bAMUtL HARKIb 
 
Personal Reminiscences 
 
 OF 
 
 SAMUEL HARRIS 
 
 N> 
 
 ^ 
 
 V 
 
 J^^rf^^^^y^y 
 
 CHICAGO: 
 
 The Rogerson Press 
 1897 
 

Entered according to Act of Congress 
 IN THE Year 1897, 
 
 BY 
 
 SAMUEL HARRIS 
 
 In THE Office of the Librarian of Congress 
 
 AT Washington. D. C. 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
INTRODUCTORY 
 
 This volume is written for the benefit 
 of m}' children and their children, that 
 the\' may know that one of their ancestors 
 fought in the War of the Rebellion. It is 
 written solely as my personal reminis- 
 cences, and in no sense is it a histor}' of 
 the war or of our Brigade, Regiment, or 
 even of Compan\- A, and not even the 
 name of any other person is given, other 
 than those that are interwoven in the inci- 
 dents related. I have given mostl}- the 
 amusing incidents in prison life, and have 
 given others onl\- where brutality or cus- 
 sedness was show n by those in command. 
 Samuel Harris. 
 
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF 
 SAMUEL HARRIS. 
 
 I was born in the village of Hartford (one mile up 
 White River from White River Junction), Vermont, 
 on the 15th day of September, 1836. M\' father was 
 Edward Pratt Harris, a native of Massachusetts. M)' 
 mother was Elizabeth Sanborn Gillett, a native of 
 Vermont M)- father graduated at Dartmouth College 
 in the x^ear 1826. Afterwards he founded the academy 
 at Bradford, Vt. He studied law, and was admitted to 
 practice about the )ear 1832. He practiced law in 
 White River Junction, Vt., until the spring of 1837, 
 when he went west to find a home. 
 
 He located in Rochester, Mich., and sent for my 
 mother in the summer. She started from Vermont 
 about the ist of September, and reached Detroit on a 
 steamboat called the " Missouri " about the 20th of 
 September, 1837. She arrived at Rochester the next 
 day with ni)- brother, P^dward Wright Harris, who was 
 then about seven \'ears old, and mNself, a little over 
 one year old. 
 
 P"ather and mother lived in Rochester until the 
 year 1868, when father died, and soon after mother 
 came to live with me in Washington, D. C M\' brother 
 and myself were sent to the district schools until we 
 were old enough to attend the acadeni}'. My health 
 
was not good, and I was not strong enough to attend 
 school regular, so my education clici not get be\ond 
 natural philosophy, geometry, and a few such studies. 
 M} whole bent was mechanics. I loved tools, and 
 loved to be at work with them. Steam engines were 
 my favorites. Natural philosophy and geometr_\% and 
 such other studies as would help me in mechanics, 
 came eas\- to me. In these classes I was always at the 
 head; in all others I was at the foot. When I was 
 twelve years old I made a ver}^ good model of a steam 
 engine of brass. The cxlinder was 2-inch stroke and 
 y^ of an inch bore. I used this to drive a small lathe 
 I made, and used to do sewing machine repairing and 
 gun work. In the fall, after I was sixteen, I was study- 
 ing steam and its various applications and modes of 
 producing power from it. I believed that the whole 
 power of steam was exerted in giving velocitx' to 
 its particles. I then tested its power on a reaction 
 wheel, but found I got but a small portion of the 
 power caused by the great \elocity of steam over what 
 would be safe to run the wheel at. I then placed 
 another wheel with an over-hanging rim just outside 
 the reaction wheel, with buckets on the inside of the 
 rim. I gained as much power from the outer wheel 
 as I had from the reaction wheel, and actually 
 increased the power of the reaction wheel b)- having a 
 solid for the steam to strike against. Soon after the 
 war I patented the combination and called it " Harris' 
 Rotar)' .Steam luigine." 
 
 In the spring, after I was sixteen years old, my 
 father consented to my going to White River Junction, 
 
\ t., and go into the shops of A. Latham & Co. to learn 
 the trade of machinist in their locomotive works. After 
 working there about one year the compan\- failed. I 
 then returned home, and in the summer went to Mich- 
 igan Cit\', Ind., to work in the repair shops of the 
 Michigan Central Railroad. After living there about 
 six months I was sent to Chicago b}' the superintendent 
 of that di\ision of the road to ride on the engine, so as 
 to be with the engineer in case of an accident. The 
 engine, named the " Bald Eagle," was a very old ond 
 and ver}- badl\- out of repair. We reached Chicago 
 without an accident, but on our way back, in rounding 
 a curve, the engine swung so heavy that she ripped off 
 the flange from her driving wheel, and all four dri\'ing 
 wheels left the track and ran along on the ties. We 
 were going about sixt\- miles an hour, and had eleven 
 passenger coaches all loaded behind us. The engineer 
 was so scared that he forgot to shut off the steam, and 
 left his post and ran to the front of the engine where 
 he could jump with less risk. I jumped to his place 
 and shut off the steam, brought the reverse lever to the 
 center, and blew the whistle for breaks, and soon 
 brought the train to a stop, none too soon, as we were 
 just going on to a trestle. I was not injured to an}' 
 great extent, but was bruised quite badl\- by being 
 thrown against the levers. The shock and bruising I 
 received laid me up for several daxs. 
 
 When I was able to be out I left Michigan Cit\', 
 and went to Milwaukee, Wis., to work in the Menomi- 
 nee Locomotive Works, but I soon found I was injured 
 more b}- the accident than I had thought, and was com- 
 
pelled to give up m\- job and return home to Rochester, 
 Mich., to recuperate. 
 
 Early in the spring I went back to Milwaukee and 
 soon had a position as engineer on a railroad then 
 called the Milwaukee & La Crosse Railroad. I ran 
 engine No. 20 for about four months. While here, 
 John P. Led)'ard, who was going to be master mechanic 
 of the Pennsylvania railroad at Altoona, came to me 
 and wanted I should go with him as his assistant. I 
 considered this quite an honor, as Mr. Led\'ard was 
 superintendent of the locomotive works at White River 
 Junction, Vt., where I served part of my apprentice- 
 ship. I declined the offer as I intencied to quit rail- 
 roading that fall and go home and start some kind of a 
 factory. 
 
 About the first of August a circumstance happened 
 that caused me to leave railroading lome months be- 
 fore I had intended to. (3ne evening after making m}- 
 usual run to P'ond-du-Lac function and return, I ran 
 my engine on a side track near the depot and left it for 
 the hostler to run up to the round-house, I went to 
 bed about nine o'clock as I was very tired. Soon after- 
 wards my room-mate came up very much excited, say- 
 ing 1 had been discharged by order of the general 
 superintendent. I asked him if he knew the cause, 
 lie asked mc if I had run my engine up to the round- 
 house that evening. 1 told him no, that I hid left 
 it on side track. He then told mc that some one had 
 run No. 20 up, and when al:)Out half way had met two 
 ladies coming down town dressed to make an evening 
 call. In passing by the ladies he had opened a small 
 
SAMUEL HARRIS 
 
valve on the pump and thrown muddy and greas)' water 
 all over them. The husband of one of the ladies owned 
 a large grist mill about a block from the depot. They 
 went directl}' to him, and he found Mr. Goodrich, the 
 superintendent, ani made complaint to him. He also 
 demanded that the person who did it should be dis- 
 charged Mr. Goodrich jumped at the conclusion that 
 it was me, and sent one of his clerks to tell me that I 
 was discharged. 
 
 The next morning I went to the treasurer, Mr. 
 Jennings, and received my pa}- for time up to that day 
 I then told him that I knew nothing of the affair, and 
 that I did not ran the engine up the evening before. 
 He said by all means to go to Mr. Goodrich and tell 
 him the facts. I declined to do so. I then went to the 
 miller and told him the facts of the case, and that I 
 had been discharged to shield the master mechanic of 
 the road who had run my engine up the previous even- 
 ing, and being half drunk, had committed the mean act 
 for which I received the blame. 
 
 The miller went immediately to Mr. Goodrich and 
 demanded that I be given back my engine and that the 
 master mechanic be discharged. I again declined to 
 take my engine back. This ended my railroading. 
 
 I then returned home to Rochester and started a 
 small foundr}' and machine shop. This was in the fall 
 of 1856. On May 28th, 1858, I married Sarah H. Rich- 
 ardson, whom I had known from childhood. )une loth, 
 1860, our first child was born. We named her Frances. 
 She lived to be twenty-two months old. She was taken 
 
with scarlet fever, and died April gth, 1862. It was a 
 hard blow to us, and to my father and mother. 
 
 I continued to carry- on my shop, making barel}- a 
 Hving, until about the first of August, 1862, when one 
 da}' Capt. Gray, who had been an officer in the First 
 Michigan Cavalry, came to my shop and wanted me to 
 go with him to raise a company In the Fifth Michigan 
 Cavalr}'. then being organized b}' Col Copeland. Capt. 
 Gray promised me the position of first lieutenant in his 
 company. 
 
 I left the next morning for Pontiac, where the 
 county fair was being held, thinking that would be the 
 best place to get men to join our company. In this I 
 was successful, as the second day I took into Detroit 
 one hundred and seventeen men with me. We were 
 sent out Jefferson Avenue, about four miles, to camp 
 on an old corn field with nothing to shelter us. The 
 next day tents were sent to us. The second day after 
 we arrived at the camp grounds, a large amount of 
 lumber was sent to us to build a large barrack. I was 
 the only officer on the ground, and after finding out 
 from the post-quartermaster what kind of a building he 
 wanted put up, I took charge of it, and setting m\' men 
 to work, soon had a barrack large enough to hold all 
 the men of the regiment. 
 
 I had been in camp but a few da\s when I was 
 presented with a very nice dark-brown horse, a present 
 from my old friends in Rochester. It was a ver\- 
 acce])table present, and 1 was very thankful to the 
 people of m\- town for their kind remembrance of me. 
 The horse proved to be one of the best in the cavalry 
 
corps. He could and did outrun ever}' horse matched 
 against him on a one-quarter mile course. There was 
 a man in my company who was a regular horse jockey. 
 Capt. Gray bragged how his horse could beat mine. I 
 told m}' orderly to beat him, and he did it handsomely, 
 winning quite a sum of money from the captain, which 
 made him very mad. After winning in ever)' race he 
 ran, the horse became well-known in the cavalr\' corps. 
 Finally, Maj.-Gen. Kilpatrick sent down a verv bom- 
 bastic challenge. I told the jockey to take him up and 
 beat the general's horse, but to be sure and not run him 
 over a quarter of a mile. He did beat him, and won 
 quite a sum of mone)-. The general was mad to think 
 his blooded horse could be beat by a scrub, as he called 
 my horse. 
 
 One afternoon just before dress parade, the boys 
 of m\- compan\- (A) assembled in front of the tent, and 
 calling me out, in a ver}' neat speech from one of them, 
 presented me with a very handsome sabre and belt. I 
 replied the best I could, and thanked them very much 
 for the compliment. I have the sabre >'er, and keep it 
 as a memento of the love and respect the bo\-s had for 
 me then, and which they continue to ha\-e to this daw 
 I meet with quite a number of them in an annual reunion 
 in some town in the eastern part of Michigan. It is 
 needless to si)' that each one is a glad reunion. 
 
 We were kept in camp at Detroit until December, 
 1862, drilling and getting fully equipped for the field. 
 In December we were ordered to Washington. I being 
 second lieutenant of company A, was ordered to take 
 command of the first detachment of horses, consisting 
 
of the first four companies, and about ten men from 
 each compan\' to take care of them. We made the 
 trip to Washington without accident or incident of note. 
 We arrived at Washington on the evening of the gth. 
 There had been no provisions made for m\' men or 
 horses. It was a bitter cold night and we suffered a 
 good deal. I took the best care of men and horses 
 that was possible under the circumstances. 
 
 The next morning I received an order to take my 
 command out on Capitol Hill, about two miles from 
 the Capitol, and about one mile from Rennings Bridge. 
 When I reached the place, there was no rations for men 
 or horses, no wood to keep us warm, or tents to shelter 
 us from the cold wintry night. 
 
 Across a wide ravine on a side hill was camped the 
 i/th Pennsylvania Cavalr}'. Very soon some of the men 
 from that regiment came over to see who we were. We 
 soon informed them that we were hungr}' and had noth- 
 ing to eat. They ran back to their comrades and told 
 them the fi.x we were in. With a whoop and a yell 
 every man in the 17th, not on actual duty, grabbed some 
 bread or hard-tack, wood or ha\', and came on the dead 
 run over to our camp. Some made great kettles of 
 coffee and brought it over to us. Soon we had a good 
 warm supper, sitting about camp fires. Our horses 
 were not forgotten, thanks to the big-hearted boys of 
 the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Our boys never forgot 
 the kindness. If we ever came near them we always 
 gave them three heart)- cheers. A tew days alter this, 
 the balance of the regiment with their horses and bag- 
 gage arrived, and we went into camp on the ground 
 
where I first located. We were camped here until 
 spring, most of the time drilling. While here, Col. 
 Copelandwas promoteci to brigadier general, and Lieut. 
 Col. Freeman Nor\al was promoted to colonel. Soon 
 after this the first lieutenant of our company resigned, 
 and Col. Norval promoted me from second lieutenant 
 to first lieutenant. When the first lieutenant resigned, 
 Capt. Gra\' of our compan\' went to Col. Norval and 
 urged him to appoint a sergeant in the company as first 
 lieutenant over me, and even went so far as to offer him 
 four hundred dollars if he would do so. This made 
 Col. Norval ver}- angry, and he told Capt. Gray that 
 money could not buy a promotion in his regiment The 
 guard at Col. Norval's tent was from my compan\', and 
 a particular friend of mine. As soon as he was off dut)- 
 he came to m\' tent and told me of the conversation 
 between Col. Norval and Capt. Gra)'. The next day at 
 at dress parade my promotion was read before the 
 regiment. 
 
 Early in the spring we were sent out on a raid to 
 Ashby's Gap b\- wa}- of Leesburg, Aldie, Middleberg, 
 Upperville, and Paris, which is within about a mile of 
 the Gap. As we neared Paris, I was placed in com- 
 mand of the advance. Lieut. Geo. N. Dutcher had 
 command of the advanced guard. He was a short dis- 
 tance ahead of me. As he entered Paris he was fired 
 on by men in the houses. He held his own until 1 
 came to his assistance with my command, when we 
 drove the rebels and bushwackcrs out of the houses and 
 up the mountain. Lieut. Dutcher was wounded by 
 being shot through his hand. I bound it up with my 
 
handkerchief, and sent him back to our surgeon, and 
 took command of his men, and called in the flankers 
 and was prepared for any move I might be ordered to 
 make. In a short time I was ordered to fall back. This 
 was the first skirmish I was in and the first time I ever 
 heard rebel bullets whiz b}' my head. I never w^as in 
 love with mosquitoes, but I must say I would rather 
 hear them sing an\- time than to hear a rebel bullet sing 
 about ni}' ears. 
 
 We marched about ten miles toward Washington 
 and camped on a farm owned b\" Gen. Asa Rogers. 
 Gen. Rogers knew that I was an officer in the com- 
 mand, and he said that he knew that I was a son of 
 Betsy Gillett M}' mother before she was married 
 went to Middleberg and taught a select school for 
 three years. Most of her pupils were relatives of the 
 Rogers. Gen. Rogers asked me to see that a guard 
 was placed over his house and their provisions. I 
 went to Lieut Col. Gould, who was in command, and 
 stated the case to him, and he ordered a guard about 
 the house and smoke-house. I was invited to supper 
 and spent a very pleasant evening with the family. 
 
 The next morning we were off earh' on our return 
 to Washington. When we were near Middleberg the 
 column was halted, our company being in the rear, 
 we were ordered to pass the rest of the regiment and 
 to take the advance. When we reached the head of 
 the column we found ourselves on the top of a small 
 hill at ihe foot of \\hich ran a creek at about right 
 angle to the road we were on. On the further side of 
 the creek was a road. The captain that had the 
 
advance when he came out on the brow of the hill saw 
 about twenty-five or thirty of Moseb\'s men going 
 along on this cross roacl, the middle of their column 
 being about on the road we were traveling. 
 
 He halted his men and sent back word to Lieut. 
 Col. Gould, saying there were rebels ahead. What 
 shall I do? What he ought to have done was to dash 
 ahead and capture all the rebels he could. He ought to 
 have been soldier enough to know that the rest of the 
 regiment would have come to his support immediately. 
 When Capt. Gra\- came to the brow of the hill the 
 rebels had full a quarter of a mile the start of us, but 
 we immediatel}' started in pursuit. We soon over- 
 hauled part of them who we made prisoners. Among 
 the rest was a quarter-master with a big chest full of 
 money. I got hold of several thousand dollars of 
 Confederate bills, and after placing one of each 
 denomination in m}- side pocket, I distributed the 
 rest among the children as we passed through Middle- 
 berg. This quarter-master hid in a straw stack. Our 
 boys knew how to bring him out — by running their 
 sabres in up to the hilt. The captain who did not 
 know what to do when he saw a few rebels ahead, 
 resigned when he got back to Washington. 
 
 The above incident had detained us about two 
 hours. We went on to Aldie and halted to feed the 
 horses and get our dinner. In the afternoon we 
 resumed the march, passing through Fairfa.x, and 
 beyond about two miles, svhere we camped for the night. 
 We being on the march had no tents or shelter of any 
 kind. In the night it snowed ver\' hard. It was a 
 
hard night for us, not being used to such hardships. 
 We had in our compan\- a man that was a notorious 
 coward. Several of the boys put up a job on him. 
 One of the corporals came to me and asked the 
 privilege of claiming to detail this man as a guard, and 
 to make him believe that it was a very dangerous post. 
 I gave my consent, provided the}' would place him 
 somewhere so he could do no harm, for I was actuall}' 
 afraid he would be so scared that he would shoot some- 
 bod)-. The man actually cried like a baby I got rid 
 of him from the company soon after that. Earh- the 
 next morning a sutler came out to our camp from one 
 of the forts near Washington. As soon as I found it 
 out I went to his wagon and saw that he was trying to 
 rob the bo\s. I immediately left and gave the wink- 
 to some of the boys. They went for his pies and 
 cakes. In a ver}' short time there were no pies, cakes 
 or boys to be found an)-where about. Some of the 
 staff officers were going to raise Cain about it, but 
 the}' could not find an officer or man that had been 
 within a mile of the sutlers. That evening we reached 
 our old camp in Washington, a ver}' sad and tired lot 
 of men, but much wiser in campaigning 
 
 We spent some weeks in drilling by compan}' and 
 b}' regiment. Soon after we were ordered out on a 
 wild goose chase after Stuart, who was said to be some- 
 where in the rear of our arm}-. There was a force of 
 cavalr}' of about 5,000 sent out to find him, and likel}' 
 the orders were to fight him, but \'er}' iniiortunatel}' 
 we were under the command of a big bag of wind, 
 calling himself ticn. Sir Perc\' Windham. We had a 
 
ver\' hard march, but ch'cl not see a rebel. My own 
 opinion was that if we were getting too close to them, 
 we were halted long enough to let them get out of the 
 wa\'. We were gone about ten or twelve days, when 
 we returned to our old camp on Capitol Hill. We 
 here spent a few weeks drilling the men and horses. 
 
 Earl}' in the spring we were ordered out on picket 
 dut)-, on what was called "The Law\'ers' Road," in 
 compan\- with the Sixth Michigan Cavalr}-. Both 
 regiments being under command of Col. Geo. Gra}- of 
 the Sixth The most of our dut}- was to guard against 
 raids b\' Mosebw We had the usual hardships and 
 pleasures of picket dutw We were kept there until 
 about the middle of June During our sta)' a ver\- 
 \oung man, with long flaxen hair, came to our camji 
 and staid several da}'s with us, trying to get our ofificers 
 to petition Gov. Austin Blair to appoint him as Colonel 
 of our regiment, but we all declined to sign such a 
 petition as we considered him too }'Oung. His name 
 was Geo. A. Custer. About the first of June I had 
 command of about two miles of the line on the 
 " LawNcrs Road." I had m\' camp in a beautiful grove 
 of pine trees. The limbs of the trees were high enough 
 so we could ride under them. A very clear stream of 
 water ran by the camp. It was an ideal spot. One 
 beautiful evening I sat b\- the camp fire musing and 
 thinking of home, when Sergeant Wood came up to 
 me and said, " Lieutenant, I want to take six men and 
 go outside the lines on a foraging expedition." I told 
 him it would not do, as it was against orders, and if 
 found out I would be cashiered. He ureed so hard 
 
I finalh' let him s^o. They were gone until about niid- 
 nii^ht. I bet^an to be afraid they had got into trouble, 
 when all at once I heard a cheer a short waws ot^, and 
 soon Sergeant Wood and all of his men came into 
 camp loaded down with plunder. Wood had a hive of 
 bees wrapped in his blanket ; another a pig. All had 
 a load. Wood sat his bees down near the fire, and 
 soon the\' were warmed up and began to f\y about and 
 sting the men and horses. I called to the men to run 
 the horses out of the way. But the wa\- the bo\s went 
 for the honey. Almost everyone was stung some- 
 where. The next morning 1 had a fine lot of boys to 
 put out on picket. Some with one e\e closed, some 
 with both. One was stung in the mouth. Yc:t tor all 
 that the bo\s had a pile of fun out ot it. In a tew 
 da\s we returned to camp. 
 
 1 was almost immediatel)' ordered to take my com- 
 pan\' and take command of the picket line on the 
 extreme right and well out towards F^airfax court 
 house. I soon found that there had been several pick- 
 ets shot by bushwackers creeping up and shooting 
 them with a double barrel shot gun. While they sel- 
 dom killed a picket, they would be ver\- badly wounded 
 with the shot. I instructed the men to fire at the least 
 noise in the bushes. I examined the line very carefulK' 
 the first clay, and at night posted three men on each 
 exposed place, they to relieve each other during the 
 night. I had no trouble on the line. The second da\' 
 in riding the line, about two o'clock, I came to the 
 extreme left picket. As I rode up he called m}- atten- 
 tion to some horsemen in the woods, about three quar- 
 
ters of a niile outside our lines. I directed him to ride 
 back into the pine staddles, and hitch his horse and to 
 select a ^^ood spot where he could get a rest for his 
 gun, and to watch close, and if an)' of them came out in 
 sight to give him a shot. Ver\' soon one of them rode 
 up behind an old log house, a short distance from the 
 woods. The first we saw was his horse's head sticking 
 out from one corner of the house. Then we saw the 
 man's head. The picket took good aim at him and 
 fired. The ball struck the corner of one of the logs 
 and knocked off a lot of bark not over two feet from 
 his head. It was fun to see the jump his horse made. 
 They sprang clear of the house, but wheeling about got 
 behind its friendl\- ]).'otection and made for the woods 
 as fast as possible. Keeping behind the house we did 
 not see him again until he was going into the woods. 
 The)- all rode off, keeping well under cover. That 
 afternoon it became necessary for me to communicate 
 with the officer commanding the line on my left, 1 
 found that his line bent to the north in the form of the 
 letter U. In order to skirt aroiuul the edge of a large 
 swamp, I chose to go directl)' across by an old road 1 
 well knew. I reached his camp in due time. I staid 
 there until dusk and started back, taking the same path. 
 1 was mounted on IViWy (the horse presented to me) 
 and knew he would carry me safely back if any horse 
 in the arm)' could. 1 started at a good gallop, leaning- 
 well forward over his neck to keep the branches from 
 knocking m\ hat off. In rounding a bend in the road 
 1 came out suddenl)- on the swamp. Al)- horse stopi)ed 
 and reared up. 1 looked oxer the swamp ami it looked 
 
as though it was covered with camp fires. I pulled m}- 
 revolver; my hair stood straight up I am sure. At a 
 second glance I saw it was punk, or dead stumps and 
 logs scattered over the whole swamp like an irregular 
 camp fire. I patted my horse on the head and said, 
 " Billy, it's all right." He concluded there was no rebs 
 there and started on at a good trot, but he kept his 
 head turned that wa)', with his e\es like two big balls 
 of fire. When we had passed the swamp he gave his 
 head a big shake and started on the run, and soon 
 landed me safely in camp. 
 
 While on this post one of our scouts came with an 
 order from headquarters for me to take twentN'-five 
 men and go with the scout about ten miles outside our 
 lines to get his wife, who was acting as a spy for us. 
 I took a lead horse with us for her to ride. As we 
 neared the house she saw us and came out on the porch 
 waiting for us. We rode up and had the lead horse 
 brought up by the side of the steps. She sprang into 
 the saddle with ease. I directed the scout to take the 
 lead and to go the shortest wa\' back to our lines. 
 Awa)' he went with his wife by his side over fields, 
 fences, antl ditches. Two or three times I had to call 
 to them to hold up, in order to let ni}- men close up 
 with us, as ])art of them were not used to jumping 
 fences and would get left too far behind. The scout 
 and his wife were very an.xious to get inside our lines, 
 out ot reach (jf Moscb)-, or an\' other rebel rangers. 
 Wc reached camj) all safe and sound. 1 had more 
 than my share of such dut\- to do, as 1 was well 
 acquainted with a number of the scouts, and the)' all 
 
wanted me to put them through the rebel lines and to 
 bring them back into our lines. 
 
 After being fi\e da}'s on this post I was relieved, 
 and returned to camp with my companw We had a 
 ver}' short stay there when I was ordered b\- Col. Gra\- 
 (colonel of the Sixth Michigan Cavalr_\-, who com- 
 manded the Fifth and Sixth. The Fifth was under the 
 immediate command of Lieut. -Col. Gould) to take ni}' 
 compan\' and picket the post on the road from Alex- 
 andria to Fairfax court house. The second da}' that I 
 was on this post, an officer was sent b)- Col. Gray to 
 relieve me, and gave me an order to report to Col. Gra\- 
 in person. When I reached camp Col. Gra\' asked me if 
 1 had allowed an}- person to pass ni}- post. I said I had 
 let one farmer who had a pass. He asked if the officer 
 whom I relieved did not turn over orders to me not to 
 let an}-one pass the post, no matter from whom he had 
 a pass. I told him no such orders had been given me. 
 He said such orders should have been given me, then 
 I was not to blame. He said he would leave it for Col. 
 Alger to settle, as Lieut. -Col. Alger, of his regiment, 
 had been appointed colonel of our regiment, and would 
 take command the next da}'. This left me in a \cr} 
 peculiar position. 1 was virtuall}' depri\ed of ni}- com- 
 mand, }'et not under arrest, and no charges preferred 
 against me. I acted under the advice of Lieut. -Col. 
 Gould. He said I hatl done more than m\' share ot 
 work, and that 1 could afford to la}' still if the colonel 
 could afford to let me. So I kept still until (jii the field 
 of Gett\'sbur</. 
 
 81 
 
Vcr\' soon after this \vc were ordered to break up 
 eamp and to send all surplus stores and baggage to the 
 Quarter- master in Washington, and for our regimcMit 
 to report to Gen. Hooker, in command of the Army of 
 the Potomac, for duty. The bo\s were wild with jow 
 The}' were tired of camp and picket dut\- and wanted 
 more acti\e work. They got all they wanted during 
 the next few weeks, as the following pages will show. 
 
