats every man was killed but four. 
 In another only one man (an officer) escaped death, and he 
 
With Touch of Elbow. 361 
 
 was wounded. The result was nearly a total extermina- 
 tion of the attacking force. The English themselves com- 
 puted the loss at 150 killed and as many more wounded, 
 but the Portuguese put the number at a much higher 
 figure. The loss of the Americans was 2 killed and 9 
 wounded. 
 
 But still not satisfied, the British returning to their 
 ships immediately prepared for another attack and soon 
 opened the guns of the fleet on the intrepid privateer. 
 She returned them broadside for broadside, until her 
 ammunition being entirely exhausted, and believing that 
 he must inevitably surrender or be annihilated, Captain 
 Eeid, after having reloaded the "Long Tom" with a solid 
 shot, turned her muzzle and blew a hole in the bottom of 
 his own ship. Five minutes later the Armstrong went down 
 with the American flag flying at her halyard peak, when 
 Captain Eeid with all of his men jumped into the bay and 
 swam ashore. Admiral Lloyd then demanded of the city 
 that the fugitives be surrendered and threatened, in case 
 of refusal, to raze it to the ground. But later he thought 
 better of it, as Captain Eeid and his men fortified them- 
 selves in a commanding position in the suburbs, where 
 they defied the enraged Admiral and challenged him to an 
 attack. 
 
 It appears the British fleet with two thousand soldiers 
 and marines had just started out as a part of the force of 
 Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane in the expedition against 
 New Orleans. But running into a hornet's nest in the 
 shape of the American privateer at Fayal caused such loss 
 and delay that the junction of the two forces was never 
 formed, and the battle of New Orleans was fought with 
 results even more disastrous to the British than the un- 
 fortunate affair at Fayal. 
 
362 With Touch of Elbow. 
 
 Whether on land or sea, in every sphere of action into 
 which ambition leads, there is a regular order of progres- 
 sion and a constant struggle for the supremacy. To lose 
 step in this onward tide is to invite disaster, and whether 
 captured by the enemy or arrested and confined among 
 stragglers in the rear, the race can only be continued 
 under a burdensome handicap. But the man who "With 
 Touch of Elbow" holds to the ground once covered and 
 keeps the pace will never know defeat. 
 
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