 I cannot give a better description of what I saw 
 during the (lettwsburg campaign than to insert in tuU 
 an article I wrote a;id read before a reunion of old 
 Compan\- A and endorsed by all who heard it ; also 
 b\- one member of the First Michigan Cavalry who 
 was in the charge, and cut during the charge. All 
 endorsed the engraving as being as perfect as coidd be 
 put on paper. 
 
 This engra\'ing is a cop\- of a large painting made 
 from a sketch soon after the battle. 
 
 In the engraving the Fifth Michigan Ca\alr\' is 
 drawn back from its position on tin- left in ortler to 
 show the charge of Ilam])ton's ]5rigade and the hirst 
 Michigan C'a\alr\-. 
 
 as 
 
^pm 
 
 
 
1^ 
 
 MICHIGAN BRIGADE OF CAVALRY 
 
 AT THE 
 
 BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, 
 
 July 3, 1863, 
 
 under command of 
 
 BRIG.-GEN. GEO. A. CUSTER. 
 
 Ilistor)- is said to be true, but I can sa\ without 
 fear, that as written, it has scarcely a semblance of 
 truth so far as it relates to the part that the Michigan 
 Brigade of Cavalr)- and the four regiments composing 
 this brigade, took in the battle of Gettysburg ; also of 
 the important part pla\ed by the Fifth and .Sixth 
 Michigan Cavalr\- before the battle. 
 
 I will begin back a few da\'s or even weeks before 
 the battle and give the movements of the Fifth. 
 
 We were camped on what was called the Law\ers' 
 Road, doing picket dut)- with the .Si.xth, both regi- 
 ments being under the command of Col. Cieorge Gra\-, 
 of the Si.xth. 
 
 The Fifth Michigan was commanded b\ Lieut. Col. 
 Ebenezer Gould. 
 
 About the ist of June, a slim young man with 
 almost flaxen hair, looking more like a big boy, came 
 to us and, as the line officers exprt'ssed it, with tin; 
 
 23 
 
cheek of a government mule, actually asked us to sign 
 a petition to Gov. Austin Blair to appoint him as 
 Colonel of the Fifth. 
 
 He said his name was George A. Custer, and that 
 he was a West Pointer. 
 
 No petition was sent. 
 
 A short time after this, the Lieutenant-Colonel 
 of the Sixth, R. A. Alger, was made Colonel of our 
 regiment. 
 
 About the 20th of June we were ordered to break 
 up camp and marched all that day and night toward 
 the rear of our army. 
 
 Finally we camped in a swamp, and stayed here 
 about two days. 
 
 At this time a messenger reached us with orders 
 to join the ami)' as soon as possible, telling us that we 
 were nearh' surrounded, and that only with great 
 celerit}' in our movements would be escape capture. 
 
 For once there were no stragglers. F\er\' man 
 wanted to be in the front. 
 
 A few hours of hard marching took us out of 
 danger and into our lines. 
 
 About four o'clock in the afternoon we passed the 
 heatlquarters of General Hooker, who stood in front 
 of his tent, near the road, as we passed by — the most 
 perfect picture of a man and soldier that I ever saw. 
 
 ( )n w I' jnislud toward the Upper Potomac Ri\er, 
 which we crossed at hxlwards l-'\)rd on Thurstlay, the 
 25th of June. 
 
 We reachetl I'rederick, Md., about tour ]>. m.. 
 ]^'ricla\-, the 26tli. 
 
There we halted for the ni«-ht, and such a nig-ht ■ 
 
 lightning, thunder, rain, and wind vied with each other. 
 
 We were up and had our breakfast before day; by 
 sunrise we were on the march, almost directly north. 
 
 That night, .Saturday, we camped at Emmets- 
 burg, ^Id. 
 
 Sunda}' morning, the 28th of June, we were up 
 earlw and after a field breakfast we started for Gett\'s- 
 burg, which we reached about one o'clock p. m., just 
 after the churches were dismissed. 
 
 The people of Gett}-sburg were overjoyed to see us, 
 as Gen. Jubal Early, who left as we came in, had laid a 
 lieav}' tribute on the town, sa\ing that if it was not 
 prompth' paid he would burn it that night. 
 
 Gen. Joseph T. Copeland was in command of our 
 forces, and made his headquarters at the City Hotel, 
 built on the scjuare. 
 
 The Fifth and .Sixth were mostly divided up in 
 companies and each compan\- sent to different parts of 
 the town, and some well out on each road. 
 
 All officers were ordered to keep a hea\\- picket to- 
 guard against an}' possible surprise. 
 
 General Copeland well knew that he was right in 
 the midst of the rebel forces. 
 
 Company A, Fifth Michigan Cavalr\-, of which I 
 was first lieutenant, was posted in the outskirts of the 
 tow n on what is called the York Pike Road. 
 
 Here we la\- until about three o'clock Monda)' 
 morning, when the bugle sounded to horse. 
 
 .Sunda)' afternoon, towards evening, a detachment 
 from my company captured an officer and a few men 
 
 S.5 
 
who were carryin<^ dispatches from General Earl}- to 
 General Lee. 
 
 Another detachment from the command captured 
 an officer and several men on the Chambersburg road 
 who were bringing dispatches from General Lee to 
 General Early, ordering him to hold Gettysburg, as he 
 had given orders for his arm)' to concentrate there. 
 
 These dispatches were immediatel)- sent to General 
 Stahl, commanding our division of ca\alry. 
 
 It was said that General Meade received these 
 dispatches before da)'light on Mondax' morning (the 
 truth of which I have no reason to doubt). 
 
 I have stated the above facts rather minutel\', as 
 much has been said and written on the subject — "Was 
 Gettysburg a .Surprise to General Meade?" — and 1 wish 
 to sa\' positive!}' it was not a surprise. 
 
 Monda}' morning, after eating a hearty breakfast 
 (most of it cooked by the good ladies of Gettysburg, 
 who, without doubt, had been up nearl}' all night cook- 
 ing for us), we mounted our horses, a little after sun- 
 rise, and went back the same road we had come to 
 Emmetsburg. 
 
 I shall never forget the good lad_\' of the celebrated 
 Cardovi House, for as we passed b\', I rode up to the 
 door and asked for a drink of water. She said to me 
 that if I would come in she would give me something 
 better than w ater. 
 
 She brought out a bottle and large tumbler, saying 
 it was pure old blackberry wine, anci she knew it was 
 good for she made it. .She poured out a timiblerful. 1 
 
don't think an\ old soldier will .sa\- that 1 was foolish 
 enough to leave an\- part of it. 
 
 I stood there a moment chatting with her and her 
 two lovely daughters, when she filled up the glass to 
 the brim again. I drank this, and bidding them good- 
 day, joined m}- command. 
 
 As we rode by the Round Tops, I thought what a 
 place to take and hold till the rest of the army could 
 come up, but on we went till we reached Emmetsburg. 
 
 Here we halted for dinner and to feed. 
 
 About two o'clock p. m. we are again on the 
 march, and as we were rounding the base of Carricks 
 Knob, we came upon the head of the column of the 
 First Corps of Infantry with General Reynolds and 
 staff at the head. 
 
 We immediately pulled out of the road to the left. 
 
 General Copeland and staff halted, as also did 
 General Reynolds, and General Copeland told him 
 what he had found out in Gettysburg. 
 
 General Reynolds turned in his saddle and called 
 out in a loud voice: " Bo)s, }ou must get those heights 
 quick," pointing to the Emmetsburg heights, "there 
 are rebels ahead." 
 
 It acted like a charm on the wear)- and fagged out 
 boys. 
 
 I could hear the words " rebels ahead " go back 
 down the line, it seemed to me for miles. 
 
 I now turned m\- horse to follow the regiment, 
 which together with the .Si.xth had turned to the left 
 and gone toward Eittletown. 
 
 27 
 
At this moment a flaxen-haired bo\- rode up to me 
 and asked where the Michigan Brigade of Cavalr)- was. 
 
 It was the same bo_\- who less than two months 
 before had asked our officers to sign a petition to have 
 him appointed colonel of our regiment. 
 
 My eye caught the star on his shoulder, and 1 knew 
 he was a full-fledged brigaciier general. 
 
 It was George A. Custer. 
 
 I followed him to camp and found that he took 
 command of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, composed 
 of the First, Fifth, Sixth, and .Seventh Regiments. 
 
 1 will pass b}' the smaller fights with Stuart's 
 Cavalr\- in the small towns to the right of Gett\'sburg, 
 in each of which our brigade was victorious, and give 
 what I saw of the fight on the 3d of Jul)' between our 
 brigade and the much larger force of Stuart's Cavalr)' 
 in their determined effort to break through our lines 
 and get to our trains. 
 
 The night of lul\- 2, we la\' at Two Ta\-erns; earl\- 
 in the morning General Custer receixed orders to close 
 up on the right of our arm) . 
 
 We arrived at or near Powers Hill, on the Balti- 
 more pike, at about ten a. m. on the 3rd. 
 
 General Custer then received orders to counter- 
 march, which we did at a trot for about two miles, 
 when u'c came to Rummel's farm; here we threw down 
 the fences and rode b\- his house into the fields be)ond. 
 
 The rebels had run out six guns on a small rise in 
 the ground, about three-fourths of a mile from where 
 we were, and with these guns the)- began shelling our 
 ic'giment, when (ieneral Custer ordered us off to the 
 
right and to dismount and take position behind a rail 
 fence, about a quarter of a mile in front of the rebel 
 guns. 
 
 Just as we were ordered off to the right and front, 
 Lieut. Pennington came up with four guns of batter)' 
 M, of the Second Regulars, and took position where 
 our regiment had stood, and opened fire on the rebel 
 battery. 
 
 Just at this time I heard that Gen. Custer had sent 
 an order to Col. Alger to send him an of^cer to act on 
 his staff during the battle. I saw our adjutant a short 
 wa}' off, and rode to him and asked to have him detail 
 me for the dut\'. He went over with me to where Col. 
 Alger was, and asked the privilege of detailing Lieut. 
 Harris to act as staff officer to Gen. Custer. Col. Alger 
 said "No; he is under arrest." To say that I was dis- 
 appointed and disgusted would be putting it \-er\- 
 mildly. I saw Lieut. -Col. Gould riding across the field 
 to my right, with his orderly. I rode over to him and 
 stated what had passed between Col. Alger, the adju- 
 tant, and myself. His answer to me was: "Lieut. 
 Harris, if the colonel don't want )'our assistance I do," 
 and said that Col. Alger had ordered him to take com- 
 mand of the lead horses, and he, Gould, ordered me to 
 stay mounted and to help him. 
 
 I looked at Col. Gould and said that it was a ver)' 
 queer order for a commanding officer to detach the next 
 in command on the eve of a great battle. Cjould's 
 answer to me was: "Nevertheless, it is so." 
 
 I told him he would not want me for a few min- 
 utes, that Lieut. Pennington had asked me to sta}- with 
 
him and that I ought to notify him, so that he could 
 get some other officer to help him. 
 
 I rode to our battery, and passing the rear of the 
 guns found Lieut. Pennington sitting on his horse, 
 about six feet to the left of his left gun. 
 
 I rode up on his left close to him. 
 
 He turned and saw who it was, said I am glad you 
 have come, and remarked that it was rather warm. 
 
 At this moment he called out "jump." He rolled 
 off his horse on the right. I rolled off m\- horse on 
 the left. A shell passed by us and buried itself in the 
 ground about thirty feet in the rear of our horses. 
 Instantly wc were both back on our horses, Pennington 
 remarking, " It was rather a close call for one of us." 
 (A shell or cannon ball coming directly towards you 
 can be seen very distinctl\'.) 
 
 I turned m\' horse and started towards where the 
 shell had buried itself in the ground, Lieut. Penning- 
 ton called to me and said, " Where are you going?" I 
 answered "I am going to get that shell and send it 
 home." He said, " You come away from it and let it 
 alone, it ma>- explode and kill \-ou." I reluctantly left 
 it buried in the ground. Hut I intend to go back there 
 and get it if possible, and keej) it as a memento of that 
 battle. 
 
 Soon after this about 1,500 rebels, dismounted, 
 came out of the woods to the right of their guns and 
 formed for a charge on the Fifth, who were posted 
 behind a rail fence with .Spencer's seven-shooting rifles. 
 
 Down the hill they came in perfect time. 
 
 Soon the order was given to charge. 
 
 ao 
 
On the}' came with perfect confidence of success. 
 
 Our boN's held their fire until the rebs got within 
 less than twentv rods, then they opened on them. 
 
 After the first voile}- the rebel officers called o ut 
 "Now for them before the}' can reload." 
 
 But our bo}'s did not have to stop to reload their 
 Spencers, but gave them a second, third, and a fourth 
 voile}'. 
 
 Man}' a reb fell, either dead or wounded; the rest 
 were unable to stand the rain of lead and the most of 
 them got back faster than they came. 
 
 Our bo}'S called out to those nearest to come in or 
 we will shoot; about one hundred did come in. 
 
 One tall, lean, lank Johnn}', after he came in, asked 
 to see our guns, saying: " You'ns load in the morning 
 and fire all da}." 
 
 While this charge was being made Lieut. Penning- 
 ton called out to the sergeant in charge of the second 
 gun from him, in quite forcible language, to tr}- to dis- 
 mount one of the rebel guns. 
 
 The answer came quickl}' "I will tr};" almost 
 instantly bang went his gun, the shell actualh' entered 
 the muzzle of the rebel gun and exploded, not onl}' 
 tearing off a piece of the muzzle but dismounting the 
 gun. 
 
 Pennington called out: "Well done, now tr}' that 
 left gun." 
 
 Bang went his gun again, using a percussion shell. 
 It struck the hub of the left wheel and exploded, dis- 
 abling the gun and, as Pennington expressed it, sent 
 six of the rebel gunners to the happ}' hunting grounds 
 
At this time a large force of rebels came out of the 
 woods, dismounted, to make another charge on the 
 Fifth Michigan Cavalry 
 
 The)' formed in the same place as before, onl)- a 
 much larger force. 
 
 The\- outnumbered our boys of the Fifth at least 
 four to one, but our bo\s had perfect confidence in 
 their Spencers. 
 
 On the rebels came, but not with the same con- 
 fident \'ell as before, for the\' had great respect for the 
 Spencers when in the hands of Michigan bo\'s. 
 
 Our boys held their own and kept the rebs at a 
 respectful distance as long as their cartridges held out. 
 
 At this moment Col. Gould came riding toward me 
 and said that Col. Alger had just sent him word that 
 the boys were getting out of ammunition and gave me 
 orders to find Quarter- Master Thurber and have a 
 wagon of ammunition brought up immediatel\'. 
 
 He pointed toward the Round Tops, saying that 
 1 would find him on the pike. 
 
 1 rode there as fast as possible, but did not find 
 him, as the train had been moved two or three miles 
 farther back. 
 
 I returned to the regiment, and reached my com- 
 pany just as the bo)-s had fired their last round of cart- 
 ridges and had broke and ran for their horses. 
 
 The most of the men ran to the right, and reached 
 their horses; about twenty who were on the left of the 
 line ran for a small patch of timber, to the left and rear 
 of them. 
 
 The rebels were shelling the woods quite li\'ely. 1 
 
rode in and called to the boys to follow me. I started 
 them all on the way to the rear of the Sixth, who were 
 posted in company front, about twent\- rods to the left 
 and rear of Lieut. Pennington's batterw 
 
 Just as I was going out of the woods, one of m\- 
 men called to me, saying: " Here is one of the bo}'S all 
 used up." He was partiall)- sunstruck. I called to the 
 boys to help get him on his feet. Had them throw his 
 right arm over m\- horse's neck, and I held it there 
 with my hand, and started with him down toward a 
 narrow lane. 
 
 We had gone not more than forty feet, when we 
 ran almost on another of our company badl\- used up 
 b\- the extreme heat. The bo\s got him up and he 
 hung on to my right leg. I again started slowly for the 
 lane with m\' two charges. Just as we emerged from 
 the woods, a shell from one of the rebel guns came 
 over and struck on the top rail of a fence not over six 
 feet from us and exploded. I shook m\self to find 
 whether I was all there or not. Neither one of us, or 
 m}- horse, was hurt. I called one of my men to me 
 and turned over m)' charges to him and rode as fast as 
 I could to hnd Lieut. -Col. Gould. 
 
 In doing so I passed between the guns of our 
 battery and their caissons. Bearing to the left I came 
 to the rear ol the P^irst, who were drawn up in compan\' 
 front. 
 
 Passing their right I saw Gen. Custer riding toward 
 them, bareheaded, as fast as he could go. 
 
 I stopped to find out what move he was going to 
 make. 
 
 33 
 
Gen. Custer rode up to Col. Town, commanding, 
 and said: ''Col. Town, the Seventh Cavalr)- has broke; 
 I shall have to ask you to charge the rebels." 
 
 Col. Town, "who was in the last stages of con- 
 sumption and so weak that he had to have help to 
 mount his horse so as to command his regiment during 
 the fight," turned in his saddle and gave the command 
 to draw sabres, forward march, trot, charge, each in 
 succession. 
 
 After the Fifth had run out of ammunition, and 
 therefore were compelled to withdraw, the rebels 
 mounted their whole force, about fifteen hundred, 
 and charged our batter}-, thinking the}' could take it. 
 
 It was a grand sight to see them as they formed 
 in battalion front and move forward as only old vet- 
 eran soldiers can 
 
 ()n the\' came down the slight decline over which 
 the}' had come twice before in charging the Fifth 
 Michigan. 
 
 Their line was almost perfect until they reached 
 the fence that our boys had held so long. 
 
 .After getting over this fence. Gen. Wade Hamp- 
 ton, who was in command, gave the order to charge. 
 
 It was at this point that Gen. Custer ordered the 
 Seventh Michigan Cavalr\' to charge the rebels, but 
 they were forced to retreat. 
 
 It was at this time that Gen. Custer called on Col. 
 Town, as before stated. 
 
 The l^'irst Michigan struck the rebels on their left 
 flank, about in the middle and actually went clear 
 through them, cutting them in two parts. 
 
The sabre was all the}' used. 
 
 Many a rebel was knocked over, horse and all, by 
 being struck with the horses of the First, and man\' 
 more were killed and wounded by the sabre. 
 
 The First Michigan bo3-s striking the rebs in the 
 left flank, crowded them up in a heap, so much so that 
 the rebs could hardly do anything but try to defend 
 themselves. 
 
 Gen. Wade Hampton called out in a loud voice: 
 "Give way on the right flank," and this was repeated 
 by the other officers, but the order was not, nor could 
 it be obeyed. 
 
 Immediately after giving the above order. Gen 
 Hampton received a severe cut on the head from a 
 First Michigan boy which came very near ending his 
 life. 
 
 Although the rebs outmuiibered the First four to 
 one, yet they were completely beaten and got back as 
 soon as possible under cover of the four guns the)' had 
 left. 
 
 Without doubt this was the most gallant cavalr\- 
 charge made during the war. 
 
 The Fifth and Seventh (of which Compan}- A did 
 its full share) helped to defeat the rebel charge b\- 
 attacking the rebs in the rear as fast as they could get 
 mounted. 
 
 As soon as the First Michigan had started I saw 
 that our battery would likel)' kill as many of them as 
 the rebs unless they saw the charge, which was not 
 likel\-. 
 
 I turned my horse's head toward the batter\- and 
 
 35 
 
clapped both spurs in his flanks, calling at the top of 
 my voice to the gunners " To look out for the First 
 Michigan." 
 
 I passed to the rear of the guns and rode up to the 
 side of Lieut. Pennington, telling him also to look out 
 for the First. 
 
 By this time the rebs in the front had got w ithin 
 less than ten rods of the guns. The lieutenant in 
 charge of the two right guns thought it was about 
 time to be getting out of the way, and ordered the 
 caissons to limber up. 
 
 At this moment Lieut. Pennington, turning his 
 head, saw what was being done, and ordered them to 
 unlimber and to give them a double charge of canister. 
 
 This order was given in ver}- forcible language, 
 and it was obe\ed instantl\'; all four of the guns were 
 fired point blank with a double charge of canister into 
 the face of the rebs. 
 
 This iron hail, storm was more than they could 
 stand. 
 
 The\' wheeled to the right to retreat, but found 
 that they were cut off by the First Michigan. 
 
 The\- made a wide detour to the right, and the 
 most of them got back to their lines. 
 
 Without doubt several of the boys of the First 
 wore killed and more wore wounded by our own 
 battery, but it was absolutely necessary to break that 
 charge at an}' cost, for if it succeeded there were no 
 Union troops between the rebels and our ammunition 
 trains. 
 
If the rebels could have destroyed them our arnn- 
 would have been compelled to retreat. 
 
 Our bo\-.s followed up the rebs on their retreat as 
 far as it was safe to do so, killing and wounding a good 
 man\' and capturing several. 
 
 This was the last attempt of Stewart to get at our 
 trains and the last of our fight at Gettysburg. 
 
 The fighting closed about five o'clock. Then I 
 began to look after the boys of our company. I found 
 Serg. Frank Barber had been shot through the bowels. 
 He died shortl\' after. Two others were hurt b}' their 
 horses falling on them. Several were missing, part of 
 whom turned up the next day. Peter Levalle_\- was 
 killed b_\' a shell. 
 
 About ten o'clock that e\ening (Friday, Jul\' 3rd, 
 1863) our regiment had orders to move about four 
 miles back on the Baltimore Pike. We were marched 
 back very quietly to a cross road going towards Han- 
 over Junction, down which we went about one mile. 
 We were halted and ordered to dismount and la\' down 
 in ambush to the left of the road. Our horses were 
 sent to the left and rear. Orders were passed a!ong 
 the line to keep down and no talking. Company A 
 had the right of the line, which rested on the road. 
 Across the road was a brick farm-house. I felt sure 
 that this house must be full of people from Gettxsburg 
 who had been able to get away, thinking this was far 
 enough from the battle to be a safe place. 
 
 Lieut. -Col. Gould lay near, and I went to him and 
 got permission to go across the road and arouse the 
 folks in the house. I took one of m\- men with me and 
 
went to the back door and rapped but got no answer 
 I then took out my big Colts revolver and knocked 
 with the butt end of it quite loudly. This ver\' soon 
 brought a man to the door. I asked him if there were 
 any others in the house. He said there was a dozen or 
 more there. I told him to get them all up and dressed 
 as soon as possible, but not to light a candle nor to 
 make an\' noise. The) soon came out and I started 
 them off to the right and rear towards the nearest farm 
 house, a very scared lot of men, women and children. 
 
 After seeing them well on the road, I returned with 
 my man to the house, going into the kitchen in search 
 of something to eat, but was sadly disappointed. I 
 tried to finci a door going down to the cellar but could 
 find none. Going out on the back porch I found a 
 trap door in the floor. I threw this up and lit a match. 
 Found there was a ladder there. Down I went and 
 soon found three or four large loaves of bread, a jar of 
 butter and a large boiled ham. I threw these up to the 
 man on the porch. Closing the trap door, we took the 
 eatables in our arms and crawled back to my companw 
 Calling Col. Gould to me and several other friends, we 
 ate the whole up very quickl\' and with a good relish, 
 as none of us had much to eat for the last two da}s. 
 Soon after this our scouts returned saying there were 
 no rebels coming down that waw We were ordered 
 back to the part of the field \vc had left the evening 
 before 
 
 About two o'clock a. m., being completely ex- 
 hausted, 1 laid down by the side of a fence near the 
 Rummel House; holding m)' horse by a strap, and slept 
 
soundly until about three o'clock on Saturda\- morning, 
 when I was awakened by ni)' horse pulling on the strap. 
 I turned over and found that Gen Kilpatrick and 
 Custer had ridden close to where I lay, and were laying 
 plans to follow up Gen. Lee if he should retreat, which 
 both of them seemed to think he would do that da)-. 
 It was now near daylight, and I got up and found the 
 most of Company A had slept very near me. I roused 
 them so the}' would have plent\- of time to make a cup 
 of coffee before being called on to move. We had 
 very little to eat, our commissary wagons not coming 
 up. I ran across one of my men that had about half a 
 cup of coffee and half of a hard tack, which he kindlv 
 gave me. 
 
 I found Lieut. -Col. Gould and told him that I was 
 going to Washington and lay my case before Hon. E. 
 M. Stanton, secretary of war. Col. Gould was tem- 
 poraril\- in command of the regiment. I found my 
 satchel in our wagon, and changing m\- field suit for 
 m\- dress suit, started from near the Round Tops about 
 eight o'clock a. m. on Saturday, the 4th of |ul\-, 1863, 
 for Washington. About ten o'clock it began to rain 
 very hard. It was more of a cloud burst than a rain 
 storm. I stopped at a house beside the road until it 
 passed over, then rode on until I came to a hotel where 
 I stopped and fed m\- horse and got dinner. Then I 
 rode on until late in the evening when I reached a 
 farm-house where I had supper, stable for my horse 
 and the privilege of sleeping in the hay mow. 
 
 After breakfast I started on. About noon reached 
 Frederick, Md. Greatly to m)' astonishment, when 
 
 39 
 
riding b\- a vacant lot, I heard some one call out 
 " Hello, Lieut. Harris, where are you going?" Look- 
 ing around there sat Maj. Luther Trowbridge of our 
 regiment, and near him was Col. Alger, both on their 
 wav to Washington with the body of Maj. Ferry, who 
 was killed at Gettysburg. The major rode out to where 
 I sat in the road and asked: "Where are )ou going?" 
 1 answered "Am bound for Washington to lay my case 
 before the Secretary of War, and have the consent of 
 Col. Gould, who was in command of the regiment." 
 He rode back to where Col. Alger sat on his horse and 
 told him what I had said. They both laughed heartily 
 at the fix the\- supposed I would be in. I paid no more 
 attention to them but went on my way. I reached 
 Washington about two o'clock p. m. on Monday, July 
 6th. I came in on Fourteenth street. Crossing Penn- 
 sx'lvania avenue, I put my horse in a livery stable just 
 south of Willard's Hotel, and starting immediatelx for 
 the War Department, and soon reached the ante-room 
 of the secretarw Here the guard refused me entrance 
 and referred me to one of the clerks. I told him I 
 wanted to see Mr. Stanton. He said that the secretary 
 was engaged and would be for some time, but if I would 
 state my business to him, he would refer it to the secre- 
 tar}^ as soon as he was at leisure. This 1 declined to 
 do. He then went into the private office of the secre- 
 tary. Ver\- soon a very })leasant looking gentleman, 
 about fort\- years old, came out and asked if I was the 
 officer tliat wished to see Mr. Stanton. I answered, 
 " Yes, and that 1 wished to see him in person." He 
 said that he was assistant secretary of war, and was sent 
 
 40 
 
out by the secretar_\- to see what my business was. I 
 then asked him to step to the other side of the room 
 where the others could not hear us. He went to a hio-h 
 desk and leaned against it. I told him in very few 
 words how Col. Gra\- had placed me under arrest and 
 how Col. Alger had kept me so, and that I had asked 
 to be released on the battle field of Gettx'sburg. Look- 
 ing him in the eye I said: "Mr. Dana, I came down 
 here to flight and not to be put under arrest. I have 
 come to headquarters and expect to get one of two 
 thing'^, either to be dishonorabl}- discharged or to be 
 honorably sent back to my company." He quickly 
 asked: "Where are you stopping?" I answered "I 
 shall go to r^Iurray's Hotel, directly opposite the 
 National." He told me to go direct to the hotel, and 
 if the provo guard should stop me to refer the officer to 
 him. I went to the hotel and soon had supper, and 
 was sitting in the reading room when a bell boy came 
 to the door and wanted to know if Lieut. Harris was 
 there. I answered " Yes." He said there were two 
 officers in a carriage at the door waiting to see me. I 
 went out and there sat Col. Geo. Gray,* of the Sixth 
 Michigan Cavalry, with Col. N. P. Richmond, of the 
 First West \'irginia Cavalry. 
 
 Col. Gray reached out his hand and pulled me into 
 the hack. There we sat while they told me the\- were 
 both in with Secretary Stanton while I was seeking an 
 interview with him. After I left, Mr. Dana came in 
 
 *Col. Gray was the officer that relieved inc of my ciHiiinand aiul turned mo 
 over to Col. .\lger. Col. Gray was a friend of mine, and I had done a good deal 
 of service under him. Col. Richmond was a warm friend to me. We had been 
 together a good deal both in field and camp. 
 
 41 
 
and told Mr. Stanton before them, what I had said to 
 him. He turned to Col. Gra\' and asked him if he 
 knew anything about the case. Col. Gra)' said he 
 knew all about it; that ever\- word I had said was true, 
 and that I had stated the case very mildl)'. He then 
 directed the colonel to call at my hotel and release uie 
 fnvH arrest, by his order, and to take me back to Gen. 
 Custer and tell him to see that I was placed in mv 
 proper position, and " if such a thing happens again, 
 he would take a hand in it himself; and if he did, the 
 hair would fl)' off some one's scalp." 
 
 Col. Richmond had also put in a good word for 
 me, although he knew nothing of the case in hand. Of 
 course, I was more than pleased at the outcome, and 
 after paying m}' bill rode with them to the stable where 
 my horse was, and mounting, rode beside their carriage 
 to the government stables, where their horses were. 
 We all mounted and rode to the remount camp back of 
 Alexandria, Va., that night. 
 
 The ne.xt morning we started for the arm\' with 
 quite a large force of men and lead horses. Col. Rich- 
 mond found his brigade soon after we had passed Cen- 
 terville, and bade us good-b\'e. Col. Gra\' kept on 
 with his detachment until we found the Michigan 
 I^rigade, sending the men and horses to their respective 
 regiments. Then he went to Gen. Custer and made his 
 report, taking me along. He wanted me to go in with 
 him, but I soon convinced him that it would be better 
 for both if I staid out. (1 requested him not to tell the 
 General that I was outside.) 
 
 When he came out and said he had told the General 
 
how I had been used b\' Col. Alger, Gen Custer ex- 
 pressed himself very strongl)- about it, and told Col. 
 Gray if I had come to him on the field of Gettysburg 
 he would gladly accepted m}- services. I found where 
 my regiment lay and reported to Lieut. -Col. Gould, 
 who was still in command, who ordered mc to take my 
 place as first lieutenant in Compan_\' A. 
 
 I found my compan\' near Bristoe Station. .Soon 
 after we were ordered to make a reconnoiter as far as 
 Falmouth. I was ordered to take six men and a cor- 
 poral, and to take the advance of the regiment. I went 
 ahead until I reached the heights back of Falmouth. 
 There I saw that a large force of rebels were in Fred- 
 ericksburg. But I wanted to get a closer view of them, 
 so I started down the road to Falmouth. When about 
 half WAN' down, the rebels opened fire on us at long 
 range, with rifles; the distance being about one mile. 
 The bullets fell about us thick and fast, but did no harm 
 to any of us or our horses. I started down the hill on 
 a trot until near the bottom I found a deep gulley. I 
 turned into this and found that it completeK' sheltered 
 m)' men and horses. I left all my men here except one 
 corporal. 
 
 We started on foot to make our wa)' into Fal- 
 mouth. Part of the wa\- we would have to expose our- 
 selves, and every time we did so, a perfect shower of 
 bullets would fall all about us. We both reached the 
 main street of the village without harm. This street 
 ran toward the Rappahannock river, on the other side 
 of which was Fredericksburg In order to see all I 
 could of the situation of the rebels, I crawled up beside 
 
 43 
 
a house and put my head out from the corner just far 
 enough to see across the river. 
 
 The rebel sharpshooters knowing about where I 
 was, and being on the lookout for me, soon spied my 
 head, and sent a shower of bullets at me. One of them 
 struck in the corner boards, directly against my right 
 temple, and going clear through the board edgewise, 
 which was four inches thick, struck me in the temple. 
 The force of the bullet was almost entirely spent in 
 going through the board, not force enough to even 
 break the skin. Yet it had force sufficient to knock 
 me flat on the ground, and to raise a big swelling on 
 m\' temple. I fell behind the house out of sight from 
 the rebs. A woman, whose husband was in the rebel 
 army, who lived in a house that was hidden from view 
 of the sharpshooters by other houses, seeing me fall 
 she came to my help with her son, who was about six- 
 teen years old. They helped me into her house and 
 laid me on a lounge. I laid here some moments in a 
 daze, but soon came to. I thanked the lady and her 
 son for their kindness. I returned to the place where 
 I had left the corporal, and together we returned to the 
 others we had left in the ravine. In getting back to 
 them we had to expose ourselves to the sight of the 
 reb sharpshooters. They would send a lot of bullets 
 after us. But we were soon out of their reach and 
 neither of us were hurt. The woman and her son that 
 had taken care of me were well remembered, not only 
 b)' myself but by all the Michigan boys who knew of 
 the circumstance. They were well supplied with food 
 as long as any of us were in that part of the country. 
 
After getting out of range, I went leisurely back 
 towards the camp we had left in the morning. We had 
 not gone far when I saw a column coming towards us. 
 I soon saw that it was m}- regiment, the Fifth Michigan 
 Cavalry. The}' were followed b}' Gen. Custer and the 
 rest of the brigade. We joined the column and went 
 down on top of the heights, about a mile below Fal- 
 mouth, and camped on the hills about a mile from the 
 river, and nearh' opposite the Lac}- house. 
 
 About three days after this I was ordered to take 
 m}- company (A) and take command of the picket line, 
 from the Lacy house to the street running through 
 Falmouth. The full length of the line was not over 
 one mile but it was the worst line I ever had command 
 of. M}' headquarters were in the Lacy house. Not a 
 man could show his head but a reb bullet would zip too 
 close to him for comfort. They would fire on the 
 pickets ever}- chance the}- could get. The}- were ver}- 
 angry at the terrible defeat the}- got at Gett}'sburg. 
 
 I ran all the horses inside the Lac}- house and 
 barricaded the doors and windows in the lower part of 
 the house the best I could, and arranged m}- men in the 
 second stor}-, the better to defend themselves, as I 
 expected the rebs would come over and tr}- to capture 
 us at any time, and especiall}- in the night. 
 
 The next morning about ten o'clock, Gen. Custer 
 rode down the hill to my headquarters, and asked how 
 things were on my line. After giving him a statement 
 of facts, he said he wanted some one to go down to the 
 river with a flag of truce, and find out whether Gen. 
 Rosser was there. He said the\- were class mates at 
 
West Point, and if he was in camp near there, he 
 (Custer) would Hke to go over and have a visit with 
 him. It was not a very safe or easy job, so I told the 
 General I would go down m)-self. I had no white 
 handkerchief, so he handed me his. I walked up the 
 river road holding the handkerchief over my head, A 
 large crowd very soon collected to see what the Yankee 
 wanted. I called for the officer in command of the 
 picket line. When he came I asked him if Gen. Rosser 
 was near there. He said he was likeh' at his head- 
 quarters. I asked him to send for him to come down 
 that Gen. Custer was close b}' and would like to come 
 over. In about half an hour Gen. Rosser rode down to 
 the opposite bank and called to me. I answered that 
 Gen. Custer was back in my camp and would come over 
 if he would like to see him and would guarantee him a 
 safe return. He answered, " Send him over." An 
 officer was sent down their line to give orders, " No 
 firing." I went back and escorted Gen. Custer down to 
 the river and called to Gen. Rosser to send a boat over. 
 He did so. Custer staid over until about four o'clock. 
 I was becoming anxious about him when he returned, 
 saying that he " had a fine time over there." 
 
 About a week after this I was ordered to take si.\ 
 men and a corporal and make a reconnoisance towards 
 King George Court House. I started after dark, so the 
 rebs could not see me leave camp. I went aSout ten 
 miles and found I was on the wrong road. I was com- 
 pelled to bivouac in the road until da\light. As soon 
 as it was light enough to see, we found the right road 
 and went on our wa}' to Aquia Creek. Here we fed our 
 
horses and made coffee for ourselves. We started 
 again down the Potomac river road. We had gone 
 about two miles when one of my men looking back, 
 saw quite a force of rebel cavalry on a hill about a mile 
 back of us, and in the road we had just come over. 1 
 did not stop, but kept right on down the road. I knew 
 there was no use to fight because there was at least ten 
 of them to our one. The onl\' thing I could do was to 
 escape them by stratagem. I saw a house about a 
 quarter of a mile ahead of me and very close to the 
 road. I rode direct to it and had all my men ride 
 behinci the house so the rebs could not see them. I 
 rode up to the door, and taking out m}- big navy 
 revolver, knocked quite hard on the door. Ver}' soon 
 a man opened it. I asked him where there was a bridge 
 to cross the deep run at the foot of the hill. He said 
 there was none. I raised my revolver with the muzzle 
 close to his head, and said to him: "Tell me ver\- quick 
 where there is a bridge or I will blow your brains out." 
 This scared him, and he said, " Don't shoot. Captain, 
 and I will show \ou." He then came out of the door 
 and pointed to a clump of bushes and said I would find 
 an old bridge there, but that it was ver)- old and I would 
 have to be careful or it would go down. W'e rode to 
 the bushes and soon found the bridge. I had the men 
 ride over one at a time on a walk. After the\' were all 
 over I crossed, and taking the lead, followed the old 
 road up the hill, on top of which we found a good road 
 running direct to the Rappahannock river. I kept up 
 as good a pace as was safe on account of the horses, as 
 we were fully fifteen miles from camp. A five mile 
 
march brought us to the river road. Here I halted a 
 few moments to rest the horses. We had not seen or 
 heard an}thing of the compan}- of rebels that we had 
 seen in our rear, and I began to feel quite sure we had 
 escaped them. After giving the horses a short rest we 
 started on a ten-mile march up the river road to camp. 
 We kept a sharp lookout for the rebs for fear the\' 
 would try and ambush us. 
 
 We had marched six or seven miles when on round- 
 ing a curve in the road, we saw ahead of us a column of 
 twent}'-five or thirt}' cavalr\' men coming towards us. I 
 could not tell whether the}' were frien i or foe for the 
 dust. I knew the only thing we could do was to go 
 right along. Very soon we came near enough to see 
 they were part of a company of our own regiment, sent 
 out to render an\' assistance to me I might need. The\' 
 turned about and I took the advance, as m\' horses were 
 about exhausted from a fift)' mile march, and their 
 horses being fresh, I feared they would leave us too far 
 behind. We soon reached our outpost about a mile 
 from the Lacy House. I halted here long enough to 
 tell the officer in command, that without doubt, we 
 were being followed up by quite a large force of rebels, 
 and that he had better be prepared for them. We went 
 on about two miles to the camp. I gave m\' horse into 
 the care of my orderly and went to m\' tent, and had 
 just laid down on m)' bunk to get some needed rest, 
 when I heard quite heavy firing at the picket post we 
 had just left. A force of about one hundred that had 
 been following us, attacked the post and captured sev- 
 eral men and horses, then rode down the picket line to 
 
 48 
 
the ford and went across the river into Fredericksburg. 
 I was congratulated by some of the officers of the regi- 
 ment for the skill I had shown in getting out of the 
 trap, and returning without the loss of a man or horse. 
 I thought at the time, and still think, that I was sent 
 out on the above expedition with the small force at my 
 command, for the purpose of getting me killed or cap- 
 tured. If killed, I would be out of the wa\-. If cap- 
 tured, I would be reported to the War Department as 
 leaving camp on an expedition without orders. Then 
 I would be dishonorably discharged. In either case I 
 would be out of the wa\'. Lieut. -Col. Gould, as soon 
 as he heard of my being ordered out on the above 
 scouting expedition, sent the company that I met on 
 the river road, out to help me in case they could find 
 me. 
 
 Soon after this we were ordered to move up the 
 river to guard the United States ford. While there I 
 was detailed to take command of about fifty men from 
 our regiment, and to report to Maj.-Gen. Sykes, who 
 commanded the Fifth arm\' corps. I did not know 
 what my dut}- was to be until I reached his headquart- 
 ers, and reported to his adjutant-general. He assigned 
 me as commander of the bod\' guard and orderlies at 
 headquarters of the Fifth arm\' corps. In some respects 
 it was a very pleasant position, as it practically put me 
 on Gen. .Sykes' staff. I found the General rather in- 
 clined to be crust}' and hard to please. I sh :)wed him 
 all due respect, and saw that his orders were carried 
 out promptly; yet I kept from personal contact with 
 him as much as possible. His Adjutant-General was a 
 
good soldier and a perfect gentleman (I have forgotten 
 his name.) 
 
 Most of the officers composing his staff were fine 
 young men. Two or three of them liked whisky too 
 well for their own good and the good of the service- 
 The Fifth corps was camped to the right of Culpepper, 
 and near the Rapidan river. The headquarters was in 
 a splendid large Virginia mansion, beautifully located 
 on an eminence overlooking the river valley with the 
 Blue Ridge mountains across the river for a back 
 ground. 
 
 We lay here about two weeks, during which time I 
 tried m}' best to get m\' small command into good 
 working shape. This I found a hard task, as the men 
 came from several regiments and companies. I had 
 one second lieutenant under me from another regiment. 
 1 would have been much better off without him, for he 
 was drunk most of the time, and even when sober he 
 was a regular bum. Yet I soon got the compan}- in 
 very fair shape. I won the respect and obedience of 
 the men by being kind as well as firm with them. 
 About the lOth of October I received orders to have 
 ni)' command read)' to move at a moment's notice. 
 
 The ne.xt morning I received orders to send small 
 detachments to several division headquarters. I onl\- 
 had eight or ten men left with me at corps headcjuar- 
 ters. Some move was being made by part of our corps. 
 Two or three divisions moved out toward the river, but 
 they soon returned without bringing on a battle. I soon 
 learned it was onl)' a reconnoisance in force to find out 
 what move Gen. Lee was making. 
 
The next morning we broke up camp and marched 
 back to and beyond Brand)' station. We kept on the 
 march until we reached the fortifications at Centerville. 
 
 On this march, when near Bristoe station, Gen. 
 Sykes sent me with orders to some of the division com- 
 manders. I dehvered the orders, which took me until 
 afternoon. I then started to rejoin the General. I rode 
 as fast as possible for f >ur or five miles, but saw no 
 troops. I crossed a field near the station and found a 
 lot of hard-tack and a barrel of pork. 1 jumped off my 
 horse and filled m\' pockets with hard-tack, and taking 
 out my knife cut off a big piece of pork, and mounting, 
 was off as fast as my horse could go, at the same time 
 eating the raw salt pork and hard-tack, and thinking all 
 the time what a lucky man I was to be able to enjo\' 
 such a feast. After a ride of about three miles, I came 
 up with Gen. S}kes and his v\djutant-General sitting on 
 their horses under the shade of a big tree. I saluted 
 Gen. S\'kes and told him I had delivered his orders, 
 and what I had seen, how far I had ridden, and not seen 
 any troops. I then asked him if they had an\' dinner. 
 They both said "no." I then pulled out some hard- 
 tack and gave it to them. I reached in my saddle bag 
 and pulled out a bottle of whisky, and passed it to the 
 General, saying it was a good article and he might want 
 a little. He thanked me ver\- much and took the 
 bottle. It had never been uncorked and none of us 
 had a corkscrew. The Adjutant-General said he could 
 fix it. He placed it across the pommel of his saddle, 
 and taking a large knife, striking the head of the bottle 
 broke it off. The General drank a lot of it and passed 
 
it to his adjutant, and he passed the bottle to another 
 of the staff, who joined us in the meantime When the 
 bottle reached me again there was not one drop of 
 whisk}' in it. 
 
 I was completel)' tired out and wanted a swallow 
 of it and actually needed it. I always carried it with 
 me when possible to do so, and especialh' if we were 
 likcl\- to have an engagement. Yet I never drank it 
 except in case of extreme exhaustion. 
 
 The Adjutant-General seeing my condition, and 
 knowing that not a drop was left forme, felt ver\' much 
 mortified and apologized for their ungentlemanly act. 
 
 I have read in history (Harper's Histor\' of the 
 Great Rebellion, page 520) that Gen. Warren blamed 
 Gen. Sx'kes for not coming to his aid that afternoon in 
 his fight with Gen. Hill at Bristoe Station. I am quite 
 sure it was some time after noon when I crossed the 
 field near Ba'istoe, and as near as I can remember, it 
 was about two o'clock p. m. when I overtook Cien. 
 -Sx'kes. It must have been a half hour after that we left 
 the friendh' shade of the trees and moved slowly on 
 the road towards Centerville. 
 
 I was behind the General and heard no firing, or 
 an\' other indication of a battle, in our rear. I am quite 
 sure no messenger came to Gen. S\kes notifying him 
 of the fix Gen. Warren was in, and that he needed help. 
 We went on rather slowl\- until wc reached Centerville. 
 We stayed here two or three days. Then we were 
 ordered to return to Culpcp])er. A ver_\- severe rain 
 storm, which continued abcjut two days, made the roads 
 and small streams almost impassable, making the 
 
march \'ery slow and tedious. Another reason for our 
 slow movements was that Gen. Lee had completeh' 
 destroyed the railroad from Bristoe Station to Culpep- 
 per. Our movements were timed with the thorough 
 repair of the railroad. 
 
 This was the only way we had of getting supplies. 
 We were fully ten days in getting back near our old 
 camping ground. During the ver}' first of this cam- 
 paign, I was taken with a bad case of the army diar- 
 rhoea, caused b\' the bad water, mostly swamp water, 
 we were compelled to drink, together with hard work 
 I had to do, and ver_\' irregular eating. W'e la}- in camp 
 a few da\'s when Gen. Lee began another flank move- 
 ment around our right. Gen. Meade seemed ver\- much 
 alarmed about his communications with Washington. 
 He forgot that his arm}' was well supplied, and that 
 Lee's ami}' could not carr}- over five da}'s rations, and 
 that if Lee was across his communications, he was also 
 across Lee's, and could cut him off from an\' possible 
 retreat, and would ha\e him between his own ami}- and 
 the defences of Washington. Notwithstanding these 
 facts, Gen. Meade issued orders to retreat with all 
 possible despatch to Centerville. Back we went \er}' 
 much to the disgust of the whole arm}'. The bo}'s 
 dubbed these marches as " Lee and Meade's Express 
 from Centerville to Culpepper." The surgeon at corps 
 headquarters was unable to even check ni}- diarrhoea, 
 and I was getting ver}- weak. I staid in ni}' saddle 
 attending to m\' duties until we were within a few miles 
 of Warrenton Junction, when I gave out completeh'. 
 The surgeon ordered up the headquarter's ambulance 
 
and placed mc in it. I was driven to Warrenton Junc- 
 tion. The surgeon rode over to Gen. Meade and told 
 him of my condition. The General said he had orders 
 not to send an}- more sick or wounded to Washington, 
 as all the hospitals there were full, but that he could, 
 and would, give me a ten daws' leave of absence. He 
 sent it by the surgeon, and also sent word that as the 
 season was so far advanced, there would be ver\' little 
 done until spring, and that I could sta\- at home until I 
 was fulh' recovered. I had to send a phx'sician's cer- 
 tificate every ten days, sa\'ing I was unable to return. 
 I was placed in a bo.x car at Warrenton Junction that 
 was going direct to Washington. I reached there in 
 the evening, and went to the home of an old friend, 
 John W. Green. Mrs. Green was ver}- kind to me, and 
 cooked some very palatable dishes, which not onl\' 
 tasted good, but did me good. I staid over night with 
 them. The next da\- I went to the Pa\'master-General 
 and drew part of my back pay and started for home 
 that evening. I reached Rochester, Mich., at about two 
 o'clock in the afternoon of the second da\- out, a very 
 tired and used up young man. I got out of the stage at 
 the cross street on which we lived. We were then 
 living in the brick house on the hill. My folks did not 
 know of my coming until I knocked at the door. I 
 need not sa\- that it was a happ\- meeting with m\ wite, 
 father and mother, \-et the)- were surprised and sorry 
 to see me in the condition 1 was. My wife and mother 
 soon had a ver\- nice dinner for me, which 1 enjoyed 
 \er\- much. The\- sent for a doctor, but he gave me 
 
ver\- little medicine, sayint^ that tyood nursing and good 
 food would be better than medicine. 
 
 An incident happened, or rather several of them, 
 on my journe\' home that afforded me a good deal of 
 amusement. When I left the front I kept on m\- 
 officer's pants and vest, but put on an undress cavalr)' 
 blouse, without an\- straps on the shoulders. While 
 an\' person knowing anything of military dress would 
 know that I was an officer, yet they could not tell my 
 rank. 
 
 When 1 reached \Washington, D. C, those that I 
 met on the street would ask, " Colonel, how is it out at 
 the front?" When I got as far as Pittsburg, Pa., those 
 I met would ask, " Major, how is it out to the front?" 
 When 1 reached Cleveland, Ohio, it was, "Captain, how 
 is it at the front?" When I reached Detroit, Mich., I 
 met several that knew me and my rank. The\- asked, 
 "Well, Lieutenant, how is it at the front?" When I 
 arrived at Rochester, twent)-five miles north of Detroit, 
 the stage drew up at the corner where I was to get out. 
 A little boy about five )ears old, dirt}' and ragged, ran 
 out of a blacksmith's shop on the corner and stood by 
 the side of the stage. As I got out he looked up at me 
 and said, " Hello, Sam, is that you?" This was the cap 
 sheaf, and recalled all the other ranks I had been called 
 since leaving the front. 
 
 A few days after I related the incidents to the 
 editor of the Pontiac Gazette, and he wrote up a very 
 amusing article, entitled " Letting Him Down I^as}'." 
 This article was copied in almost e\'cr\' northern paper. 
 
 B5 
 
M\' name was not mentioned, but ever}"body in that 
 part of the country kne\v who the officer was. 
 
 I reached home, as above related, about the 20th 
 of (October, 1863 I staid there until about the last of 
 November, and had improved so much in health that I 
 returned to the arniN'. I reached the headquarters of 
 the cavalry corps, and found that our brigade was 
 camped near Stevensburg. I rode there and reported 
 to Lieut. -Col. Gould, who was in command of the regi- 
 ment, and told him I wanted to stay with my compan\', 
 and under no circumstances did I want to go back to 
 the headquarters of the Fifth army corps. He told me 
 he was glad to get me back, and ordered me to take 
 command of my company, and that he would fix things 
 all right for me to stay with him. 
 
 I went to m)- compan\', and a glad lot of men they 
 were to see me back again. There was no commis- 
 sioned officer with them. Capt. Gray had resigned. 
 The second lieutenant had been discharged on account 
 of sickness. The orderl)- sergeant was in command. 
 He was one of the best sergeants in the regiment, but 
 no commander. The bo\s that wanted a firm hand 
 over them, would run right over him. 1 had him call 
 the compan\' out, and went down the whole line shak- 
 ing hands with ever\' one of them. In doing this I 
 scanned every man to see if he was clean and kept his 
 clothes in nice condition. I ordered them to break 
 ranks, and calling the orderl\- to m\' tent, told him to 
 quietl}' call two of the men to me. They were very 
 unclean and unkempt. I told them they must wash up 
 clean, have their hair and whiskers cut, brush up their 
 
clothes and black their shoes, and come back to me in 
 an hour and let me see how the\- looked. The\' came 
 back in less than an hour, looking like other men. 
 The}' were actually proud of themselves. The}- prom- 
 ised me never to become so dirt}' and slack about their 
 person again. Soon after this I was sent down to Rac- 
 coon ford on picket dut}' with my compan}'. I very 
 quickl}' found I had run into another regular hornet's 
 nest. Ever}' chance the rebs got the}' fired on my 
 pickets. I gave strict orders not to return the fire. 
 After about tvvent}'-four hours the rebs concluded to 
 hold up. One of them came down to the river and 
 wanted to know whether it was the same compan}' that 
 had been there for several da}'S. I sent word back that 
 it was a new compan}', and that there would be no 
 picket firing on ni}' line, and that I hoped the}' would 
 stop. The commander of their line said the}- would 
 stop. The}' did not fire an}' more. After this 1 had a 
 ver\' pleasant time on this line. 
 
 After being on this post about five daxs I was 
 relieved b}' another compan}', and we returned to camp. 
 I then ha 1 about two weeks of pleasant camp life. It 
 was beautiful fall weather, and I spent what spare time 
 I had in riding about visiting officers I was acquainted 
 with in other regiments. One morning I received a 
 ver}' pleasant note from Brig. -Gen. Henr}' E. Davies, 
 commanding the first brigade second di\'ision, of the 
 cavalr}' corps, sa}'ing that the Hon. A. C. Baldwin and 
 wife were visiting at his headquarters, and asking me 
 to come over and spend the afternoon and take teawith 
 them. Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin were old friends of our 
 
family, and lived in Pontiac, Mich. Mr. Baldwin was 
 member of congress from our district. I rode over to 
 Gen. Davies' headquarters, and spent a ver\- pleasant 
 afternoon with the General, his wife and daughter, and 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin. After tea I mounted and 
 returned to m\' camp. My invitation was b)- request of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin. In the morning of the 31st of 
 December, 1863, Lieut. -Col. Gould sent for me to come 
 to his tent. I went up immediately. He tolci me to 
 take m\' companx' and go to Germania ford and relieve 
 the officer, with his command, on duty there. He 
 remarked that he wanted to see me again; meaning 
 that he did not want me to be gobbled up by the rebels 
 coming across the rixer, and taking me and part of n\v 
 men prisoners. I told him that he had sent me out a 
 good many times and I had always come back. "Yes," 
 he said, " that is the reason I send you down there now." 
 He told me there had been a good deal of trouble at 
 that ford; that the rebels had come over and captured 
 quite a number of our men. 
 
 I started from m\' camp about 2 p. m. with about 
 sixty men. It had been raining very hard the day be- 
 fore, so the roads were very bad, the mud being from 
 three to four inches deep. About noon the wind began 
 to blow quite hard from the north and the weather 
 turned very cold. I reached the ford about four o'clock 
 and found the officer in command in a camp fully a 
 mile back from the ford. I asked him to send a cor- 
 poral along with me, and 1 would send some of my men 
 out to relieve his men on post. This officer warned me 
 not to go any nearer the ford than he was, or the rebels 
 
would come over and gobble us all up before we could 
 get out of the way. I told him 1 was sent to guard the 
 ford, and could not do it if 1 was over a mile awaw I 
 kept on down the road and found a fine dr\- place for 
 men and horses about a quarter of a mile from the ford. 
 It was a place that could be easily defended against a 
 force much larger than I had. As soon as 1 had sent 
 the relief out, I set to work la}'ing out the camp. We 
 soon had things in good shape. The men cut down 
 trees and we had a big log fire to keep us warm and to 
 eat our supper by. I noticed on the way down that 
 back of the place I had selected for n\v camp, not more 
 than a half-mile, there was an old log house about I2xi6 
 feet. This house contained a man and woman about 
 fifty }ears old, and two girls about twenty and twenty- 
 two }ears old. I knew these girls, without doubt, were 
 not only prostitutes, but were spies. The}- w ould find 
 out the location of our pickets and in the night slip 
 across the river and inform the rebs. As soon as 1 had 
 the men and horses taken care of, I sent a trust)- sergeant 
 and two or three men to this house, and notified all of 
 them to leave that night, and not to be found on the 
 line again, or I would arrest them, and send all to our 
 headquarters as spies. The\' left immediately. Where 
 the\' went to I neither knew or cared. 
 
 It had grown ver\- cold, and by seven o'clock the 
 mud had frozen hard enough to bear up the horses. 
 When the 7 o'clock relief came in, I stood at the en- 
 trance of the camp. I saw some of the men were very 
 cold. I had another relief sent out, as 1 knew no man 
 could sit on his horse two hours without ereat damrer 
 
of being badl\' frost-bitten. I continued to send out 
 reliefs as fast as one would come in during the whole 
 time of m}' sta)'. 
 
 In this wa}- no man had to sit on picket post more 
 than one hour at a time. None of ni}' men were frost- 
 bitten in the least. There was an old house about 200 
 feet from the ford and about half wa\' up the hill; on 
 the side toward the ri\er was a small stoop. I sent a 
 corporal and six men to this house with instructions to 
 keep a picket constantl\' on the stoop which overlooked 
 the river. I gave them permission to build a fire in the 
 fire-place to keep themselves warm, also to run their 
 horses into the house if safe. It was a fearful cold 
 night. I was up all night looking after men and horses. 
 1 had buckets of hot coffee for the men as they came 
 off post. 
 
 In the morning (Jan. I, 1864) as soon as I had m\- 
 breakfast of hard-tack and coffee, I had m\- horse 
 saddled up, and taking my orderly started to ride the 
 line, beginning at the ford. After looking that o\er, I 
 rode up the river. After riding about half a mile, 1 
 found that the river took a long bend to the south, and 
 returning again, continued on its course nearl\- west. 
 The bend was like an oxbow, and was about half a mile 
 each wa)-. It was called "Fox Neck." I found that 
 the picket line ran across the neck instead of following 
 along the river as it should have done. As it was, it 
 left about two miles of the ri\er wholl\- unguarded, 
 allowing the rebs to cross in perfect safety. No doubt, 
 in this wa)- several of the pickets had been captured. 
 The officer that laid out the line had made a bad blunder, 
 
 CO 
 
but it would have been a very unsafe thing for me to do 
 to change the line. 
 
 On account of the extreme cold weather the night 
 before, I had ordered reliefs to be sent out e\"ery 
 hour. I decided to continue this as long as I was 
 in command. This practicall}- was the same as hav- 
 ing the line patrolled every hour b\' a squad of 
 ten or twelve men. In looking o\er the neck, I saw 
 there was a house about in the middle, being about 
 a quarter of a mile from the line. I asked the 
 picket whether he had seen an\- men about the 
 house. I rode clear across the neck and asked each 
 picket that could see the house (there were three) the 
 same question. Each one said the\' had not seen anv 
 person moving about it. There was smoke coming out 
 of the chimne\', so I knew one or more persons lived 
 there. Thinking it best to know who it was, I rode 
 back and notified each of the pickets who had a view of 
 the house, that I was going out there and to keep a 
 sharp look-out for me, antl if the}' saw an_\ thing sus- 
 picious, to fire off their gun and alarm the camp. I 
 then rode out to the house, and coming up in the rear 
 of it, putting my horse in the wood-shed out of the 
 wind, knocked at the back door. M\' knock was the 
 first intimation the inmates had that there was an}' 
 person nearer than the picket line. I heard quite a 
 rustling within. M}- first thought was that I was trapped. 
 I alwa}S carried a big na\'}- revolver in ni}' right boot 
 leg. I reached down and drew it out with ni} thumb 
 on the hammer. Just at this time a large girl about 
 eleven or twelve \-ears old opened the door. I saw 
 
that she was crying. This reassured me and 1 dropped 
 my revolver back in m\- boot, the movement being 
 unseen by her. I glanced hurriedly around the room 
 that could be seen through the open door. Just behind 
 the girl was a boy nine or ten )ears old. To the left 
 was a lady sitting, leaning over a few coals in a large 
 fire-place, with a shawl over her shoulders, and a little 
 babe in her lap. Her back was toward me. The girl 
 said, "Will you walk in, Sir?" Stepping inside I 
 glanced over the room hurriedly to assure myself there 
 were no rebs about. The girl set a chair by the fire- 
 place to the left of her mother and asked me to have a 
 seat. As I was sitting down I said to the lad)-, who 
 had not yet turned her face to me, "Good morning. 
 Madam." She turned her face toward me and said 
 "Good morning, Captain." I saw she was crsing ver)' 
 hard, and that she was not over thirty-five years old, 
 yet she had a careworn and pinched expression on her 
 face, but I could see that she was a refined and edu- 
 cated ladw I said to her, "Madam, you seem to be in 
 trouble here. If >ou will tell me what it is I ma\' be 
 able to help \ou." She burst out crying and could say 
 nothing for a moment. Then looking toward me she 
 said, "Captain, we are starving, I have not had a 
 mouthful to eat for twenty-four hours. We had one 
 hard-tack apiece yesterda)'. I had two left; this morn- 
 ing I broke them in two and ga\e half of one to each of 
 my four children." 
 
 .She had five children, one being a babe less than one 
 year old. Upon hearing this I jumped up and said, 
 "Madam, I did not come down here to fight women 
 
 62 
 
and children, and 1 won't see you starve to death on my 
 line. You will hear from me very soon." 1 strode out 
 of the house with my ten pound cavalry boots, with big^ 
 spurs, a nav}- revolver sticking out of the right boot 
 leg, and my big sabre dragging on the floor, I likcl_\' 
 made as much noise as a drove of cattle. I was soon 
 mounted, and clapping spurs into my horse was soon at 
 m\- camp. Just before I came up, the ration wagons 
 had arrived and were unloading. A trust)' corporal 
 stood near. I called to him to report to me there as 
 soon as possible with three good men mounted. I or- 
 dered some other men standing near by to dump three 
 oat sacks (an oat sack held four bushels ) and to fill one 
 to the biim with hartl-tack; another to be filled with 
 soft bread. By this time the corporal and three men 
 reported to me. I had the sack of hard-tack put up in 
 front of one of the men, and the sack of soft bread in 
 front of another. I had the empty sack laid in front of 
 the third man, and selecting the largest fore-quarter of 
 beef out of about a dozen, had it placed in front of him. 
 I gave the corporal a few things from my tent for Mrs. 
 Brooke, and told him to go to the house on the neck 
 and present them to her with my compliments. The}' 
 started on their journey of mere}' soon after noon and 
 did not return until about four o'clock. 
 
 1 laid down near the big camp tire to get some 
 needed rest and sleep. When the boys came back they 
 reported that Mrs. Brooke and all the children stood in 
 the open door waiting for them as they rode uj). They 
 carried all the things into the house and sat them down 
 in the same room I had been in. No sooner had they 
 
 63 
 
sat them down than Mrs. Brooke and each one of the 
 children caught a loaf of bread and ate it as only a 
 starving person can. The}' ate and laughed and cried 
 for joy. They said the antics of the children were 
 beyond description. All four of these men \\ere old 
 soldiers and had been in several hard fought battles, 
 yet their eyes and cheeks showed ver)- plainly that 
 each one of them had been crying (they wouldn't own 
 it) but I did not wonder at it after hearing their story. 
 They said after all had ate to their fill that Mrs. Brooke 
 and her daughter placed on the piano and sang for 
 them. Mrs. Brooke sent her thanks to me for the food 
 and a request to come out and see her that evening. 1 
 could not well go as I had m\- hands full to take care of 
 men and horses. 
 
 The next morning (Jan. 2d), after an early break- 
 fast, I mounted and rode the whole length of m\' line. 
 After seeing everything was all right I rode out to 
 Mrs. Brooke. As I rode up she and all of the children 
 stood in the door waiting for me. The reader can 
 better imagine the reception 1 received than 1 can 
 write it. After this was over I pulled out of m\" over- 
 coat pocket a quart bottle of whisky, remarking that 
 all southern ladies knew how to make a good hot 
 whisk\' toddy. There was a large kettle of hot water 
 over the fireplace. The daughter brought out a liitle 
 tea which she placed in a large pitcher and poured on 
 a quantit}- of hot water, then Mrs. Brooke poured in 
 the amount of whisky to suit her taste. ( )ne of them 
 drew up a center table in front of the fireplace and 
 Mrs. Brooke and myself had just seated ourselves 
 
beside it when a very loud knock came at the door. 
 The daughter opened it and there stood a colonel, the 
 grand officer of the da}-, and his adjutant. I arose and 
 saluted him. As he stepped in he asked if I was 
 Lieut. Harris. I answered, "Yes, .*>ir." He said, " Do 
 you know that you are liable to be dishonorabh' dis- 
 missed from the service for being outside the lines?" 
 I answered in these words: "Colonel, Airs. Brooke and 
 mxself were just going to take a drink of hot whisk\' 
 toddy, perhaps )'ou and you adjutant would like to join 
 us, as we have plent}- for all." Rubbing his hands in 
 glee, he said, " Yes, }'es, we would ; it will taste good 
 this cold morning." The children set two more chairs 
 b\- the table and all four sat down and drank hot todd\' 
 and chatted for an hour. At this time the colonel 
 said, " Lieut. Harris, we do not like to take you awa\- 
 from such pleasant company, but we must go and 
 would like to have }ou escort us to your camjj." 
 " Certainl)'," I said, as we bade Mrs. Rrooke and her 
 famil}- good-bye, and thanking her for her kindness to 
 us we mounted and rode to m\' camp. I ordered 
 dinner for all three of us and to have the liorses fed. 
 After a very enjoyable dinner the}- looked o\er the 
 ground in and about my camp. The}- complimented 
 me very highl}- in the selection, and its being so near 
 the post where danger might be expected ; also on my 
 sending six men and a corporal to the house near the 
 ford, these men being relieved ever}- twent\--four hours. 
 He also complimented me on sending out m\- reliefs 
 ever}- hour, not onl}- on account of the cold but as a 
 patrol. The}' then mounted and rode awa}-. 
 
 65 
 
I never heard anything more about being dis- 
 missed from the service for being outside the lines. 
 I have alwa)-s thought that the hot whisky todd)' saved 
 me. The ne.xt morning after riding my line and see- 
 ing that everything was all right, I rode out to see 
 Mrs. Brooke again, and passed a very pleasant hour 
 or more with them. 1 took out several articles of 
 eatables to them, among the rest was part of a codfish. 
 I apologized to her for doing so, saying that I was 
 well aware most southern ladies almost despised that 
 Yankee dish. She said she had learned to like it 
 while at school in Philadelphia ; that she had attended 
 a young ladies boarding schoo4 there for three years, 
 also that one of her classmates, and part of the time 
 her room-mate, was Mrs. Jefferson Davis (then the 
 wife of the president of the Southern Confederacy). 
 She also informed me that her husband was a captain 
 in the rebel arm\', and that he was then a prisoner in 
 Old Capitol prison ; that he was captured by our folks 
 while at home sick. She said he had a relative (a 
 sister, I think), living in Washington. I told her that 
 I would try and get him parolled within the limits of 
 the Cit\- of Washington, with the privilege of boarding 
 with his relative. I then bade the famih' good-bye 
 and rode back to m\- camp in good time for dinner. 
 This was the last time I ever saw Mrs. Brooke or any 
 of her familw 
 
 In the afternoon, about three o'clock, an officer 
 came from camp with an order to me from Lieut. -Col. 
 Gould to turn over my command to him and for me to 
 report to him (Gould) that evening. I turned over 
 
 66 
 
m\- command as ordered, and mounting ni}- horse 
 reached camp about dusk. 
 
 I reported to Col. Gould immediatel)', and he 
 handed me an order to appear before the examining 
 board of the cavalr}' corps the next da)' at ten o'clock. 
 I knew at once that this was the work of my arch 
 enem\'. Col. R. A. Alger. It was well understood in 
 the army that it was equal to being dismissed from 
 ser\ ice to be ordered before such a board. I\Ian\- 
 officers, rather than go before an\' of these boards, 
 would resign. But I was not made of that kind of 
 stuff. So the next morning I ciressed up in m}- dress 
 suit and rode over to the headquarters of the board. 
 I was soon ushered into the room where the board was 
 sitting. On entering the room I saw to my great sur- 
 prise that the president of the board was Brig. -Gen. 
 Henry E. Davies, with whom I had spent, a few da^'s 
 before, so pleasant an afternoon, together with his 
 family and Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin. Of course, he did 
 not recognize me, nor 1 him, as e\er ha\ing met or 
 seen each other before. All the other officers com- 
 posing the board were strangers to me. I stepped 
 near the center of the room and came to " attenti -n '' 
 and saluted each member of the board. I stood at 
 "attention " waiting for some order from the president. 
 Soon the recorder asked ni)' name, regiment, rank, etc. 
 After answering each of these questions the General 
 asked one of the other officers to begin the examina- 
 tion. He began b\' asking me questions about sabre 
 practice and motions. I said, "General, 1 did not 
 think it proper to wear my sabre before the board to 
 
 67 
 
be examined for dismissal, but if you will allow me to 
 use your sabre I will go through the sabre manual." 
 He directed one of the officers to hand me one, at the 
 same time said about as follows : " Lieutenant, it is 
 possible for an officer to be ordered before this board 
 and not be dismissed." I bowed respectfully to him 
 in answer to his remark. I took the sabre and went 
 through the manual without a mistake. Then the)' 
 asked about the evolutions of a compan\' and regiment 
 on drill and in action, etc., all of which I answered 
 correctly. Then a major (a member of the board) 
 thought he would have a little fun with me, and began 
 to ask me burlesque questions. I ver}- gentlemanly 
 parried each one with a burlesque answer, much to the 
 amusement of the rest of the board. He then asked 
 me how much weight a soldier should put in his 
 stirrups. I quickly answered " one-third." The officers 
 looked at each other, thinking the\- had caught me. 
 The Major asked where I got that from. I said, "from 
 
 Colonel ." He asked where I knew him. I said, 
 
 "he used to be of our regiment." All the 
 
 officers of the board broke out in a loud laugh at the 
 Major's expense. (The officer I referred to was the 
 butt of many a joke). Some of the officers said, 
 " Major you are sold." As soon as the General could 
 get his face straightened he said, " Gentlemen, I have 
 no further cjuestions to ask this officer." Each one of 
 the others said they had none. He turned toward nu- 
 and said about these words : " Lieut. Harris, I wish 
 to compliment \ou on your examination. You ha\e 
 passed the best one of all the officers that have been 
 
before us, and 1 wish to sa\- to you that some officers 
 are recommended for dismissal and some are not. We 
 will now excuse you." I bowed m\- thanks to him for 
 the compliment, then standing erect, I saluted them 
 and bidding them good da}-, turned on my heel and 
 marched out of the room. No sooner had I closed 
 the door than a loud peal of laughter came from the 
 room. AI\' o\\ n pent-up feelings gave vent to laughter 
 and to tears at the same time. I mounted my horse 
 and clapped spurs into his flanks. I was ver\- soon in 
 the tent of my old friend, Lieut. -Col Gould. I told 
 him all about the examination. He said, " Lieutenant, 
 \-ou are all right." He was very much pleased at the 
 way I had answered their burlesque questions. I soon 
 mounted again and rode to m\- own tent. I gave my 
 horse into the care of one of m}- men and went into my 
 tent and had just seated myself before a good fire in 
 the fireplace, which some of my men had thoughtfully 
 built for me, when the orderh" of Col. Gould burst into 
 the door w ith a broad grin on his face and said, " Col. 
 Gould wants \ou to come right up to his tent as he has 
 good news for \ou." We went almost on the run, and 
 I was soon inside the Colonel's tent. He was standing 
 and holding a letter in his hand, which he swung over 
 his head and said, " Hurrah I Lieutenant, I told nou 
 \ou were all right." Passing me the letter, said, " read 
 that," which was almost word for word as follows : 
 
 "LiEUT-COL. E. Gould. Commander Fiftli Michigan Cavalry : 
 
 " Sir— Lieut. Samuel Harris appeared before our board today. He passed a 
 most excellent examination. The board has unanimously recommended him for 
 further promotion. Respectfullv, 
 
 •• HENRY E. D.AVIES: 
 " Brig.-Gen. and President of the Hoard." 
 
Col. Gould was general 1)- a very sedate man, not 
 given much to show, but if any outsider could have 
 seen us at this time, they would have thought we were 
 two bo)'s about sixteen )'ears old. Our ecstac}' was 
 almost unbounded. At the suggestion of Col. Gould, I 
 wrote a letter to the board thanking them for their 
 compliment. I asked Col. Gould if he could think of 
 any other move that m\- arch enemy. Col. R. A. Alger, 
 could make to anno>' me. He said, "No, }'ou have out- 
 generaled him in ever\- move he has made, and if he 
 knows what is best for him he will quit." I took par- 
 ticular pains to let Hon. Zachariah Chandler, Senator 
 from Michigan, and the Honorable John F. Uriggs, 
 Member of Congress from the Saginaw District, as well 
 as Hon. A. C. Baldwin, Member of Congress from the 
 Pontiac District, know of the course Col. Alger was 
 taking with me; and also some other officers in the 
 regiment. Col. Alger was doing all in his power to get 
 promoted to brigadier-general, and I was doing all 1 
 could to prevent his having that honor; and I sincccdcii 
 with the help of others. He was never })iadc a brii^trdier. 
 The strain I had been under for the past twenty-four 
 hcnirs had unnerved me more than an\- engagement I 
 had ever been in, and was laid up for the next ten days 
 unfit for even camp dutw Hut soon I recovered, and 
 took my regular turn on picket and other duties. From 
 this time, (about Januar>- lOth until Februar\- 27th) 
 nothing unusual occurred. In the evening of Feb. 27th 
 Lieut. -Col. Gould sent for me to come to his tent. ( )n 
 reporting to him, 1 received an order to take command 
 of twent\-five men from Comi)an}' K of our regiment. 
 
and to report at 12 o'clock that night to C"ol, Ulric 
 Dahlgren at Stevensburg. I protested most earnest!)' 
 against the order, but no use. Then I urged him to let 
 me take t\vent\--five men from my compan\-. But 
 nothing would do but that I must take Compan\- K. 
 He said, 'T want \'ou to get some fighting out of them." 
 I reported on time, and found that we were part of a 
 detachment consisting of four hundred men; as I now 
 remember, one hundred from each of the following 
 ca\alry regiments: Second New York, Fifth New 
 York, First Vermont and the Fifth Michigan. 
 
 This expedition was for the purpose of trying to 
 release our men who were held as prisoners in Libb\ 
 Prison and on Belle Isle. We marched direct for Fly's 
 Ford, arriving before daxlight. One compan\' dashed 
 across the ford and captured all the guards. Then the 
 rest of the column followed. We flanked the right of 
 Lee's arm}\ We marched day and night, hardly 
 stopping long enough to make coffee and feed the 
 horses. The men had no sleep the night we started, 
 and we kept on the march all the next day and night. 
 More than half the men were asleep on their horsc-s. I 
 slept soundly at least half the night while marching. 
 
 I'Larly in the morning of the second da\' we came 
 out on a large camp of rebel artillerw We M'ere halted 
 in the woods in plain sight of the camp to give time for 
 our scouts to see where we were. The onl\- thing we 
 could do was to take the road and march i)ast the 
 camp. The road was not more than twent\- rods from 
 the camp, and not a fence or bush to conceal us in 
 the least. Our boldness took awa)- all suspicion that we 
 
were Yankees. Some of the gunners were practicing 
 at a mark be\ond us. The)' even stopped firing until 
 our column was b\', so as not to do any damage to us. 
 Just as soon as we were out of sight from this camp, 
 some of the men in front climbed up the telegraph 
 poles and destro}'ed the line so they could not notify 
 Richmond ahead of us. About a mile from camp we 
 picked up in the road two or three soldiers. From 
 them Dahlgren learned that the colonel in command of 
 the camp and most of the of^cers, were in a house 
 about a mile ahead of us. When the head of the 
 column reached this house, the)' surrounded it and 
 captured all the officers, which were taken along with 
 us; leaving six or eight girls behind. That night all the 
 prisoners were turned loose. As this was the third 
 night without sleep, the Colonel halted to give the men a 
 chance to make coffee and get a little sleep. We were 
 off before da)', Soon we reached the James River road. 
 To the astonishment of Col. Dahlgren, we were full 
 twent)'-five miles above Richmond and about three 
 miles above the residence of Mr. J. A. Seddon, the rebel 
 secretar)' of war, which is named Goochland. 
 
 Col. Dahlgren and Major Cook were ver)' much 
 exasperated to find the)' were so far above Richmond 
 as the)' claimed the guide promised to bring them out 
 on the Janu's Ri\'er, not over ten miles above Rich- 
 mond, where there was a ford the)' could cross to the 
 north side of the river. The)' iumj:)ed at tin- conclu- 
 sion that the Negro guide had l)etra\ed them and had 
 purposely misled them. The)' ordered him hung u]) to a 
 limb of a tree which was done by a lariot rope. As the 
 
column passed along some of the bo}-s threw flour in 
 his face saying, "There, \ou are a white man, no 
 colored man ever betra)cd us." This guide was a ver)- 
 intelligent half-blood colored man. I had m)' doubts 
 then, and still have the same, whether this guide inten- 
 tionally or treacherousl)- misled us. We were marching 
 da\' and night, and keeping off the main roads as much 
 as possible b\' taking b)-roads and cow paths. Part of 
 the nights were pitch dark, especiall}' when going 
 through the woods. Under these circumstances I con- 
 sidered then, and do now, that the guide done remark- 
 abl\' well to bring us out to within about fifteen miles 
 of the point aimed at in a march of nearl}- two hundred 
 miles. I will state that I was about in the middle of 
 the column and knew nothing of the guide's being 
 hung, until we came to the spot some minutes after. A 
 march of nearly two miles brought us to the residence 
 of Mr. Seddon, the rebel secretary of war. 
 
 Here the column halted My compan)- was directl}- 
 opposite the house, and not more than one hundred 
 feet from the front porch. It was a large, old stN'le 
 Virginia mansion, with a wide porch across the front, 
 and four large stone columns. 
 
 We had been here but a few moments, when I 
 heard a noise in the house like the breaking of glass, 
 and at the same time I heard a woman scream. I 
 looked to see that all m\' men were in rank, and saw 
 they were I then jumped from my horse and ran up 
 on the porch, just as I was stepping upon the end of 
 it, a man ( one of our men ) came out of the door with a 
 doul)le barrel shot isun, and struck it airainst one of the 
 
columns. 1 hollered to him to stop, but not quick 
 enough. The barrels broke in two and proved to be 
 made of fine wire. I stepped to the door and looked 
 into the house, but did not go in. As I stood looking 
 in the door, Mrs. Seddon came and said to me, "Your 
 men are pillaging my house and breaking m)' furniture. 
 Won't >ou stop it?" 1 said to her, "Madam, the)' are 
 not ni}' men. If they were they would come out of 
 there or I would shoot them. There is Col. Dahlgren, 
 the commander, go to him." She ran to the 
 Colonel and made her appeal. With what success 1 do 
 not know. I immediately went back to my horse and 
 mounted. One of my men went to the barn in the rear 
 of the house, and found a fine full-blooded Kentuck\- 
 horse and brought him out and gave him to me. It 
 was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. 1 put 
 one of ni)' men on it with orders to take good care oi 
 him as I might need it. We soon started on the road 
 to Richmond. Between the Seddon mansion and the 
 river was a large grist-mill with a saw- mill attached. 
 These were driven by about a one hundred horse-power 
 steam engine. These mills were fired in several places. 
 A few steps further and we were on the bank of the 
 James river canal. Here we found two or three canal 
 boats loaded with corn meal and lumber from the mills 
 we had just burned. These were all burned. Dow n the 
 canal tow path we went as fast as our liorses would 
 stand. Soon we came to an at]ueduct over a small 
 stream. It was built of large stone. I was directed to 
 see that it was destro\cd as much as possible. We had 
 no tools for such work. It withstood m\- best efforts. 
 
The column had continued on its march, so I was com- 
 pelled to abandon further efforts for its destruction, 
 and catch up with the column. Soon after this we left 
 the tow path for the river road. We kept on a steady 
 march until about four o'clock, when we came to the 
 outer breast works of Richmond. Here we halted long 
 enough to make coffee and feed the horses. While 
 here Col.Dahlgren sent a lieutenant and about ten men 
 to communicate, if possible, with Gen. Kilpatrick. I 
 am very doubtful whether any of them lived to get 
 through. Soon after this we were ordered to mount. I 
 was ordered to take the rear as rear guard. The head 
 of the column charged over the outer breastworks and 
 drove out a few scattering men behind them. We 
 passed down the river road a little over a mile, when 
 the column halted. 1 heard considerable firing up at 
 the head. Ver}' soon all the men in front of me broke 
 ranks and rode up to the fence on the right hand, 
 which the)' threw down, and then rode into the woods. 
 M\' own men started to do the same, but I halted them 
 and held them in ranks in the road. 1 directed four or 
 five of the right hand men to dismount and throw down 
 the fence so we could get into the woods in a hurry if 
 necessar}-. I held ni)' men in position, well knowing 
 that if the head of the column was dri\en back, it would 
 be a great help to them to have a compan\ in 
 position to reform behind. |ust at this time 1 saw an 
 officer riding back toward me as fast as he could come. 
 When he reached me he said, "Lieut. Harris, Col. 
 Dahlgren sends his compliments to \"ou and re([uests 
 )'ou to charge right down the road." (Ji)on receixing 
 
this order, the first thing I did was to order the bo)- 
 who was on the horse captured from the Seddon's, to 
 fall out and to sta\' right there as I might want the 
 horse. I then gave the order to draw sabre, forward, 
 march, trot, and to charge, each in succession. The 
 boys )elled like demons, and the boys in the woods 
 yelled and cheered us on. I did not k/unc icherc I was 
 goi)ig, or zuhat, iv/to, or June Jiiany I was cJiarging. 
 
 About ten rods from the rebs was a bend in the 
 road. As I came around this bend 1 could see that the 
 enemy, mostl\', were behind a rail fence. As I came in 
 sight around the bend they fired a volley at us. I do 
 not think that one shot hit any of us. Ever\' shot went 
 over. I continued on until right in among them. 
 Then another volle\- was given us. 1 was fully ten 
 feet in advance of any of ni)' men. This volle\' came 
 from both sides of the road and seemed to be aimed at 
 me. 1 was hit in the left shoulder by a ball .79 in 
 diameter, or over three-quarters of an inch. It broke 
 ni)' collar bone and fractured m)' shoulder blade. 
 
 ( Note — When 1 took off my overcoat I found 
 there were thirteen ball holes through it, and found 
 two through m\- hat. Just as this voile}' came, the 
 bo)- 1 had put on the captured horse rode up b\' my 
 side. The horse was hit in the forehead and dropped 
 dead. The bo)' was hit fi\e times, one ball breaking 
 the bone in his arm. We left him in Mr. Green's 
 house). 
 
 When I saw the rebs were behind a fence, 1 put back 
 m\ sabre and drew my revohcr from m\' right boot 
 leg. I held (he bridle reins in ni\ left hand. The 
 
instant I was wounded my left arm drop])e(l b\- m\' 
 side useless. I put m\- revoUcr back in ni)' boot and 
 caught the reins in my right hand. I continued on at 
 the head until we had passed the fence twenty or thirt\- 
 feet. The moment the rebs had fired the second vollc\- 
 they broke and ran for the rear as fast as they could 
 go. I now turned over the command to a second 
 lieutenant and went back to where Col. Dahlgren was. 
 With him were Major Cook and Capt. Hasting of the 
 Fifth Michigan. The\- all complimented me \-cry 
 highly on the charge and for the conduct of m\ men. 
 Not a man flinched. 
 
 I give here a photo-engraving of a large painting 
 I had made from a sketch made soon after the engage- 
 ment. In the )ear iSgi I revisited the field to look it 
 over and see if my sketch was correct. All the sur- 
 roundings looked natural, except that not one rail was 
 left of the fences, but they could all be traced by the 
 bushes that had grown up. 
 
 If any member of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry- 
 should b}' chance read the above, I want them to 
 remember that this charge was made b\' twenty-five 
 men from Compan\' K of the Fifth, called the " Dutch 
 Compan)'." I don't think twenty-five men ever 
 mounted horses that coukl have made a more gallant 
 charge. The following is what the rebel j^apers said 
 
 of it : 
 
 I COPY. 1 
 
 The Sentinel, Thursday Moninii;. Miireh ,i. /Soj. 
 
 "The fierceness of the charge which the Dejjart- 
 mental Battalion met in line of battle is evidenced b)- 
 the sadrc cuts received. .Several of the enem\' rode 
 
throui^h our lines and were shot down or captured. Of 
 the loss sustained by the enem\- we cannot speak with 
 positive precision. The}' collected eighteen of their 
 wounded at Mr. Green's house, in the rear of the fight- 
 ing. Seven of these the\' afterwards carried away 
 with them. Four of their dead were picked up on the 
 battle ground yesterday morning, as also several 
 w^ounded. Of the latter, three died in a few hours, and 
 another is evidently mortallx' wounded. Some indica- 
 tion of the casualities is given in the ten dead horses 
 that lay near here. 
 
 The above article places our loss at double what 
 it actual 1\- was. The facts are they lost at least two 
 to our one in killed and wounded. We lost none by 
 being captured during the fight, while we took over 
 fifty prisoners. While during the war I did nothing 
 more than hundreds of other officers did, \et I have 
 the honor of leading a charge nearer into Richmond 
 than an\- other Union officer, and can say that I was 
 successful in routing a much larger force than I was 
 leading. At the same time I was leaciing the above 
 charge Major Cook of the Second New York Cavalr\- 
 had taken a force of about two hundred men and 
 flanked the rebels on their right. This brought at 
 least half the force opposed to us between two fires. 
 When they saw this the\' broke and ran, or surrendered. 
 
 Col. Dahlgren said without doubt we would ha\-(.' 
 to retreat, and now we could do so with safety. I then 
 told the Colonel that I was badl\' wounded. He said 
 I had better go over to the surgeon, w ho was in the 
 house across the road ( Mr. (ireen's). 
 
 1 went oxer and tound him. I stripped oil so he 
 could see m\ wound. He could do nothing tor me. 
 
except to stop the flow of blood. He then tied ni\- 
 silk handkerchief around my shoulder. I put on my 
 clothes and told him I should ride as far as I could 
 stand it, hoping I might be able to get back to our 
 lines. I mounted and rode back to where I had left 
 the Colonel and found quite a number of prisoners 
 that had been brought in, and several of our men 
 guarding them. I sent them all to the front and took 
 charge of the prisoners alone. All the prisoners were 
 either boys of fifteen to eighteen years old or old men. 
 A young fellow about eighteen came up to me and 
 asked. "Captain, \ ou aint going to take me along as a 
 prisoner, are \ou ? I aint able to walk far." I looked 
 down at him and sure enough his looks showed that he 
 could not march far. 1 knew that we did not want an}' 
 prisoners along in our retreat, so I asked the bo\' how 
 far it was tlown to the bank of the ri\-cr. He said. 
 " not over ten rods." I then told him to run for the 
 bank as fast as he could go. He legged it good. All 
 the others (there were t\\enty-five or thirt\' in all) 
 asked to follow, and I sent them off one at a time for 
 fear some of our men might see them, and not knowing 
 the\' had permission to go, would fire at them. 1 
 warned them to hug the bank for two hours. By this 
 time it had become so dark }'ou could hardl)' see }-our 
 hand before you. Col. Dahlgren and several other 
 officers returned to the place 1 was, opposite Mr. 
 Green's house in the woods. Just at this time we saw 
 a rocket go up, aimed at an angle backward, which was 
 the signal for us to retreat. 
 
Col. Dahlij^ren gave the order to retreat, and started 
 at the head oi the column. 
 
 ■ [COPV.I 
 
 Col. U.ahlgren's M()\"e.mext. 
 
 .Yew York Herald. March Sth. iSb4. 
 
 " It was expected that a party of five hundred 
 picked men, under Col. Dahlgren, on hearing Kil- 
 patrick's guns would make an advance in another 
 direction on the cit}-, but being led by a Negro guide 
 to an impassable ford was unable to join the command." 
 
 The above article from the New York Herald is 
 ver\' misleading. We did not hear Gen. Kilpatrick's 
 guns, nor did a Negro guide lead us to an impassable 
 ford. The facts are we were on the same side of the 
 river all the time as Gen. Kilpatrick. 
 
 just as we started on the retreat it began to rain 
 ver\' hard, and was so dark we could not see the horse 
 in front of us. I was riding b\- the side of Capt. Hast- 
 ings, at the head of the men from the Fifth Michigan 
 Cavalry. Coming to the forks in the road, we discov- 
 ered that the column in front of us had entirely disap- 
 peared. We called to them but got no answer. Men 
 were sent out on each road to try to find them. The\' 
 all returned without success. The column had broken 
 in two about in the middle. ;\bout one hundred and 
 fift\' men were with Col. Dahlgren and about two hun- 
 dred w ith us. We were without a guide, and none o{ 
 us knew anxthing of the country. After consultation 
 we concluded to take the left-hand road, as that was 
 more in line of rocket sent up by Gen. Kilpatrick; also it 
 would take us outside the breastworks. 
 
 After going four or li\e miles, as we were going up a 
 
slight hill, we were fired on b\ c[uite a conipan\- ot men 
 in a fort on top of the hill by the side of the road. 
 Most of the balls went over us; one hit an officer riding 
 b\' my side and wounded him quite severely We 
 turned around ver\- quickly and got out of range as 
 fast as possible. 
 
 After going about two miles, we saw a light in a 
 hut b\- the side of the road. We halted, and one of the 
 officers went up to the house and called for some one 
 to come out. A very intelligent negro made his ap- 
 pearance. He told us that we were on the Brock pike 
 road, and were headed the right way. He told us we 
 had run against a large fort when we were fired on; 
 also that quite a large force of rebel cavalrvhad passed 
 clown the road the same wa\- we were going but a short 
 time before. We moved on four or fi\'e miles and 
 turned into a patch of woods on the left of the road, 
 and laid down to get a little badly needed rest. We 
 had only fairly got into the woods when a force of 
 about two hundred rebel cavalry passed by on the road, 
 not over one hundred feet from part of our men. 
 The}' did not see or hear us It rained very hard until 
 about 2 a. m. when it turned into snow. As soon as it 
 was daylight, the column started on the march. By 
 this time I had become quite; weak from the loss of 
 blood and the hard march in the rain. M\- wound had 
 become ver\' painful. I, required help to mount m\- 
 horse, and ever}- step he took would send daggers 
 through me. But the thought of Libb}' Prison would 
 nerve me up, to tr}- if possible, to get through to our 
 lines. I fell in with the officers of the First Vermont 
 
Cavalr)' about in the middle of the column. Two or 
 three of m)- compan)- found me and rode by my side to 
 keep me from falling off my horse. 
 
 After riding in this vva)- about five miles, we came 
 to Old Church. Just as we got to the Corners we were 
 fired on from ambush, by about one hundred and fift\^ 
 men under the command of Col. Bradley T. Johnson. 
 The head of the column cut its wa\' through and kept 
 right on its waw As the First X'ermont came up, the\' 
 had to fight a superior force; while if the head of the 
 column had turned about and rendered the assistance 
 they could easil\' hi\'e done, the whole force of rebels 
 would have been driven o.f or captured. I saw that the 
 First Vermont wou'd have all the}- could do to take 
 care of themselve; and to get through the ambush. I 
 told the officers to abandon me; that if the\- had to 
 help me thr > igh, ver\- likel\- some able-bodied men 
 would be captured. The result was, all the wounded 
 and dismounted men were captured. I among the 
 number. 
 
 ICOl'V.I 
 
 Anotiipzr Fight and C.m'Ture of Pkisoneks. 
 
 l\'u liiiioiid Whig — Fi'iday moriihig. Manli 4tli. /A'd^. 
 
 Col. Bradley Johnson encamped at Olci Church, 
 Hanover Count}'. Wednesday night. Yesterda}- he 
 formed a junction with a small detachment of the 
 Ninth Virginia Cavalr}- and attacked the eneni}- again, 
 bringing as trophies of his \-ictor\- eight}--odtl prisoners. 
 
 IcorN'.l 
 Pkisom-'.ks. 
 
 Rhhtnoud Whig -Saturday i)ii>niiii,i;\ March ^tli. 1864. 
 
 Twent}'-nine more prisoners were registered at 
 Libb\- v'csterda}', mostl\- captured at Old Church. They 
 
 83 
 
belonged chiefly to the Michigan Cavalry. All the 
 prisoners have not Net arrived. There are four com- 
 missioned officers taken thus far, one of them being the 
 lieutenant who led the charge on our men Tuesda\- 
 night on the Westham road, near Mr. Green's house. 
 
 I had surrendered to a sergeant. \'er\- soon after 
 I had done so, a bo}' belonging to a regiment we had 
 been fighting came within ten feet of me and fired at 
 mc. I saw what he was up to, and about the time 1 
 thought he would fire I dropped on ni}- horse's neck. 
 He shot over me, as 1 lad calculated he would. 
 Almost instantl}' a man hollered: "Stop that shoot- 
 ing." Looking in the direction of the voice I saw an 
 officer coming tOAvard us as fast as his horse could run. 
 Reining up near me he said, "Who fired that shot at 
 this officer?" Xo one answered him (there were at 
 least a dozen rebs about me). Then turning to me he 
 asked, "Captain, tell me who fired at vou and I will 
 shoot him." He held a large rcvoher in his hand, and 
 I think he meant just what he said. I declined to 
 point him out, sa\ing to the officer that as long as he 
 did not hit me to let him go. He then took me to 
 Col. Johnson in person. I then learned that the officer 
 was Capt. Williams, adjutant to Col. Johnson. The\- 
 soon found 1 was badly wounded and used me \ery 
 kindl}-. They invited me to dinner with them. In the 
 afternoon the\- sent me in charge of a sergeant to a 
 house near by w here I had supper, a fair bed to sleep 
 in and breakfast the next morning, for which 1 ha\e 
 alwa\"s held a very grateful remembrance of Col. 
 Johnson (afterwards general), Capt. Williams, and the 
 
sergeant whose name 1 have forgotten. Then he pro- 
 cured a team and lumber wagon with a darkey to ride 
 the mule. Filling the bo.x with straw^ and helping me 
 into it, we started for Richmond, where we arrived 
 about ten o'clock a. m., on Friday, the 4th da)- of 
 March. 1864. I was driven direct to the headcpiarters 
 of the defences of Richmond, which were in the base- 
 ment of a house opposite one corner of the Capitol 
 grounds, directl}' across the street from headquarters, 
 corner of North and Capitol streets. 
 
 \"er\- soon there was a large crowd collected in 
 the street. I ver}' soon found out that they were 
 holding a drum head court-martial on me. During 
 this time there was a perfect stream of men and boys 
 passing b)- the wagon and looking over the sides to 
 get a sight at me. Two gra}-haired men, handsomely 
 dressed in gray, with gray stove-pipe hats and ruffled 
 shirt bosoms, each a fine looking gentleman, came 
 along on the sidewalk and looked over the side at 
 me, and one said to the other. " It is a pity to hang 
 that \-oung fellow." The other answered, " Ves, it 
 is too bad." At this time se\'eral in the crowd 
 hnljered out, " Now we will see a damned Yankee 
 hung in a few moments." I well knew on hearing 
 the above that the drum heatl court-martial had 
 sentenced me to be hung. Becoming tired ot hav- 
 ing so man\' gazing at me, I drew a red silk- 
 handkerchief over my face with my right hand. 1 
 could see through this but they could hardly see 
 me. .Some moments before this I had noticed two 
 ladies sitting in an open window o\er the head- 
 
 84 
 
quarters office and that the\' were looking- down at 
 me. I could see them through m\- silk handkerchief 
 ver\' plainly, and saw that the\- had made no mani- 
 festations of io\- when it became known that I was sen-, 
 tenced to be hung. One of the ladies looked about fort\-- 
 five and the other eighteen or twenty N-ears old. The 
 elder was a fine-looking, well preserved lad\'. bhe 
 was sitting in an armchair close to the window. 
 The Nounger was a handsome looking girl, with an 
 abundance of jet black hair and black eyes. She 
 stooci just to the right of the elder and was leaning 
 on her right shoulder with her left arm. They were 
 still looking right down in my face. The thought ran 
 through my mind, " Possibly }'ou are Union ladies." 
 An}'wa}' I would find out what their feelings toward 
 me were. So I looked them right in the face and 
 took hold of m\- handkerchief with m\- right hand 
 and watching m\- opportunity, when no one would see 
 me, drew it off my face. They both saw the movement 
 and that I was looking at them. The \ounger one 
 stepped backward, and pulling from her bosom a 
 handkerchief, waved it at me. The elder leaned back- 
 in her chair and waved her hand. I nodded m\- head 
 to let them know that I recognized the act. This 
 little act of sympathy was too much for me, and 
 instantl\" a perfect flood of tears ran down my cheeks 
 in spite of m)- best efforts to hold them back. 
 
 I drew m\- handkerchief back over my face as 
 quickl\- as possible, as I did not want an\- of the crowd 
 about me to see it. I wiped my face and eses the best 
 I could, but kept the handkerchief over m\" face. 
 
There were three or four men stopped on the sidewalk, 
 and one made a remark about my bein^ hung, that 
 indicated they were glad of it. This made me mad. 
 Uncovering m\- face I said to them in a loud voice, 
 "You can hang me but you must remember that Abe 
 Lincoln lives up in Washington, and that he has three 
 prisoners to your one, and that he will hang three of 
 the highest rank he has got for me." This was a 
 stunner not only to these men, but to the crowd nearbw 
 It showed them that two might play at hanging. Some 
 one made the remark, "The damned Yankee is going 
 to die game." What I said to them ciid some good, for 
 I heard no more ribald remarks about m\- being hung. 
 The crowd still continued to pass b\- and gaze at me 
 but were much more respectful. 
 
 Not long after the above incident, a ver\- nicely- 
 dressed and gentlemanly young man about twent)--four 
 years old, having on a captain's uniform, came up on 
 the sidewalk and leaning over the side of the wagon, 
 asked in a very pleasant voice and manner, "Are \ou 
 the ol^cer the}' have here?" 1 said, 'T presume I am 
 the one }-ou mean." 
 
 Question — What is your name':' 
 
 Answer —Samuel Harris. 
 
 Question — What regiment are \'ou from? 
 
 Answer — The Fifth Michigan Cavalrw 
 
 Question — What is \'our rank and coaipan\? 
 
 Answer- F'irst Lieuten mt. Company A. 
 
 Question — I want to be sure 1 am right. You sa\- 
 you are Samuel Harris, First Lieutenant, Compan\- A, 
 Fifth Michi<ifan Cavalrs . 
 
Answer- Vcs, sir ; that is rii^ht 
 
 He then leaned over close to ni\- head and said, 
 "Lieutenant, don't be scared, they are not going^ to 
 hang you or hurt a hair of \our head, I assure \ou." 
 I started to ask him who he was and b)- what authority 
 he said so, but he was gone. I raised up on my right 
 elbow^ and looked for him but he was nowhere to be 
 seen. He had completely disappeared in the crowd. 
 I laid back on the straw and thought over what the 
 captain had said to me. His looks and manner as- 
 sured me that he was not trifling with me, and that 
 he meant just what he said when he told mc "the\- 
 are not going to hang x'ou." But if that was true 
 wh\- had he disappeared so suddenl}? Wh\- did he 
 not tell me by what authority he made this statement? 
 Hope and fear raced through my mind at lightning 
 speed for the ne.xt half hour. It would be impossible 
 by the greatest stretch of imagination for the reader 
 -to conceixe of my feelings during this time. At 
 length an end came to my doubts and fears. The 
 sergeant came up by the side of the wagon with a 
 great, broad smile on his face and his e\es just 
 sparkling with jo\- and said to me, " Lieutenant, they" 
 aint going to hang )ou. 1 have got orders to take 
 }-ou to Libb}' Prison, and that \ou are to be used like 
 other prisoners of war." 
 
 Libby Prison, with all its horrors, was better than 
 being hung. 
 
 Very soon the sc:rgeant ordered the driver to dri\e 
 down Capitol street to Libby Prison, where we arri\ ed 
 about 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, March 4th, 
 
 87 
 
iS64- I was in a perfect state of col'apse, caused 
 partl\- b\- my wound, which was acltiiia; very badly, not 
 having been attended to in any manner for nearly fort}'- 
 eight hours, and paril)- from hunger, but mostl\' from 
 the terrible ordeal 1 had passed through. They had to 
 almost carr)' me into the hospital room on the ground 
 floor and lay me on a cot. There were about fifty 
 wounded and sick Union ofTficers in the hospital. Not 
 one of them thought I would live until morning. Soon 
 after I was laid on the cot one of our officers brought 
 me a cup of coffee, made out of burning some coarse 
 corn bread they had to eat without milk or sugar, to- 
 gether with a small piece of corn bread. I can assure 
 you it was not ver\' palatable, yet it refreshed me. 
 Soon James Watson, a prisoner who was a hospital 
 steward in our arm}', and chosen by the rebel surgeon 
 to act as hospital steward in the prison, came to me and 
 by the free use of warm water soaked my clothes on 
 m\' shoulder until he softened the dr)' blood enough to 
 get them off. He then dressed my wound the best he 
 could for the night. The next morning the surgeon 
 came and after examining \\\\ wound said to me, 
 ''Voung man, you are ver\- badly wounded, and I would 
 sa\- there was about one chance in a hundred for you to 
 live." 1 looked up at him and said, "Doctor, 1 will take 
 that one chance." He laughed and said, "Young 
 man \-our cN^es and coimtenance do not look as though 
 \'ou ever drank much liquor." 1 replied that 1 had 
 drank vc')' little. He said. "Then I will gi\e \ou 
 one ch nice in ten to li\e." M\ reply was. "Doctor, 
 that is a big improxement," and added, " 1 want 
 
\-ou to remember that I am going to live to get 
 back in Cjod's country." He laughed heartily and 
 said, "Keep up \our pluck, and 1 wouldn't wonder 
 if it carried you through." He then explained to 
 me why my wound was so dangerous. He said the 
 ball had laid bare the artery running to m\ arm and if 
 the wound did not heal up quickl\- it would cause the 
 a ter\- to slough off, and weaken it so much that it 
 would burst, and I would bleed to death instantl\-. He 
 stood o\'er mc and tlirected Mr. Watson how to dress 
 my wound. Not long after the Doctor had left me I 
 had some very unexpected callers, consisting of Mrs. 
 Seddon, the wife of the rebel secretar)- of war, accom- 
 panied by her daughter, a young lady about twenty-one 
 )'ears old, and her son who was about sixteen years old. 
 The\' were led to m\" cot b\- the adjutant of the prison. 
 Mrs. Seddon was angr\- clear through, and began to 
 abuse me b\' saying, "Vou are the officer that ortlered 
 m\' house sacked. Vou are the one I saw on our porch. 
 Vou are the one that ordered the men to break up m\' 
 furniture." I got a chance to say, "No, Madam, \ou 
 are mistaken." She said, "Ves, \ou are the one, and 
 President Da\is has promised me that if 1 can recognize 
 \ou as the officer, he would hang )'ou. and I do recog- 
 nize )ou as the one." H\- this time she had got clear 
 beside herself, and coming closer to m\- cot shut her 
 hand and shook it \er\- close to my face, and fairl\- 
 N'elled. "Vou are a chicken thief, a horse thief. \()u 
 stole mv daughter's riding lujr.Tt'." " Don't, mother, 
 don't talk so, \ou forget that \ou are a lady. \ou forget 
 this is a wounded officer." Mrs. Seddon. turning to her 
 
daughter, said, " Let me alone." The young lady 
 answered, "Mother, you must not forget that you are a 
 lad\-." The daughter actually cried to see her mother 
 act as she did. Mrs. Sedd m, turning to me even mo e 
 fiercel)' t'lan before, said, 'T recognize you; _\'ou scoun- 
 drel, as being the officer that ordered the soldiers to 
 sack our house. You are a murderer, for \ou hung 
 poor Ned. (Meaning our negro guide). At this time 
 the daughter spoke up and said, "Mother, I am positive 
 this is not the officer that ordered the men into our 
 house. I am sure he is not the one, and I shall tell 
 father and President Davis he is not. Come, mother, 
 do come avva}-," and she fairl\- pulled her awaw But 
 Mrs Seddon must have one more parting salute, and 
 shaking her hand in my face said, "We will eelebrate 
 the sabbath b\' seeing you gibbeted." They then all 
 walked out. 
 
 Ail during the above interview I had hardly said a 
 word except two or three times to sa)', "Madam, you 
 are mistaken." I saw that I had a ver}' strong advocate 
 and defender in Miss Seddon. I wanted to thank her 
 for it right there, but well knew it would not do. Yet 
 she could not have mistaken my glances at her that 
 the}- meant ni)- heartfelt thanks. Young Master .Sed- 
 don had stood three or four feet to the left and rear of 
 his mother, and from his looks and actions I thought 
 sided with his sister. 
 
 The aVjove incident was so (jut ol the usual course 
 from anything that had ever happened in Libby Prison 
 before, that it s})read all over the prison. ( )ne of our 
 officers was exchanged the ne.xt Monday, and gave the 
 follow iiig notice to a corres[)()ntlent at I'Hrtress Monroe: 
 
ICOFVI 
 A'rii' \'ork rnhiinc. Friday. Maicli n. 1S04. 
 
 Mrs. Seddon, wife of the rebel secretary of war, 
 visited the hospital in Libb\- Prison to identify a 
 wounded offieer as connecte 1 with the burning of 
 her home. She failed to do this, but abused him in 
 unmeasured terms and said they all ou_<^ht to be hung, 
 and she should use every exertion to have them hung. 
 
 As soon as Mrs. Seddon and part}' left, the officers 
 that were in the hospital gathered about my cot and 
 discussed the probability and the possibilities of m\- 
 being hung the next day. I can assure the reader that 
 it was not a \er)- pleasant subject for me to hear 
 talked about. I was completely exhausted from \\\\ 
 wound and what 1 had passed through in the last 
 forty-eight ho irs. Some of my kind fellow-prisoners 
 gave me a cup c^f corn coffee and a piece of corn 
 bread for my supper. Soon after I fell asleep and 
 slept until the sun was well up the next morning, 
 which was Sunday. All that da\' 1 kept my e\es on 
 the door expecting to see a file of soldiers come in 
 to take me out to be hung. It was a long day to me; 
 night came at last, and gladl)' did 1 welcome the dark- 
 ness. I slept better Sunday night. Monda\- morning 
 about ten o'clock the surgeon came on his morning 
 rounds. He came to me first as I was the worst 
 wounded under his care. After attending to me he 
 went to another part of the room, when a sergeant 
 with three or four soldiers came in and marched direct 
 to m\' cot. I thought they had come ttj take me out 
 to hang me. 1 thought the_\- did not want to desecrate 
 the sabbath and had waited until Monda\ mornine. 
 
Almost instantly the sur«'eon was at mv side and said 
 to the seri^eant, "What are \ou doing here?" The 
 sergeant answered, *" I have orders from Major Turner 
 to take Lieut. Harris and put him in one of the 
 dungeons in the basement." The surgeon whipped 
 out a big revolver from his hip pocket, and pointing 
 it at the sergeant said, " D — n you, get out of here. 
 You tell Major Turner to go to h- 1. Tell him not to 
 touch Lieut. Harris. If he does he will have to walk 
 over my dead bod)' before he gets him in a dungeon. 
 He is under my charge and I shall stand hv him." 
 The great big-hearted surgeon knew that it would be 
 sure death to me within twent\-four hours if he 
 allowed mc to be put down in the dungeon. 1 have 
 forgotten his name. He lived below Richmond. \'a., 
 on the James River. He was over six feet high, well 
 built, and a fine looking man. I have thanked him 
 many times in my heart for his kindness to me. The 
 firm stand he took relieved me from further torment b\' 
 three of the meanest and most brutal men that e\-er 
 lived — Major Turner, in command of Libb\' Prison. 
 Dick Turner and La Touche, who was adjutant of the 
 prison. Not long after the above, I was told, on what 
 I then thought to be good authorit}' (m\- notes fail to 
 state how 1 learned it; m\- impression is that it was 
 published in the Richmond Despatch of Monda\ , 
 March 7th, I<S64, and that Sergeant Gettx' brought it 
 to me unknown to Major Turner), that all of Presi- 
 dent Davis' Cabinet called on him the .Saturda\- before, 
 and that each and everyone insisted that 1 shouUl be 
 hung. President Davis would not consent, but said 
 
1 should be used as a pristjner of war. T(j show what 
 pressure he had to withstand, I give a few copies of 
 articles from the Richmond papers. 
 
 RnJinKiiid l\7i/ic — Satiiii/ay iiuininnf. .Xldicli^tli. 1SO4. 
 
 What Shall We Do With Them? 
 
 How will the confederate authorities treat prison- 
 ers captured in an attempt to take Richmond f )r the 
 purpose of burning it. and murdering the high ofificials 
 of the government, who have orders to burn, slay and 
 lay waste along the line of their march? The expecta- 
 tion was to enter Richmond at night, and the intention 
 was to immediatel)' apply the torch. The)' were 
 alread}' provided with fire-balls, turpentine and oakum, 
 to make the incendiarism speed}- and sure. Had the\ 
 succeeded in entering the cit\', and fired it as they 
 would have done in a thousand different places, how- 
 man}' of its inhabitants would have escaped? What 
 chances would there have been for the women and 
 children, the old, the infirm and the sick? Or, if the}- 
 had escaped the flames, how man}- would have survived 
 the inclement night, thrown out into the storm as they 
 would have been w-ithout the protection, man}- of them, 
 of even ordinar}- clothing? Or, if the\- had survixed 
 this, how man}- would have sunk under the slow tor- 
 ture of starvation? Shoot horses and cattle, burn 
 barns and mills, destroy ever}'thing that sustains life, 
 wrap in flames a city of a hundred thousand souls, 
 murder the president and his cabinet — this was the 
 errand on which these demons came. 
 
 The proof is incontestable. The pockets of one 
 of their dead officers furnish the official documents. 
 How, we repeat, will the confederate authorities deal 
 with miscreants taken in the execution of this sort of 
 work? Will the}' treat them as prisoners of war? We 
 are ashamed to ask the question, but the feebleness and 
 timidity displa}-ed on other occasions reall}' create a 
 
doubt whether this ma\' not be done. Perhaps, now, 
 in a matter so nearly affecting the personnel of the 
 government, we shall see a different spirit displayed, 
 and ma\- find that our principal authorities begin to 
 understand the character of the war, and to be con- 
 scious that the)' are the representatives and agents of 
 a cause that should respect itself, and should exhibit 
 the firmness that springs from conviction. Now or 
 never, we must show the eneni)- and the world that 
 "we know our rights, and knowing, dare maintain." 
 This day's sun should not go ciown before ever}- scoun- 
 drel taken in this assassin's work is blown to atoms 
 from the mouths of cannon, and every means should 
 be emplo}'ed to get the names of as man}- as possible 
 of those who have escaped, so t'lat if taken hereafter 
 they ma}' be treated in the same wa\-. 
 
 I\u Innuiid \\'hii(. Monday iiioniing^. Manli -. 1864. 
 
 The Captured Bandits. 
 
 Presuming the documents found on the body of 
 Uahlgren to be authentic, the whole question of the 
 recent attempt to invade Richmond, burn and sack it 
 (with all the other horrible concomitants of such a 
 scene), can be stated and disposed of in few words. It 
 requires no fine disquisition to see our way clear as to 
 what should be done with those of the banditti who 
 have fallen into our hands. ***** 
 
 Are those men warriors? Are the}- soldiers or are 
 they assassins, barbarians, thugs, who have forfeited 
 (and expect to lose) their lives. Are they not bar- 
 barians redolent of more hellish purposes than were 
 e\-er the Goth, the Hun, or the .Saracen? The consen- 
 taneous voice of all Christendom will shudderingl}- pro- 
 claim them moistcrs, whom no sentimental idea of 
 humanit}', no timorous views of expediencN', no trem- 
 bling terror of conseciuences, should have shielded them 
 from the quickest and the sternest death. * * * 
 
 If we are less powerful, ha\e we less pride and 
 
self respect than either of these nations. These men 
 have put the caput hipiniDtt on themselves. They are 
 not victims; the\' are volunteers for remorseless death. 
 The\- have rushed upon fate and struggled in v .luntary 
 audacit)' with the grim monster. Let them die, not b\' 
 court martial, not as prisoners, but as liostcs ]iuinani 
 generis, by general order from the president, com- 
 mander-in-chief. 
 
 Will the cabinet and president have the nerve to 
 do what lies palpably before them? This is the ques- 
 tion in all mouths. * * * * * * * 
 
 Khlniioiid Whig, Tuesday mornuig. March S, 1864. 
 
 Features of the Raid. 
 
 * * * The address of Col. Dahlgren to his 
 officers and men announces that they were "selected 
 from brigades and regiments as a picked command to 
 attempt a desperate undertaking." The)' were cau- 
 tioned not to leave their ranks too far, or become too 
 much scattered, or they would "be lost," that no temp- 
 tations of "personal gain " should lead them off, which 
 they were assured would only bring them to an " igno- 
 minious death." A "desperate fight" was anticipated 
 and that man)- would fall, and the privilege was ex- 
 tended to any of them, thus forewarned, who was disin- 
 clined to engage in the expedition, to "step out and he 
 ma}' go home." Thus all became volunteers in this 
 lawless undertaking. * * * *- * * 
 
 The)' were distinctl)' ordered to burn mills and 
 barns, to destroy "everything which can be used by the 
 rebels," on their route, and, arrived at Richmond, the 
 Yankee prisoners were to be released, the " city de- 
 stro)'ed" and " Jeff. Davis and cabinet killed." In addi- 
 tion to usual militar)' equipments, the)' were ampl)- 
 provided with "oakum, turjjentine, and torpedoes," to 
 complete their work. * * * It is our polic)', if the 
 question should ever be raised of its perfect propriet)', 
 to deal with these jjrisoners more summarily than with 
 
 95 
 
others in our hands. Barbarous undertakings like these 
 should be so punished, especially upon all engaged in 
 them who fall into our hands, as to deter others from 
 renewing them. Treated like other prisoners, it but 
 encourages such adventures, which have a fascination 
 about them. * * ^ * * * * =>= 
 
 The Richmond Despatch was even more blood- 
 thirsty than either of the papers quoted from. I have 
 done my best to get copies of the Despatch, but have 
 utterly failed. I have much to be thankful for to 
 Mr. Davis, but much more to be thankful for to his 
 estimable wife, as will be seen b}- the following pages. 
 
 About the }'ear 1 8/0 1 visited Rochester, Mich., 
 and while there met one of m>- old companw During 
 our talk about war times he asked me if I remembered 
 Mrs. Brooke, living on the Neck above Germania 
 ford. I answered that I remembered her well; that 
 I found them on the first day of January, 1864, starv- 
 ing to death. He said that the next day after I was 
 ordered back to camp he was on the post nearest to 
 Mrs. Brooke's house, and that her eldest daughter and 
 son came and handed him a letter, asking that it be 
 put over the river. After they left he read it (it 
 was unsealed). He said it was directed to Mrs. 
 Jefferson Davis, Richmond, Va. After telling how 
 I had helped her in her dire need, wound up the letter 
 with about these words : "If Lieut. Samuel Harris 
 should ever fall in your hands, do what you can for 
 him, for m\- sake." After reading it he said he knew 
 it would not do to give it to the officc^r that succeeded 
 me, as he knew he was no frientl of mine. .So after he 
 
 96 
 
was off duty he went down to the post at the ford and 
 called to one of the men on the other side, tellini^j him 
 he had a letter he wanted to throw over and to have 
 it forwarded as directed. After tying it to a stone 
 with a strong string he had brouglit with him, he 
 threw it over to the other side of the river. This was 
 a revelation to me. I felt sure there was a direct 
 connection between this letter and the young captain 
 that had leaned over the side of the wagon in which 
 I lay in Richmond (see page 87) and said, "Lieut. 
 Harris, don't be scared, the}- are not going to hang 
 you or hurt a hair of \our head." The more I thought 
 of it the more positive I felt that the two were closeK" 
 connected, but how was I to solve the myster\-. Iti 
 a few da\s I returned to Washington, D. C, where I 
 was living. 1 sought the help of some ex-rebel arm\- 
 officers with whom I was well acquainted, but soon 
 found the\- could not help me. 1 did all in m\- power 
 to locate this young captain, and also to find out who 
 the t\\ o ladies were that waved their handkerchiefs at 
 me, but all m\- efforts came to naught. I thought of 
 writing to Mrs. Jefferson Davis, but felt that she as 
 well as Mr. Davis were having so much trouble of 
 their own that it would hardly be right for me to do so. 
 In the spring of 1891 I took m\- wife and daughter 
 and went to Richmond ( I was then, as now, living in 
 Chicago), determined to locate the captain and two 
 ladies, if possible. But I again met with utter failure, 
 except that I found the name of the famil\- who occu- 
 pied the house from which the two ladies waved their 
 handkerchiefs to me. This was a good thing for me, 
 yet I returned to Chicago a good deal discouraged. 
 
In the spring of 1895 ^ determined to try another 
 plan. I sent the following advertisement to the Rich- 
 mond Times, which appeared in its issue of Sunda)', 
 February 17, 1895 • 
 
 VV ANTED — Address of middle-aged lady or her 
 ' ' daughter (name supposed to be \'alentiiie) 
 who lived opposite the Capitol Groundsill March, 
 1864, who sat near a window and waved her hand- 
 kerchief at a wounded Federal officer who lay in a 
 wagon under her window. .Address Samuel Har- 
 ris. 36 South Canal St., Chicago 
 
 I received the following letter in answer to the 
 above: 
 
 Richmond, Feb. i8th, 1895. 
 Mr. Harris, Sir - 
 
 Seeing your odd advertisement in the Times, re- 
 minded me of something that happened at that time. 
 We had moved here from the North in i860, ni}' hus- 
 band and self, young married people. In 1863, my 
 husband bought a farm about thirty miles, from here, 
 and in March, '64 I came to town to make some much 
 needed purchases. Whilst in town I remained with a 
 family named Meyer. The lad}' often accompanied me 
 on my rounds. One day she wished to call and see a 
 friend who was staying at the Valentine's. So we 
 called and were shown to the lady's room; as she was 
 in another part of the house at the time. We sat at the 
 open window, it being mild weather, to wait for her. 
 As we sat there we saw a sick or wounded soldier look- 
 ing so badly that we both pitied him, and quietl)' waved 
 our handkerchiefs to him as he lay in the wagon, and 
 we both said that he would never see his home again, 
 like oh! so man)- others. But now I suppose he must 
 have lived. Of course I do not know if this is the inci- 
 dent you allude to; perhaps some other ladies might 
 have waved their handkerchiefs also to the same man, 
 nor can I guess wh)' you adx'crtise on the subject; but 
 
when I saw the ad, it brought back that da\' to mv 
 mind so fresh, that I decided to write to you. 
 
 Yours respectful!)'. 
 
 Margaret Garcin, 
 
 2318 E. Broad St. 
 The foHowing is m\- answer to the above letter; 
 
 Feb. 20, '05. 
 Mrs. Margaret Garcin, 
 
 2318 P^ast Broad .St.. Richmond. Va. 
 Madam: — 
 
 Yours of the i8th at hand and I am glad to get it. 
 I will answer the last of your letter first. You say you 
 cannot imagine wh}- I put that odd advertisement in the 
 paper. I have spent a good deal of mone\' and time to 
 find these two ladies. I lay in the wagon condemned 
 to be hung, as I was the first officer captured out of 
 Col. Dahlgren's command. It was while I was l\ing in 
 the wagon expecting to be hung in a few moments that 
 the two ladies gave me sympathy, b}' the older one 
 waving her hand, and the N'ounger waving her handker- 
 chief. That little act of s\'mpathy has never bjen for- 
 gotten by me. I have been to Richmond once, and did 
 my best to get track of them, but failed. M\' dear 
 Madam, it w^ould be impossible for \'ou to begin to 
 appreciate my feelings to have sympath)' shown me at 
 such a time. It almost seemed to me that two angels 
 had dropped down from heaven, and I have thought of 
 them a thousand times since. I shall start for Rich- 
 mond as soon as I am able to travel, say about the 15th 
 of March, to trace these ladies, and I think without 
 doubt you are one of them. If you are the right one, 
 I shall be glad to spend the time and money to take 
 you by the hand and thank you for the act done thirt\- 
 one years ago. It was an act I never shall forget as long 
 as I live. 
 
 Ver)' sincerely, 
 
 Samuel Harris, 
 Late 1st Lieut. Co. A., 5th Mich.Cax. 
 
 L.ofO. 
 
About the ist of April I started for Richmond b\- 
 wa)' of New York, where I bouglit some presents for 
 Mrs. Garcin, if she should prove to be the younger of 
 the two ladies I was seeking. Arriving at Richmond 
 in the morning I went to Murph\''s hotel, on Broad 
 street. After breakfast I called a carriage and drove 
 to No. 2316 East Broad street. In answer to the ring a 
 ver\- pleasant \-oung lad\' came to the door. I asked 
 her if Mrs. Margaret Garcin lixed there. She said she 
 did, and asked me to step in and take a seat in the par- 
 lor, and excusing herself for a moment said she would 
 call her mother. She soon returned and said h.r 
 mother woulci be in in a few moments. I asked her if 
 she was a daughter of Mrs. Garcin. .She said she was 
 a daughter-in-law, the wife of Dr. Garcin — a son of 
 Mrs. Garcin. I then gave m\- name as Lieut. Harris of 
 Chicago. She said, "I thought it was )'ou when I 
 opened the door." At this moment Mrs. Garcin came 
 in. I arose to greet her, and without an\- hesitation 
 said, "You arc the young lad\- that waved her handker- 
 chief to me while I la}' in the wagon. You have the 
 same form, face, black eyes and black hair. J know 
 }ou are the one." We sat down and talked about that 
 day a little over thirt)'-one )'ears ago. I had carried 
 her likeness in m\' minci's e\'e all these Ncars, and Mrs. 
 (iarcin was the perfect duplicate in e\er\' respect. 
 I felt sure she was the Noung lady I wa,s looking for. 
 Then during our conversation she related several inci- 
 dents that no other i)erson would ha\'e known ans thing 
 about, which removed any doubt as to her identit} . 
 
 The)' both said they had all imagined 1 was a little 
 
dried-up old man. Thc\' w ere very much surprised to 
 see a six-footer, ver\- much ah've, full-blooded Yankee 
 present himself as Lieut. Harris. Mr and Mrs. Garcin 
 and their son, Dr. Ramon D. Garcin, and wife live 
 together. During- an hour's ver\- pleasant conversa- 
 tion, I learned that )Oung Mrs. Garcin was formerly 
 Miss E fdie Jackson of Charlottesville, Va., and that 
 her father was own cousin to Gen. fackson. I asked 
 her if she could help me get copies of the Richmond 
 papers of March, 1864. .She said she was acquainted 
 with the editor of each paper. Putting on her wraps 
 we got into the carriage and dro\e to the office of the 
 Despatch. The editor extended to her a ver\' cordial 
 greeting. She introduced me as her " Friend, Capt. 
 Harris of Chicago." I had cautioned her beforehand 
 not to sa)' that I was one of the hated Dahlgren men. 
 She then said that I wanted to see the files of the 
 Despatch of March, 1864. He informed us that they 
 were all burned in the conflagration of 1865 ; also that 
 we would find files of all the papers that were saved in 
 the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth at 
 the Capitol. It was past dinner hour, and to sa\e time 
 we drove to Murphy's hotel and got dinner, then direct 
 to the Secretar)''s office, in the Capitol. While we 
 were waiting for the elexator the Governor of \'ir- 
 ginia came in, and seeing Mrs. (iarcin extended to 
 her a xery warm greeting. .Soon we were in the 
 .Secretar)''s office. He came forward immediatelx', 
 extended his hand to Mrs. (iarcin and said, "How 
 do \'OU do, laddie? What brings }'ou here?" .She 
 then introduced me as her " I'^riend, Capt. Harris." 
 
and said, " He wants to look over the files of the 
 Richmond papers of March, 1864." He answered, 
 " Certainly, you can have anything you want. Your 
 friend must be all right or \'Ou would not be with 
 him." He then called his assistant and directed him 
 to render us all the aid he could. We were soon in 
 the file room hunting o\er the papers for the articles 
 relating to the Dahlgren raid. Mrs. Eddie Garcin was 
 much interested in hunting for the articles. As we 
 found such as I wanted copied, I marked them, the 
 assistant secretary making typewritten copies of same, 
 which are inserted in this book. Mans- thanks to Mrs. 
 Eddie Garcin, formerl)' Miss Eddie Jackson, for her 
 assistance in getting them. I doubt very much whether 
 I should have been able to procure them without it. 
 I took Mrs. Garcin to her home and drove back to 
 the hotel. I was stopping at Murph\'s hotel. 1 soon 
 found that the proprietor had been an officer in the 
 arm\'. I found him and said, "Col. Murph\-, I am told 
 you were an officer in the arm}'." He said, "Yes, I was 
 an officer in the artillerw" "Then )'ou must have 
 smelled powder?" "Yes, and plent}' of it, and I see 
 you were an officer in )our army, and you must have 
 smelled powder or \ou could not wear that button." 
 (meaning the Loyal Legion button I wore). "Yes, I 
 was an officer in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry, and I 
 have smelled some powder." I then told him I would 
 like a few moments talk in private with him. We sat 
 down in one corner of the room, and I told him my 
 name and that I was the officer \\ho led the charge at 
 Green's farm on the Dalgren raid, and that I was the 
 
officer they were going to hang on the 4th of March, 
 1864. Col. Murphy said he was in Richmond that day 
 and remembered the circumstances well, "But," he said^ 
 "I never knew wh}' you were not hung." I told him that 
 was one of the things that brought me to Richmond- 
 I then told him about the )-oung captain's visit to me 
 as I lay in the wagon, and described him the best 1 
 could. I asked him if he could tell me who he was. 
 The Colonel unhesitatingly said, "That was Capt 
 Waller," and in proof said, "Capt. Waller was the only 
 ofificer in the confederac}- that could dress like that," 
 and to give me further proof, he called to a gentleman 
 standing near by, and introduced him as a major in a 
 Virginia cavalry- regiment. He described the captain 
 and his clothes, and asked him who he thought it 
 was. He answered quickly, "Capt. Waller, no other 
 officer did or coidd dress like him." I asked Col. 
 Murphy where I could find Capt. Waller. He answered 
 that he had died two years before. Capt. Waller was 
 the only man I knew of who could unravel the myster\-, 
 and to find he was not living was a big blow to my 
 hopes. As a last hope I determined to interview Mrs. 
 Jefferson Davis, but found she was living in New X'ork 
 Cit}'. Mrs. Margaret Garcin had invited me to take 
 dinner with them. 1 went to their home earl)', taking 
 her present with me. I spent a very pleasant time 
 with them. Leaving earl\- in the evening I went to ni)' 
 hotel, paid ni)- bill, and left for Chicago on the evening 
 train. Not long after my return, I received the follow- 
 ing lines written by Mrs. Margaret Garcin, whicii are 
 so appropriate that I insert them by her permission: 
 
A Soldier of '64. 
 
 Some 3'ears ago, when the Civil War 
 Divided North and South afar, 
 Arranged that all must wear a tear, 
 Oh ! Sad the day, and sad the \ear. 
 
 Once upon a mild March day 
 
 Years ago, long )'ears ago, 
 
 A soldier lay bound and doomed to be hung 
 
 Before the set of another sun. 
 
 How sad his heart — as he looked around. 
 And knew that his hands and feet were bound 
 In an enem)''s land, in enemies hands. 
 Oh! Would that he could break his bonds. 
 
 But no, he was caught, the deed was done, 
 And he, the brave soldier, was now to be hung. 
 He thought of his parents, and thought of his home 
 And thought of himself. Oh I How forlorn. 
 
 To die in his youth, in his manhooci ga\'. 
 And Oh! To die in this awful wa\'. 
 Our Father in Heaven, forget him not quite. 
 But pit}' his weakness in th\- might. 
 
 At length he glanced across the way. 
 And at a window standing. 
 Strange to relate, a sight he saw 
 That set his wits awandering. 
 
 A lad)' looked toward him 
 
 With pity in her eyes, 
 
 Alas! She thought, "my brothers l)oth 
 
 Perhaps, are doomed to die " 
 
 She could but wave her 'kerchief. 
 Yet that was sympathy. 
 It filled his heart with faintest hope. 
 Indeed if not with glee. 
 
Hut time passed on, he was not hung, 
 His pardon came ere set of sun, 
 But the lad}'s act was stored awa}- 
 To be remembered man\- a day. 
 
 The war was o'er; time passed awa\-. 
 And hearts that ached, again were gay, 
 And he whom fate had treated so 
 Made his home in Chicago. 
 
 He oft with grateful feeling 
 Thought of the one who waved 
 And showed her kindly feeling 
 When he was near his grave. 
 
 And thought he'd like to meet her 
 And take her b\- the hand. 
 To let her know that he was 
 Still living in the land. 
 
 The years rolled on till thirt\- passed. 
 Yes, thirty-one and more 
 Ere he saw the lad}- who waved to him 
 The day when his heart was sore. 
 
 The soldier went to Richmond 
 In the \'ear '95 
 
 And there he found the lady 
 Who was both brisk and alive. 
 
 He told her that he never 
 As long as life would last. 
 Could he forget the little act 
 She done long in the past. 
 
 His grateful feelings found a vent 
 In giving her a present. 
 It was a l)Owl for berries meant 
 And three saucers made of crxstal. 
 
In about a month after my return from Richmond, 
 Va., I had m\- business so arranged that I could leave 
 for a short time. I went to New York to see Mrs. 
 Jefferson Davis. I was quite doubtful whether she 
 would receive me, being an entire stranger to her, 
 unless accompanied by some personal friend of hers. 
 I went to Col. Fred. Grant and laid my case before 
 him as briefly as possible, and asked him to go with 
 me as I knew the Grants and Mrs. Davis were warm 
 personal friends. He said he would go in a moment 
 if Mrs. Davis was in New York, but that she was at 
 Narragansett Pier, and that he could not spare the 
 time to go there with me; but he gave me a letter to 
 Mrs. Davis which he thought would give me a favor- 
 able reception by her. 
 
 The following is a cop\- of his letter : 
 
 New York, Sept. 3 1895. 
 My Dear Mrs. Davis— 
 
 The bearer, Lieut. Sam'l Harris, is very anxious 
 to learn something upon a matter which, in my opinion, 
 is so creditable to your kindness of heart, that I have 
 advised him to call upon you in person. 
 
 I trust, m\- dear Madam, that ) ou will recei\'e h'im. 
 I am, my dear Mrs. Davis, 
 
 Respectfully your friend. 
 
 Frederick D. Grant. 
 
 Armed with this, I left the next morning for the 
 pier, where I arrived about four o'clock in the c-vening. 
 I sent my card up to Mrs. Davis. .Soon her maid came 
 down, saying Mrs. Davis was not in her room. 1 asked 
 her to please find Mrs. Davis, and sa\' to her that I had 
 come over twelve hundred miles to see her. Soon 
 
 10»i 
 
Mrs. Davis came down to the general reception room. 
 After introducing m}self to her, I said I had come all 
 the \va\- from Chicago to thank her for a kind act she 
 had done me during the war. " What did I ever do 
 for you?" she asked. "Mrs. Davis, I have no doubt 
 but that you saved me from being hung." "Why, 
 when was that?" she quickly answered. I then told 
 her I was the first officer captured from the Dahlgren 
 raid, and was sentenced by a court martial to be hung 
 in Richmond on the 4th of March, 1864, and that I 
 felt sure she saved me. She asked, " O, are you one 
 of those horrid Dahlgren men that was going to kill 
 Mr. Davis and all his cabinet?" " No, Mrs. Daxis," 
 I said, " }ou are mistaken. Do I look as though I 
 would kill an\bod}' now?" She burst out laughing and 
 said, "What a question to ask; of course you don't." 
 I said, " I would do it now just as quick as I would 
 then." At this time 1 handed her the letter from 
 Col. Grant. She adjusted her specks and read it. 
 Turning to me she said, " Then )-our are a friend of 
 the Grants." I replied, " hardl)- in the way )'ou mean. 
 I am onl)' an arm\' friend of the Colonel's, and felt at 
 perfect libert\' to go to him for a letter of introduc- 
 tion." This letter placed me in a more favorable light 
 with Mrs. Davis, and we had a ver\' pleasant hour's 
 conversation, mostly trxing to directl\- connect her 
 with my not being hung. I told her about Mrs. 
 Brooke, how I had found them starving and helped 
 them, and that Mrs. Brooke had told me she had been 
 at school with her in Philadelj)hia, and about the letter 
 one of my men said he had put over the river directed 
 
 107 
 
to her, and also about Capt. Waller coming to me. In 
 answer to my statement she said: " I did go to school 
 in Philadelphia for three xears when a 3'oung lad\'," 
 and that one of her most intimate friends, and part of 
 the time her room-mate, was a }oung lady from 
 Virginia, but she could not recall her name, nor could 
 she place her as Mrs. Brooke. She said that Capt. 
 Waller was on Mr. Davis' staff, and without doubt it 
 was he that came to me; also that Capt. Waller was 
 her brother-in-law, having married her \'oungest sister. 
 I said to Mrs. Davis that she had proven be\-ond an\' 
 doubt in my mind the direct connection between 
 the letter that Mrs. Brooke had written to her and 
 which one of my men had put across the river, and 
 Capt. Waller coming to me as he did, and 1 was 
 equally sure that Capt. Waller was sent through her 
 influence, and that I was now positive it was she who 
 saveci m\' life. She answered, "Capt. Harris, it looks 
 as though \-our conclusions were correct. When you 
 get home if you will write me full\' about Mrs. Brooke 
 and Capt. Waller, and send me the maiden name of 
 Mrs. Brooke, I think I can recall most, if not all, the 
 facts." She said, " Vou must remember that it is over 
 thirty years since this happened, and 1 have passed 
 through a great deal of trouble." I bade her good-bye 
 and taking the next train returned to Chicago, feeling 
 that I had solved the mystery of what, and who, saved 
 me from being hung. I immediately set to work try- 
 ing to find Mrs. Brooke or some of her famil). I 
 wrote to ever)' postmaster withim twenty-five miles of 
 Germania Ford. I received an answer from the post- 
 
 108 
 
master at Culpepper, Va., sa\ing that a daughter of 
 Mrs. Brooke was the wife of John C. Wise, Surgeon 
 U. S. Nav\\ stationed at the Navy Yard, Washing- 
 ton, D. C. I immediatel)' wrote to him and soon 
 received an answer, dated October 5th, 1895, stating 
 that Mrs. Brooks had died in the \ear 1888, and that 
 her maiden name was Maria Ashby, daughter of Capt. 
 John Ashby and cousin to Gen. Turner Ashby. 
 
 October 15th, 1895, I wrote Mrs. Davis, giving her 
 a concise statement about Mrs. Brooke, the letter, and 
 Capt. Waller. I also enclosed a copy of letter from 
 Dr. Wise. 
 
 About the 20th of November I went to New York. 
 Calling on Mrs. Davis I found her in her sitting room 
 with m)' letter before her to be answered. We talked 
 over all the circumstances. Mrs. Davis said m\- letter 
 had brought back to her memory many of the incidents 
 related in it. She well remembered Miss Maria Ashb\' 
 as her school-friend from Virginia, and had an indistinct 
 recollection of receiving the letter from her, referred 
 to as being put over the river b\' one of my men. She 
 had recalled the incidents of the 4th of March, 1864, 
 very distinctly. 1 will give them as stated to me b\- 
 her. She said the da}- was very warm, and they had 
 the doors and windows all open in the house; that Mr. 
 Davis had his presidential office in the house, and that 
 her sitting room was directly across the hall; while she 
 was sitting there Capt. Waller come in quite excitedly 
 and said, "Mr. President, they are going to hang a 
 Yankee officer down at the capitol." "Why are they 
 going to hang him?" "He is the first officer they have 
 
 109 
 
captured from the Dahlgren raiders." "Do }ou know 
 who he is?" "I understand his name is Harris, from a 
 Michigan regiment." Mrs. Davis heard tlie name and 
 stepped across the hall into the office and said, "Mr. 
 Davis, that may be our friend, Lieut. Samuel Harris, of 
 the Fifth Michigan Cavalr\'; if so we don't want him 
 hung." "No," said Mr. Davis. Mrs. Davis then said, 
 "Captain, you go right down and find out if it is Lieut. 
 Harris, and if so, tell them not to hang him until they 
 have orders from Mr. Davis." Mrs. Davis said that in 
 a ver)' few moments after Capt. Waller had left them, 
 another staff officer came in with the same statement. 
 Mrs. Davis told him the)' had just sent Capt. Waller 
 down to stop it, "but you go down as quick as }'ou can 
 for fear Capt. Waller won't get there in time; run as 
 fast as )'Ou can." Capt. Waller reached me in time to 
 save me from being hung. (See page 86). Man)' 
 thanks to Mrs. Davis, for there is no possible doubt but 
 for her prompt intervention I should have been hung. 
 Nor is there any more doubt but that her interest in 
 me was caused b)- the letter written b)' Mrs. Brooke 
 (Miss Maria Ashby), telling how I had saved her and 
 her children from starving. 
 
 I spent a very pleasant hour with Mrs. Davis and 
 her daughter. Miss Winnie Davis, or better known as 
 "The Daughter of the Confederac)." The)' both re- 
 quested me to come back and take dinner with them. 
 I returned at the appointed time and had a very enjoy- 
 able hour at dinner. Afterwards we adjourned to their 
 parlor. I had never before seen as much of Miss 
 Winnie. 1 found her one of the most accomplished 
 
}oung ladies I had ever met. Well-read in all the 
 sound literature of the da_\', and a student in ancient 
 histor)-, and though not a student in astronom\-, she 
 was better versed in it than an)- lad\' I have ever met. 
 During our talk Mrs. Davis, speaking quite earnestly, 
 said: "Capt. Harris, during the war I helped a good 
 man}' of both our own and your people, and \ou are 
 the only one that has ever returned to thank me for it." 
 I remarked that "a long time ago there were ten lepers 
 cleansed, but onl)- one returned to give thanks, and he 
 was a Samaritan, and I a Yankee." 
 
 I cannot close this part of m\' reminiscence without 
 recording m\- thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Davis, 
 to Miss Seddon and to the surgeon of Libb\' Prison for 
 the part each took in ni)- defense and in saving m}' life; 
 and also to Mrs. Garcin for the kind s}mpath\- she 
 showed me. 
 
 (Note — I learned at Richmond that Miss Seddon 
 died about the \-ear 1870. ) 
 
 I here insert a letter received from Mrs. A. P. 
 Davis, who was the eldest child of Mrs. Brooke, and 
 the little girl that opened the door for me on the morn- 
 ing of January 1st, 1864: 
 
 Gloucester, Va., June 5th, '95. 
 Mk. -Samuel Harrls — 
 
 I am in receipt of a letter from Dr. Jno. C. Wise, 
 enclosing )'our letter to him. I waited before answer- 
 ing to see my brother, but he, like myself, could only 
 remember that a kind of^cer sent us food when we 
 were starving. As you mention everything so accur- 
 ately, there is no doubt in my mind about your being 
 the kind officer who sent us beef and bread at the time 
 we so much needed it, and had ni\- dear mother li\ed 
 
she could have told us much that we wished to know; 
 but she has been in heaven for eight Nears. My 
 brother soon followed her, and the rest of the children 
 hardly know anything of the war. I feel satisfied that 
 you must be the officer who fed and was kind to us, 
 and will always feel grateful, and should you visit our 
 state would be trul_\- glad to meet and entertain you or 
 any of 3'our familw Soon after )'Our kindness to us I 
 was sent away to school and did not return home until 
 the war was ended. The next year we moved from the 
 count)' and 1 have never been back to the scene of our 
 trials. 
 
 With sincere gratitude for \'our past kindness to 
 mx'self any familw and best wishes for yourself, wife 
 and children. Yours most sincerely, 
 
 Mrs. a. p. Davis. 
 
 I have given most of the incidents in prison at 
 Libb}' from Frida\-, the day I was taken there, until 
 Monda\' noon, the 7th of March, 1864. The surgeon con- 
 tinued to be my friend and protector. I think he did 
 all he could for me. M\' wound improved rapidl)', and 
 in the course of ten da\'s I was able to sit up awhile each 
 day. By this time the surgeon gave me almost positive 
 assurance that I would live through it. After this my 
 convalesence was quite rapid. Major Turner issued 
 orders that no prisoners should be allowed to look out 
 of any window. He even went so far as to place guards 
 across the street and if the\- could sec a Yankee at any 
 of the windows to shoot him. He put quite a number 
 in the dungeons in the basement simply to gratif}' his 
 brutality. Among the prisoners in the hospital was the 
 lieutenant-colonel of General Grant's old regiment. 
 He was about fift}' )'ears old and (]uite feeble. He had 
 
 118 
 
been a congregational minister before the war. An- 
 other prisoner was a \-oung lieutenant from Ohio He 
 had been a universalist minister, and was of a very com- 
 bative disposition and could not stand any opposition 
 to his pet theory of universal salvation. The two ex- 
 ministers used to have ver}' hot discussions, much to the 
 amusement of all the rest of us. One da\' the }'oung 
 lieutenant came up to me and began by sa}-ing, "T un- 
 derstand you are one of these hell-fire men." 1 said 1 
 was a member of the congregational church and their 
 belief was mine He went on talking so fast that I 
 could not get in a word edgewise. B}- this time a large 
 number of the officers had gathered about us. I said, 
 "I want to ask a question." "Certainl\-." "You sa\' 
 you believe all men will go to heaven." "Yes, there is 
 no doubt of it in m\- mind." "Then }ou believe that 
 Major Turner, Dick Turner and La Touche will go to 
 heaven." Raising himself to his full height he brought 
 down his hand with a vengeance and said, "No, if God 
 Almighty hasn't got a hell I hope he will make one 
 speciall}' for those three de\ils." There was a general 
 shout from all of the officers about us. No matter 
 what their religious belief was the}' were all glad to 
 have the bumptious and loud-mouthed lieutenant 
 squelched. We heard no more religious discussions 
 while in prison. 
 
 The rations given to the well prisoners were bad 
 enough, but when such rations were given to the s/c/c 
 and i<'02i)idcd it became a damnable and hellish act; anci 
 much more so for the reason that there was no excuse 
 for it. While w-e were confined in the prisons of Rich- 
 
 113 
 
mond, our government offered to furnish rations and 
 
 clothing for all of us, but the brutal Gen. Winder, the 
 
 rebel commissar)' general of prisoners, would not allow 
 
 it. Then the friends of the prisoners sent thousands of 
 
 boxes of food and clothing, not one in a thousand of 
 
 which ever reached the ones the)- were sent to. Most 
 
 of them were appropriated b)' the infamous Gen. 
 
 Winder, Major Turner, Dick Turner and La Touche. 
 
 The proof of this is incontestible. The rations furnished 
 
 us in the hospital was one pound of corn bread made of 
 
 meal ground corn and cob together. It \\as mixed up 
 
 with water with no salt in it, and even was not half 
 
 baked. None but a brute of a man would feed his hogs 
 
 on such food. The only way we could eat it was to 
 
 pulverize it, and get out all the cob possible, then bake 
 
 it over. At least half of it we would burn and make 
 
 corn coffee from it. Besides this corn bread, we were 
 
 given one-half pound of beef twice a week, but such 
 
 beef; it smelled so strong of garlic that it was repulsive 
 
 e\en to us who were half starved. The onl\- \va\- we 
 
 could get the intense stink out of it was to cut it up in 
 
 small pieces and soak it in water over night; then we 
 
 would boil it about four hours. Even then a cur-dog 
 
 would turn from it in disgust. Hut we were compelled 
 
 to eat it or starve. ( )ne day was like all the rest in 
 
 Libby Prison. Ever\- tla\- the rebs sent in se\eral 
 
 colored men to carr\' out the offal. Each one of these 
 
 was accompanied b\' a rebel soldier to keep him from 
 
 talking to an\' of the prisoners. Hut the Yankee and 
 
 cunning colored man was too much for them. Two or 
 
 three Yankees would get around the soldier and show 
 
 114 
 
him some trinket the\' had made or some trick in cards, 
 keeping his back to the cohered man, while he would 
 tell some other Yankee all the news he had hearci. 
 There were about twenty-five hundred prisoners con- 
 fined in Libb\- at this time, some from all arms and pro- 
 fessions in life. One who was a signal of^cer in our 
 arm\'. got up a code of his own. He asked one of the 
 colored men if he knew of an\' white woman that kept a 
 house whose window could be seen from the windows 
 of Libbw "Laws, massa. I knows Airs. Green, who 
 keeps the biggest house (of prostitution) in Richmond, 
 and \ou can see her back windows from an\- of these." 
 The of^cer send a line to Mrs. Green by the colored 
 man, and she answered that she would learn the code 
 and signal all the news. .She kept her word, and as 
 long as we were in Libbx' we were quite well informed 
 of what was going on in the outer world. Mrs. (ireen 
 did this at great risk of her libert\' and even of her life, 
 if it had been found out b\- the rebs. 
 
 She was remembered b\' those high in authority, 
 and immediatelx' upon the evacuation of Richmond she 
 was sent to Washington and given a clerkship in one of 
 the departments which she kept until her death. 
 
 .Soon after the first of May we were ordered to 
 get ready to be mo\ed south. We soon learned that 
 Gen. Grant had crossed the Rapidan and there was 
 heav}- fighting in the Wilderness. We were moved 
 south to make room for fresh prisoners. We were 
 taken as far as Danville, \"a., where we were ke})t in 
 old tobacco warehouses so crowded that it was almost 
 impossible for all to lie down at the same tirne. it 
 
was evident we were not to be kept there loivj;. After 
 about ten da\s we were marched to the; railroad and 
 taken further south. We were stopped at Augusta, Ga. 
 We were kept here about two days. It was said that 
 the good people of Augusta did not want our compan)- 
 for fear of contamination b\- the Yankees. So after a 
 very short sta\' in the cars we were sent on to Macon, 
 Ga. During the journey m\- old diarrhoea came back 
 to me with redoubled force, mostl\- caused by poor 
 rations and bad water given us to drink. When we 
 reached Macon 1 was too weak to walk to the stock- 
 ade or the prison grounds. The guard pressed into 
 service a man driving a pair of old mules and a lumber 
 wagon. Placing me in this, I was driven to the Georgia 
 State fair grounds and put into one of the old build- 
 ings and laid on the floor, which was not a \ery soft 
 bed for one as sick as I was. That night my diarrhoea 
 turned into the blood\- flux. .Sexeral of m\- friends 
 came around to see me thai night. None of them 
 expected to see me ali\e in the morning. I slept 
 quite well during the night and woke up in the morn- 
 ing much refreshed. Lieut. Dean of my regiment 
 came to see me. He had three opium pills which he 
 ga\e me, cautioning me to only take one then, one at 
 noon and one at night. After he had gone I looked 
 at the pills and thought if one would do me an}' good 
 three would do me more good, so opening my mouth 
 down went all three pills, each as large as a small pea. 
 Soon after this a ver\' pleasant rebel sergeant came by 
 where 1 law I called to liim and he asketl \ery 
 pleasantl)', "What can 1 do for you?" I answered 
 
that I had a \er\' bad case of diarrhtea, but that it" 1 
 could get five pounds of wheat flour I coukl cure ni)- 
 self. He answered quickly, "you shall have the flour 
 if 1 can get it." Out he went, but verv soon returned, 
 having on a big heavy overcoat, with side pockets like 
 saddle bags. Coming close to me and looking all 
 about to see that no rebs could see him, he pulled out 
 of his spacious pocket a large package of flour and 
 laid it down on the floor b)' me. I thanked him for 
 his kindness and offered him a ten dollar confederate 
 bill. He declined the bill, saying, " You will need tiiat 
 \'Ourself; I onl)' hope the flour will cure \'ou." Man)' 
 thanks to ni}- unknown friend. 
 
 Soon after this, one of our ofificers came by with 
 some cold water from the spring and gave me a capful. 
 I poured three or four spoonsful in another cup, and 
 taking a large spoonful of flour, stirred it together and 
 drank it. This I repeated every five or ten minutes 
 during the forenoon. Not long after this, an officer 
 came along that I was well acquainted with, and I 
 asked him to take some of the flour and make me some 
 porridge. 1 well remember how good it tasted even 
 without salt. All doctors laugh at m\- flour cure 1 
 reasoned then that the lining of my stomach and intes- 
 tines was inflamed by the A'ile contents, and if I could 
 onh' paint them over with flour paste I would get well. 
 I onl}' thought of it as a mechanical process. ( )ne 
 thing is sure, 1 lived, and five or six other officers that 
 had the diarrhcea at the same time and did not use 
 flour, died. From the time we left Richmond until 
 about two weeks after arri\ingat Macon, we were under 
 
 m 
 
the comnian<l of Captain Semple. The best descrip- 
 tion I can give of him is to refer the reader to the 
 stor\- of "Simple Simon." He was a nonentit\in ever\' 
 respect. He was soon relieved of command b\' Capt. 
 Winder, who was a brute b\- instinct and birth. Soon 
 after we arrived at Macon, a large amount of lumber 
 was sent in to prison, and our officers set to work and 
 built four large sheds with steep board roofs. The 
 sides and ends were left open. Rows of bunks were 
 built well up to the roof. No straw or bedding was 
 given us, not even for the sick or wounded. In a few- 
 days new prisoners were brought in. The moment the 
 gate opened to admit them some of the old prisoners 
 would holler at the top of their voices, "Fresh fish." 
 This would be taken up b\' all the rest and a grand 
 rush would be made for the gate. The first impression 
 of a new prisoner was that he had fallen in with a lot 
 of half civilized Indians. We were all unshaved, with 
 long hair, unwashed and half naked. Few who had 
 been in prison over six months had clothing sufficient 
 to cover their nakedness. Most were bare-footed. 
 Those who had pants would turn them each daw The 
 reason for this was too many body lice, as large as a 
 grain of wheat. One day, Capt. Jacob L. Green, assis- 
 tant adjutant general of our brigade, was brought in. I 
 heard them hollering "Custer's men." I immediately 
 made m\- way to the gate, the crowd cheerfully giving 
 wa\' for me. There I found Capt. Green, a most woe- 
 be-gone and forlorn looking person. He was glad to 
 see one face he knew. I took him to where I slept. 
 and asked him if he was hunurw He said hunger was 
 
no name for it. I told him to sit tlown on the floor 
 while I got him some dinner. I went out antl baked 
 him a half dozen corn cakes, and carried them in to him 
 on an old piece of sheet iron, the only plate I had. 
 Setting these down before him on the floor, I invited 
 him to eat. He looked at the cakes, then at me, and 
 bursting out crying, asked, "Lieut. Harris, has it come 
 to this?" I answered, "Ves, Captain, you are luck\- to 
 get that. If I was a well man, with a fair appetite, I 
 would not have had that left from m\- dinner.'" 
 He soon became accustomed to the rations. There 
 were from 2,500 to 3,000 officers confined here. It 
 must be borne in mind that the enlisted men were 
 confined in another prison at Andersonxille, Ga. 
 Among our officers were men from ever\' profession 
 and walk in life. Among them were several fine actors 
 The\- organized a compan\- and frequently entertained 
 us with theatricals from burlesque to Shakespeare. 
 There was a quartet of the finest singers who frequenth" 
 entertained us evenings. Sometimes a thousand voices 
 would join in the chorus. There was also a string band 
 of several pieces that would discourse music seldom 
 heard e\en in the best concerts. Among our num!:)er 
 were several of the best orators living, which we would 
 press into service. All of these relieved the tedium of 
 our confinement and made us forget our poor rations. 
 Among us were several expert penmen. The\- made a 
 good man\' greenback bills of five and ten dollars each. 
 The\- were so clexcrly done that they passed them off 
 on the rebel guards in exchange for tobacco and (jther 
 things the\- could bring in camp in their p(jckets. 
 
While at Macon we used to sweep the whole camp 
 every da\- with brooms made of brush which the rebs 
 furnished us. This dirt was carried out of camp in 
 carts drawn b)' small mules, each mule having a darkey 
 rider and a reb soldier to guard him. But the Yankee 
 was too cunning for him. A few of us thought one of our 
 number ought to go out with each cart. So we asked 
 the darke\' to bring in some elder brush about three- 
 cjuarters of one inch in diameter. We punched out the 
 pith and cut it off in lengths of about eighteen inches. 
 We then carried the dirt we had swept up into piles 
 large enough to fill the cart to its full capacit\-. When 
 the cart would back up to one of the piles a half-dozen 
 or more officers would get around the dirt and throw 
 it into each others faces, and make such a dust that th<.' 
 guards on the stockade could not see what was going 
 on. While this was going on, an officer that wanted to 
 try his chance to escape would crawl into the cart, and 
 placing a piece of the elder in his mouth to breathe 
 through, other officers would shovel the dirt all over 
 him, filling the cart to its brim. One of the officers 
 would slyl)' tell the darkc}' to go out in the woods to 
 dump this load, and to drive back b\- a house (of pros- 
 titution) and tell some of the girls to go there after 
 dark and get the Yankee. No matter whether he told 
 a white or colored girl, the\' would go and get the 
 \'ankee and start him on the road towards our lines. In 
 this wa\' several of our men escaped, anil man\- more 
 would have gone out in the same wa\' if a majoritx' of 
 our committee on escape had not allowed a \cry young 
 officer to go out. Two or three of us protested \er\' 
 
-strongl)' against it as we did not think he would use 
 good judgment. It proved as we thought. In a few 
 da\'s he was recaptured, and was fool enough to brag 
 how he escaped from prison. Of course our scheme 
 was up. No more officers could get out that way. Our 
 rations here were better and more of them than we had 
 when in Libb}', }et they were b}- no means what they 
 should have been. A day's rations to each man was 
 supposed to be a pint of corn meal, a tablespoonful of 
 poor rice, a tablespoonful of burnt sorghum, and three 
 da\s in the week two ounces of bacon. The bacon 
 was alwaws full of maggots. One day I sat on the 
 ground b\- a fire with several other officers cooking our 
 dinner of corn cakes and broiling our bacon. A ver)' 
 large maggot came up on top of m\- piece. It was about 
 half an inch long and about an eighth in diameter. As 
 it came out it curled u]) and jumped about four 
 inches high. I hollered out: "I will bet m\' maggot 
 can jump higher than anyone in camp." This was 
 taken up and hollered all over camp that the "Dahl- 
 gren raider has got the biggest maggot in prison." 
 Soon there was a big crowd about us; an\'thing for 
 a diversion. After cooking the bacon of one side 
 we would scrape the maggots off the top and turn 
 it over. When done we would eat it, maggots and all, 
 with a heart}', good relish. Much more so than an\- of 
 us can now eat chicken pie or roast turkew We were 
 ver\' hungry then. 
 
 One day a rebel lieutenant and three or lour ol his 
 men were standing near me at roll call. The\- got into 
 a dispute whether Lee or Grant was their general. 
 
 121 
 
The\' agreed to leave it to me. The lieutenant asked 
 me which one was their general. I said " General 
 Grant is \oar general." He then turned to his men 
 and said, "There, I told you so." Then turning to me 
 said, " Yank, if you had General Grant on \our side 
 vou would have licked us long ago." 
 
 The terms "mush eater" and " puddin' head" 
 originated among us here in Macon. Neither was 
 intended to be an insult to an\- person ; \et there were 
 a few who resented it very much. One new prisoner, 
 who was o\er six feet and a very powerful man, said 
 he would kill an\-one that would call him a " ])uddin' 
 head." The boys almost worried the life out of him. 
 Col. Hawkins, colonel of a Tennessee caxalry regi- 
 ment, was brought in prison, together with his son 
 and several other of his oiTicers. Col. Hawkins be- 
 came ver\- despondent. One da}- his son came and 
 wanted me to go and rouse him up. I was wilHng to 
 go provided he would protect me from his father, as 
 I was hardh' able to walk about. He promised to see 
 that no harm came to me. I then went to Col. Hawkins' 
 bunk antl had a few moments pleasant conversation 
 with him. tr)'ing to reason him out of his despondenc\', 
 antl tried to show him that his feelings were only an 
 in)ur\' to himself and to other officers. His onl\' 
 answer was that we would all die before we were 
 exchanged. 1 laughed at him, liut all to no a\ail in 
 rousing him up. As a last resort 1 taunted him on 
 being captured without being wounded. His liot 
 Southern blood resentttl this, and jumping h'om his 
 bunk made for me with a \engeance. threatening to 
 
mop the camp up with me. His son and two or three 
 other officers from his regiment, who were posted as to 
 what I was doing, kept between us. I flourished my 
 fist at him with all my strength, teUing him to come 
 on, I could lick him with one hand. This went on 
 several minutes, when all of us burst out laughing. 
 The colonel was quick-witted, and turning to his son 
 asked, " What does this mean?" He told him they 
 had got Lieut. Harris to come and rouse him up and 
 '" he has succeeded." Hawkins saw through it in an 
 instant and joined us in a hearty laugh at his expense. 
 He came forward and extending his hand, thanked me 
 for curing him. After this I had no better friends in 
 prison, or those who would do more for me, tlian Col. 
 Hawkins and son, as well as other officers of his regi- 
 ment. We both lived to be exchanged. 
 
 Two or three years after this he was elected a 
 member of Congress from his district. One da\- while 
 in conversation with some members from Michigan ni)' 
 name was mentioned. He asked if 1 was a Dahlgren 
 raider. On being informed that 1 was the person, he 
 inquired where 1 li\ed, and immediate!)- took his hat 
 and coat and left for my house. M\- wife and self 
 were sitting in our parlor when a loud knock came at 
 the door, and then opening it and stepping in. seeing 
 me, said: " Lieut. 1 1 arris, \ou saved my life at Macon. 
 I just found you out and came right up to thank n'Ou 
 again for it." We had supper and spent a ver\- pleasant 
 evening together, talking o\er old prison and war 
 times. During his term we spent man\- a pleasant 
 hour together, both at m\- house and his rooms. Capt. 
 
 123 
 
Green in some way procured a razor and shaved me 
 several times. I tried to shave him one day. He hol- 
 lered like a loon, saying I was pulling all the hair out of 
 his face. I concluded I was not a success as a barber. 
 
 Lieut. Davis relieved Capt. Winder in command of 
 the prison. Davis was a gentleman and a brave man. 
 He gave us better rations and more of them ; nor 
 would he allow the sentinels to fire at a prisoner because 
 he was near the dead line. His administration was a 
 perfect contrast to that of the brute, Capt. Winder. 
 Lieut. Davis resigned, after being with us about two 
 weeks, to act as a spy for the rebels in the west. He 
 told some of our officers what he proposed to do. 
 They tried to dissuade him from doing so. Davis was 
 relieved by Col. Gibbs, a North Carolinian, who proved 
 to be an excellent man in every respect. He came in 
 prison ever\' day to talk with our senior officer, and 
 kindly listening to any complaint we had to make 
 through him. He remedied all just complaints as far 
 as possible. 
 
 In the spring of 1866 I was walking by the National 
 hotel, on the corner of Penns\lvania ave. and Sixth st.. 
 Washington, and saw Col. Gibbs on the porch. 1 went 
 up to him and extending ni)' hand, said: "How do 
 you do, Col. Gibbs." He was quite uneasy and said, 
 "I cannot recall )'ou." I answered, "1 presume not ;" 
 that likely I looked very different from what 1 did 
 when he saw me last. I told him I was one of the 
 prisoners at Macon, of which he had command. This 
 made him still more uneasy, but I soon put him at ease 
 by telling him that any of the old prisoners would be 
 
 124 
 
glad to see him. He informed me that he was left 
 penniless after the war, and that he did not have a dol- 
 lar in his pocket. His expenses to and from Washing- 
 ton were paid by the Government. I told a lot of the 
 ex-prisoners about him. and we had a meeting at mv 
 ofifice and raised him quite a little sum of money, and 
 one among us who was well acquainted with President 
 Johnson, going to him, secured a full pardon for Col. 
 Gibbs. Several of us went over to the hotel and pre- 
 sented the pardon and purse to iiim. He was very 
 much surprised and gratified to receive them from 
 those, who but a short time before, were his enemies. 
 He was completel}' overcome and unable to speak for 
 a few moments. He thanked us for both the pardon 
 and purse, sa}'ing, that he prized them highly, coming 
 from us. 
 
 It mav be interesting to the reader to know w hat 
 became of Lieut. Davis. After leaving Macon, he 
 went to Gen. Hood as a sp)'. In the spring of 1865, 
 he was captured inside our lines and condemned b\' a 
 court martial to be hung. One morning, just after I 
 had reached m)- olifice, an ex-prisoner rushed in with a 
 paper and said to me, "read that." It was a short 
 article, telling that a man by the name of Lieut. I)a\is 
 was to be hung at noon as a spy in Knoxville, Tenn. 
 We both went as fast as possible to find an ex-prisoner 
 who was acquainted with President Johnson. He went 
 immediateh' to the White House and laid the case be- 
 fore the president, who called his telegraph operator 
 and told him to get the operator in Knoxville as soon 
 as possible, and tell the commanding officer there not 
 
 125 
 
to hang Lieut. Davis. Soon an an.s\ver came that his 
 telegram reached him too late, that he was hung fifteen 
 minutes before. All old prisoners expressed regret at 
 the outcome, but we had done all we could to save him. 
 After being confined in Macon, Ga., for about two 
 months, we were divided up in squads of about six 
 hundred and sent away. I was in squad number 
 one, which was sent to Savannah, Ga. The other two 
 squads were sent to Charleston, S. C. On the road to 
 Savannah, our train had to la)- over some time on a 
 siding, waiting for another train to pass us. While here 
 we were allowed to get out of the cars and walk about 
 within a few feet of them. They also allowed us to 
 bu)' watermelons of the darkies; the melons were the 
 largest and finest I ever saw. The next da)' we arri\ed 
 in Savannah and were marched out about two miles and 
 put in the )'ard of the Marine hospital. Here we were 
 turned over to the command of a large company of 
 men called "The Marion Guards." Each member was 
 a direct descendant of one of Gen. Marion's men. Their 
 ages were at least sevent)' )'ears down to about eighteen 
 N'ears. The captain was a ver)- pleasant looking man, 
 full)' sevent)' )'ears old, short, thick set, w ith white hair. 
 Soon after he took command we began to holler, 
 "Rations, where are our rations?" This brought the 
 captain into camp \er)' quickl)- to find out what we 
 meant. We told him that we hatl no rations and had 
 nothing to eat that da)'. He said he would do all he 
 could for us. Calling all his men together he told them 
 our situation and asked them, all who were not on post, 
 to go home and bring all the) could spare for us to 
 
eat. In about an hour eatables began to be brought in. 
 Each one brought what he had on hand; bread, cake, 
 pies, preserv^es, pickles, etc. Thanks to the good 
 people of Savannah, and especially to the Marion 
 Guards, we had a good supper. The next da)- the 
 captain procured a cjuantity of rice and sent it to us. 
 The captain, his officers and men were all good soldiers, 
 and ever\- one of them gentlemen. While the}- were 
 with us not a gun was fired, and we began to feel safe. 
 One day the captain came into the prison and asked if 
 we would like some reading matter. We said it would 
 be a great lu.\ur\' to us. That evening a wagon was 
 driven into prison well filled with magazines, books and 
 papers. I got hold of Milton's "Paradise Lost" and 
 read it through several times. They were all passed 
 from one to another, and sometimes we would get a 
 good reader to read aloud; he was al\va\s sure of a 
 good audience. Thc;y were with us only about a week 
 when they were relieved by a part of the Second 
 Georgia regulars under the command of Maj. Wa\ne. 
 This regiment had been to the front for some time and 
 was sent to guard us that the\- might have time to 
 recruit. Maj. Wayne was a very rough man. He 
 alwa)-s left a blue streak of profanit\- behind him, yet 
 for all that he had a big heart in him. Without doubt 
 he was a brave man, as he had beei in man\- battles 
 and bore a good name with the office ,ul men of his 
 regiment. He procured tents for us, and gave us more 
 and better rations than we had before or afterwards 
 while we were in prison. I asked of him the privilege 
 of bu)'ing and selling a few articles in prison, such as 
 
 137 
 
cigars, cakes, bread, writing paper, etc. He even 
 brought in one of his lieutenants and directed him to 
 bu)- such things for nic at the best possible price. 
 I made a few dollars in this \va\-, which enabled me to 
 get a few things I very much needed in m\' weak 
 condition. 
 
 We were kept here in prison about six weeks, when 
 very much to our regret we were taken b}' rail to 
 Charleston, S. C, and put in the jail yard. We found 
 that all the other prisoners we had left behind in Macon 
 had been brought direct to Charleston. We Wvj^re all 
 taken there to keep our folks from firing on the city 
 from the Swamp Angel Batter)-. Quite a number of 
 our boys thought we were going to be exchanged \'er\' 
 soon. They were much disappointed that we were 
 not. Capt. Sprague, an officer in the First Michigan 
 Cavalry, gave up to a feeling of despondency. One 
 da)' I was walking by the jail and saw him sitting on 
 the ground leaning against the wall with his face laying 
 on his knees, the worst picture of despair I ever saw. 
 I tried m\' best to rouse him up; so did others, but all to 
 no use. The seconci da)' after this he died. A perfect 
 example of the power of the mind over the bod)'. 
 
 Few shells were fired into the cit\' during the day- 
 time, but as soon as it came night the)' would begin 
 firing, and man)' times there would be three or four in 
 sight at one time. Most ot them were fuse shell and 
 each would leave a streak of sparks behind it similar to 
 a large sk\'-rocket. They were a beautiful sight. The 
 shells were from eight to twehe inches in diameter and 
 about two feet long. The)' were fired at an angle of 
 
 128 
 
more than twenty-two degrees. The\' would be fulh' 
 one mile high before the\' would turn to come down. 
 One starlight night I la\- on m\- back watching them, 
 when one looked as though it was coming directh' at 
 me. I jumped up and ran several feet, when I stopped 
 and thought, "What a fool I am to try to get out of the 
 way in so small a place." I looked up and saw the 
 shell go directl)' o\er us, yet high up in the air. It 
 struck over a mile bexond us. I went back and laid 
 down on my side so I could not see them, and then 
 went to sleep. One da}' several of us were sitting under 
 a small locust tree in one corner of the \ard pla\"ing 
 cards, when a shell came over a little to our left, but 
 the fuse being cut sexeral seconds too short, it exploded 
 when it was about three hundred feet in the air. 
 A piece of it about as large as two hands came over and 
 cut the body of the tree off just above our heads. 
 We scratched out on all fours to get out of the wa_\-. 
 
 One da)' I was standing near a door leading into 
 the jail. A reb soldier was standing guard at the door 
 to keep us out. A colored bo)', aljout fifteen xe.irs old, 
 who was errand boy to the jailer came down the hall 
 and looked out of the door. The guard ordered him to 
 go back. The bo\- started to go and had got to the 
 foot of the stairs about ten feet from the door, when the 
 guard drew up his gun and deliberately shot the box- 
 through the lungs. He gave one cry and fell to the 
 floor dead. The reason the guard gave for killing him 
 was he claimed the bo)' laughed when he told him to go 
 back. The guard was relieved from post, but w?s 
 e.xonerated b\' the authorities for killing the bov. 
 
cause he said the nigger laughed at him. This man, or 
 rather brute, was placed on the same post in the after- 
 noon. We immediatel)' called the officer of the guard 
 and requested him to remove that man from guard in 
 our camp, as we were afraid he would kill a Yankee as 
 quick as he would a nigger if he imagined any of us 
 were laughing at him. The officer respected our wishes 
 and removed him from amongst or even about us, as 
 we saw no more of him during our stay in the jail yard. 
 
 Our rations were fair, and the officers and men on 
 guard over us were generally kind. We were kept in 
 Charleston about three weeks, when we were taken by 
 cars to Columbia, S. C, where we arrived about the loth 
 of October. We were kept a few hours in a large 
 vacant lot adjoining a large warehouse which was filled 
 with bacon. The windows were all open and all well 
 barred, but our boys were hungry and here in plain 
 sight was plent)' to eat. The}' soon found some sticks 
 about six feet long, and driving a nail through one end 
 as a hook, soon drew out quite a number of pieces of 
 bacon before they were discovered b}- the guard. We 
 were immediately moved to another part of the town 
 to a large vacant lot. We were kept here until the next 
 afternoon. 
 
 In the morning Lieut. Parker, of the Eleventh 
 Vermont Infantry, was brought into our camp all torn 
 to pieces by blood hounds. He, together with two 
 other of our officers, had jumped from the cars when 
 we were not man}' miles from Columbia. A large pack 
 of hounds were set uj^on their track. Parker was over 
 six feet high and a most perfect buill man. llis two 
 
 130 
 
companions were small in statue. Parker helped both 
 his comrades to climb trees out of the dogs' reach, but 
 before he could climb up out of their way the dogs 
 were on him. There were so man\- he could not fight 
 them all off. They literally tore him to pieces; so 
 much so that he died the same da\' he was brought 
 back to prison. The brutes of men in charge of the 
 dogs stood b)' and gloated to see him torn to pieces. 
 
 The ne.xt da\- we were marched out about three 
 miles from the city on top of a hill to camp. A line 
 was laid out for the guard line, and an imaginar\' line 
 twent}' feet inside the guard line was called the dead 
 line. Soon after, there was a very hard, cold rain tor 
 several days. We had nothing to shelter us from the 
 storm. It was hard for the well men to stand it and 
 much more so for me. Most of the able-bodied men 
 dug down in the ground about four feet, and covering 
 the hole with sticks, then covering them with dirt, had 
 a dr\' and ver\" comfortable place to sleep in. Some of 
 these dug-outs would not be over two feet wide by six 
 or sev^en feet long, just large enough for one man to 
 crawl into, but most of them would be wide enough for 
 three or four to crawl into and la\' down. 1 remember 
 one made b\' several officers from Vermont that was 
 called the "Palace." The roof had quite a pitch to it, 
 so a man could stand upright in the center. The)' had 
 a fire-place in it to cook by and to keep warm. It was 
 large enough so eight or ten coukl lie down on the 
 floor at one time. I was still suffering from my wound 
 and could not use my left arm at all, so it was impos- 
 sible for me to fi.x up an\- shelter for myselt. There 
 
 131 
 
\\ 
 
 as a small pine tree about ten feet high with a heavy 
 foliage on it. I made ni}- home under this; it kept off 
 some of the rain and sleet, but \\as no protection from 
 the cold'November blasts which swept over the camp. 
 About twenty feet from me was a mess of fi\'e or 
 six of^cers, one of whom had been taken violently 
 sick. The surgeon in charge had him taken out of 
 camp and put in a tent he had pitched some ways from 
 the prison. The next da\-, the surgeon, Dr. La Groon, 
 came in camp and asked some of his fellow messmates 
 to go out and take care of him, telling them he had a 
 very bad case of yellow fever. They all refused to go 
 out and care for liim. Dr. La Groon was ver\- angry, 
 and justly so, and said: "\'ou cannot expect us to 
 detail an\- of our men to care for your sick." As he 
 came back b\- me I asked him what the trouble was. 
 He said there was three of our officers out in a tent 
 dying with )'ellow fever, and he could not get any of 
 our men to go out and care for them. I said to him, 
 "Doctor, 1 am very badly wounded and cannot use m\' 
 left arm, but I will go out and do all I can for them on 
 one condition." His face brightened up and asked me 
 what was that. I answered, "that \-ou will take care of 
 me ;" as I well knew I would catch the fever from 
 them lie promptl\' answered, "I will tlo it." He 
 took me out of the prison camp and to the hospital 
 tent in the field. I there found three of our officers 
 ver\- low. All I could do was to give them medicine 
 and water to wet their mouths. That night the\- were 
 all taken with the black \omit. All three died the 
 next inornine- 
 
 132 
 
Several of our officers were allowed to come out 
 of the prison camp, and we hurried them at sunset under 
 a persimmon tree near b3\ That evening Dr. La 
 Groon sent for me to come to his tent, and said that 
 without doubt I w^ould have the )'ellow fever, and de- 
 scribed the first symptoms, and also told me to come 
 to him immediately, and above all things not to get 
 scared. He took me to a tent near his and told me to 
 lie there that night. In the middle of the night I woke 
 up with the very s)'mptoms he had told me of. I went 
 to his tent and roused him up. He gave me a big 
 tablespoonful of white medicine, which I supposed was 
 calomel; at any rate it physiced me so hard that 
 I thought m}' toe nails would come off. About noon 
 Dr. La Groon came in to see how I was. He said, 
 "Vou are all safe now; lie still two or three days and 
 \ou will be all right." The latter remark was super- 
 flous, for I was too sick to care to move, and too weak 
 from the effects of the ph\'sic to get up if I wanted to. 
 In a few days I was up and about. One da\- Dr. La 
 Groon said to me, "Lieut. Harris, you are just the man 
 I want to put in charge of the Yankee hospital." This 
 consisted of a large tent with a lot of straw on the 
 ground to lie on. It was a great luxury to me. The 
 hospital was just across the road from the prison camp, 
 and not more than ten rods from post number one, 
 which w^as the entrance to prison. The road that 
 passed by the camp, and hospital was the only one from 
 Columbia to Saluda factor}-. This was a cotton factory, 
 making cloth for the confederate arm\-, and was burned 
 soon after this bv Gen. .SluTman. Dr. La Ciroon eave 
 
 133 
 
me the privilege of walking over to the faclory at an\- 
 time. 
 
 One da)- I went over and as I was walking along 
 the street a woman opened the blinds of her window 
 slightly and asked me who I was. I told her I was a 
 Yankee prisoner. She hardly believed me until I 
 showed her I was wounded, and assured her that I was 
 in the hospital. She then invited me to come in. 
 I stepped inside the door which she was very careful to 
 close after me. She sent her little girl out to ask in 
 several other women, saying to her not to let an}- one 
 else know who was in the house. She then told me 
 that herself and each of the women she had invited in 
 to see me were good Union women. 
 
 I spent a very pleasant two hours or more with 
 them. The)- each contributed a little, and set before 
 me a better dinner than I had eaten for a long time. 
 The husband of each had been compelled to enter the 
 rebel army; part were killed. One woman said she had 
 not heard from her husband for over six months. 
 
 As I was about to leave, one got a pair of cotton 
 pants, another a pair of men's shoes and gave me. 
 1 bade them, and a dozen little children, good-b)'e. 
 with man)' thanks for the pants and shoes, and returned 
 to the hospital tent. I tried on the pants and found 
 them too short at both ends by at least six inches, 
 and too small around b)- about three inches. The 
 man that wore them before me must have been short 
 and might)- thin; however, 1 tied them together in 
 front with strings. The)' were much better than the 
 ones 1 had, as m\- old ones had a tremendous big hole 
 
 IIM 
 
in the nether end of them, and I was very much afraid 
 the lower part would drop off just when it would be 
 very embarrassing, and what made it still worse for me 
 one of my coattails was shot off in the same engage- 
 ment in which I was wounded. The cotton pants was 
 a valuable addition to m}- scanty wardrobe. Thanks 
 to the good woman who gave them to mc, for I have 
 no doubt she saw the necessit}- of my having them. 
 However, I kept all the women in front of me as much 
 as possible, and when I left the house I backed out and 
 kept on backing until they closed the door. The shoes 
 were too small for me and I gave them to another 
 officer that could wear them. 
 
 One evening, not long after this, two of the rebel 
 officers came to the hospital and wanted me to go with 
 them over to the factory to a public dance. They said 
 they wanted to show the folks over there a "real live 
 Yankee." I went with them and enjoyed it ver}- much. 
 I could not dance, and if I had known how it would 
 not have been safe for me to have done so, as it would 
 have aroused the envy of others there. 
 
 A few evenings after this, the same officers came 
 to me again saying that some of the )oung women at 
 the factory had arranged for a private dance at one of 
 their houses, and had sent a request to bring the same 
 Yankee with them. Of course I went and had a very 
 pleasant time until about 1 1 o'clock, when a half-dozen 
 young men who were not invited came in and threw 
 red pepper on the floor. This stopped the dancing. 
 One of the \oung men made a ver\- rough remark 
 about the Yankee being there. Upon hearing this one 
 
 135 
 
of the officers who had invited me to come stepped 
 across the room and handed me a loaded revolver, say- 
 ing, "Lieut. Harris, you know how to shoot; take care 
 of yourself." The young men who were not invited 
 soon left. The women then dampened the floor and 
 continued the dancing. This was the last time I went 
 to the village, as I thought it too dangerous. 
 
 I spent about half the daytime in prison, going in 
 with Dr. La Groon in the morning, and getting him to 
 leave orders at the gate to let me out. One day, a big, 
 long, lean hog came running through the camp. All 
 the officers knew it in an instant, and in less time than 
 it takes to tell it there were over a thousand after it 
 The hog had a ver}- long snout and four long tusks 
 which made him look like a dangerous thing to get too 
 near. It was fun to see him open his big mouth and 
 make a dash to get out, and to see the bo)^s jump to 
 get out of the way. Some were not quick enough and 
 were knocked sprawling on the ground. Finally, after 
 a good many stabs with knives he was knocked over 
 by one of the officers hitting him in the head with a 
 club. It was cjuickly cut in pieces and on the the fire 
 cooking. 
 
 Almost all the guards could be bought for a ten- 
 dollar confederate bill to let out in the night any officer 
 who wanted to tr\' and escape to our lines. Generally 
 there was a party of four went out. In each case $40 was 
 paid to the guard. There had to be two guarcis in the 
 secret. Our officers would lie down near the dead line 
 and close to the posts where the guards were. When 
 the guards would meet at the post and turn about and 
 
march in opposite directions our officers would crawl 
 out between them and make off. 
 
 Soon the commanding officer found out that too 
 many Yankees were missing. He hired what they 
 called there "a nigger hunter" with a pack of blood 
 hounds to track the Yankees. Ever\- morning, this 
 man would ride clear around the prison camp on a 
 good horse with a pack of about twel\-e fierce looking 
 dogs. He had two very valuable tracking hounds 
 chained together by a chain about a foot long attached 
 to their collars. These dogs, he claimed, had cost him 
 ten thousand dollars each in confederate monc\-, which 
 was the same as one hundred dollars each in green- 
 backs. These two dogs when started out would keep 
 their noses to the ground and as soon as the\' stru.ck 
 a track would start off and follow it up, ba\ing at 
 almost e\er\- jump. The other ten dogs following be- 
 hind until the\- were in sight of the person the\' were 
 on the track of, when they would all pitch on to the 
 man and actually tear him to pieces lik'e a pack of 
 hungr)' wolves, (^ur boys remembered the pitiful con- 
 dition and fate of poor Lieut. Parker, aiul tletermined, 
 if they could prevent it, no other one of us should suf- 
 fer from such brutal men and beasts. 
 
 ( )ur boys formed a plan to kill the two tracking 
 bloodhounds. The first dark exening, three or four 
 of our number wanted to escape. The\- went (nit at 
 post number twenty and went over a routi' laid out for 
 them. After the}' had been out about two hours one of 
 our men crawled out at post number eighteen, which was 
 about twelve rods to the right of post number twent\', 
 
 137 
 
where the others had gone out. He kept well to the 
 right of their path for about a mile from camp, when 
 h^ turned to the left and crossed the tracks of the 
 others and kept on quite a distance, then turning to the 
 left, came back and crawled into camp at post number 
 twenty-two, which was about twelve rods to the left of 
 post tvvent)'. 
 
 In the morning, the nigger hunter and the other 
 brutes started out to make their usual round, and soon 
 struck the deco\' track and followed it into camp. Our 
 boN's were laying in wait for them, each one armed with 
 a long knife. Several tried to catch the chain but 
 failed. Capt. Adams, from New York, was more suc- 
 cessful. He caught the chain with his left hand, and 
 quick as flash thrust his knife into both dogs. Others 
 close by did the same. The dogs would not track 
 a Yankee again. The}^ were killed right by a deep 
 clay pit, and were thrown into this and covered up. 
 Very soon the hunter came riding into camp, wanting 
 to know where his dogs were. Not a man had seen or 
 heard of them. He went out and informed the com- 
 mancier, who brought in camp about one hundred men. 
 These he stretched clear across camp and searched 
 ever)' corner in it without finding them. Finally, one 
 of their officers thought of the cla\- pit, and throwing 
 out the brush found the dead dogs. He said he would 
 punish the officer that killed them, lie told our 
 senior ofhcer that he would not gi\'e us an\- more 
 rations until we surrentlered the one that ditl the 
 killing. He did ncjt send in our usual rations that 
 day. " 
 
The next morning our senior officer sent word out 
 to the rebel commander that he wanted to see him. 
 He soon came in expecting we were read\- to give up 
 the dog-killer. Instead of that, our colonel informed 
 him that unless he sent in our rations within one hour, 
 he would give the order for us to break camp, and that 
 we would kill every man that resisted us, and if we 
 caught him would hang him to a tree. This thoroughl\' 
 scared him, and in less than an hour he sent in a larger 
 amount of rations than we ever had before. This 
 ended our clog fight and put an end to the blood hounds 
 being sent around our camp every morning. 
 
 One pleasant afternoon I took a walk down the 
 road toward .Saluda factor}', and had not gone over 
 twenty rods when I heard a carriage coming behind 
 me. Looking back, I saw a two-seated carriage with a 
 fine span of horses. On the rear seat were two young 
 women with a darke)' driver. The woman on the right 
 leaned out and motioned with her hand for me to stop. 
 I stepped into the bushes by the side of the road. They 
 drove up to me and stopped. I saw two beautiful 
 women; the one next me was not over thirt}' N-ears old, 
 and by her side sat a girl not over twenty, both having 
 black hair and eyes. The elder asked if 1 was a 
 Yankee. 1 laughed outright and said, "Yes, Madam, 
 I am a full-blooded one." "Then how came >-ou out 
 here?" I told her I was badly wounded when 1 was 
 captured and was in the hospital tent that she had just 
 passed. .She asked if 1 knew that tomorrow was Abe 
 Lincoln's Thanksgiving day; also whether 1 had an>-- 
 thing to be thankful for. "No, Madam, nothing but a 
 
little poor coin bread." She said, "It )ou will meet me 
 here tomorrow at this time, I will iM-ing nou something 
 to be thankful for." She then said she supposed 
 I knew who and what she was, also that she kept the 
 largest house in Columbia. She gave me her card, 
 sa}'ing if an\- of our officers could get out of camp and 
 come to her house she would start them on the road to 
 our lines. We found that this woman had established 
 an underground line to Knoxville, Tenn., at great 
 trouble and expense. I took her card into camp next 
 cla)' and gave her address to c]uite a number of our men. 
 A number took advantage of her offer and were helped 
 through to our lines. 
 
 The next da)', at the appointed time, I was at the 
 same place. True to her word she came and brought a 
 large basket of soda biscuits, sa\ing, " The\' are Yankee 
 Ijiscuits, and you will like them better than the wa}' we 
 make them;" also a lot of butter, two nice bakeci 
 chickens and sauce to go with them. I thanked her to 
 the best of my ability, and calling one of the other 
 officers in the hospital, we carried all to a grass plot b\' 
 the side of the tent. I called all the inmates out and 
 had them sit down in a ring. There was about a dozen. 
 I then took all the eatables in the center and divided 
 them as ecjually as possible to each one, reserving one 
 pile for myself. We thanked our Maker and the 
 woman that ga\e to us our Thanksgiving dinner. We 
 called her an angel (some might sa)' she was a fallen 
 angel). VVe had a good dinner, which we enjoyed be- 
 Nond an\' possibilit\' of describing. 
 
 uo 
 
There was an old i^enuine Coiii^o ncL^ro that drove 
 one of the teams about camp tliat 1 had spoken to very 
 pleasant!)' on the sly. One day he told me to lie close 
 to the back side of m\- tent and he woidd come and 
 tell me all the news. About tweh'e o'clock that nii^ht 
 1 heard a scratching on the tent, and on raising the 
 bottom up a little, found m}' negro friend l>'ing close 
 to the tent. He told mc all about Gen. .Sherman's 
 march to the sea. He repeated this every night as 
 long as I was at Columbia. I would go into camp 
 ever\- day with Dr. La Groon. By so doing I was able 
 to keep them posted about Gen. Sherman. Lieut. 
 Barse, of my regiment, and Capt. Clark, of the P'irst 
 Michigan Cavalry, wanted to tr_\- to get to .Sherman's 
 lines. .So I had them go up to Post Number One, and 
 represent they were sick and ordered out to the hos- 
 pital b\' the doctor. The ruse succeeded, and as soon 
 as the\' reached the hospital, I covered them up in one 
 corner with straw. 1 cooked them all the rations we 
 had or could get. That night the)- started off, and 
 after several nights' march fell in with some of Gen. 
 Kilpatrick's men. About this time a man came up 
 from Charleston with an immense quantitx' of Confed- 
 erate mone}' which he offered to exchange with us, 
 giving any officer $400.00 for a draft for $100.00 in gold 
 on an\' banker in the north. I signed a draft for 
 $100.00 in gold which I felt sure would not be paid. 
 Major Griswold, the rebel commander, would not allow 
 us to have the money. We had to put it in the hands 
 of some one of the rebel officers. I chose Dr. La 
 Groon. I hoped in some wa\' this money would help 
 
 141 
 
me out of prison; and it did, as will be seen how I 
 used it. 
 
 Two or three days after this I was told b}- Dr. La 
 Groon that Major Griswold had an order to send to 
 Charleston one hundred and twelve of the sick and 
 wounded among our officers to be exchanged I told 
 the Doctor that I expected him to put me on the list 
 as I was certainly the worst wounded man in the prison. 
 He said that opposite my name was placed the remark 
 that I was not to be exchanged until the end of the 
 war, and it would not be safe for him to be the means 
 of my exchange. This was news to me. 1 knew this 
 was the work of the contemptible Gen. Winder. I 
 thought a moment, and said, " Doctor, I have a favor 
 to ask of }'ou, and that is to keep your mouth shut." 
 He laughed and said he would do it unless it would 
 compromise him by doing so. I told him that I would 
 do nothing but what he would sanction under the cir- 
 cumstances. I knew that one of the guards whose 
 home was in the mountains of Northern (jeorgia had 
 just received from there several gallons of whisk}- 
 which he had for sale. I went immediatelx" to his tent 
 and asked him the price of a gallon. He said, " Four 
 hundred dollars." I told him I wanted a gallon of it. 
 " \'ou can have it if 1 get the mone)'." I told him to 
 come along with me to Dr. La Groon and I would pay 
 him. 1 requested thj doctor to pay the four hundred 
 dollars he had of my money to the soklier. He 
 thought there was something wrong and wanted to 
 know all about it. I told him it was to pa>- for a gallon 
 of " mountain ^^dew," and with that I proposed to fix 
 
things so I would be on the road to God's country' to- 
 morrow. He said, "All right," and wished nic success. 
 I went back to m)- tent and laid down, but hardl)- 
 closed m\' e\'es in sleep that night, for the morrow 
 would be full of momentous events to me; exchange, 
 freedom, friends, or more of prison life. Morning 
 came at last; and soon Major Griswold and all his offi- 
 cers gathered at post number one. I immediate!}' 
 went to the guard and got a quart of the whisk}' and 
 went over to where the Major was standing, and after 
 talking a moment about the exchange pulled out the 
 bottle of whisk}- anci passed it to the Major with my 
 compliments and invited him to take a drink. He 
 asked, " Where did }'ou get that ? " I answered, 
 " Major, it's all right, I refer }ou to Dr. La Groon," 
 who stood close b}-. The Major then said to me, 
 " Drink first." I put the bottle to ni}- mouth but did 
 not drink a drop. I then passed it to the Major who 
 took a big drink and passed it to another officer. The 
 bottle was empt\- before all the officers had a drink. I 
 took the bottle and went to the guard and had it filled 
 again. The Major took another big drink and passed 
 it along. I had before this retjuested both Dr. La 
 Groon and Dr. Coleman not to touch it as I wanted 
 them both perfecti}- sober as 1 might need their help. 
 About fifteen minutes had passed since 1 first pre- 
 sented the bottle to the major. The whisk}- was be- 
 ginning to take effect on him, and he called out in a 
 Unid \oice, "Where are all these \'ankees that want to 
 be exchanged?" There was quite a large crowd of our 
 officers gathered about the gate. I called out to them 
 
 U3 
 
to come on if they wanted to be exchanged. A good 
 man)' more than was wanted came out. So as to count 
 them, the major ordered them to fall in rank two and 
 two. He then told one of his of^cers to go down each 
 side and count how many there were. Both of these 
 officers and the major were so drunk the\- could not 
 count right. Before the\- had got far down the line the 
 Yanks in the rear would fall out and go around them and 
 fall in in front. The officers counting, reported there 
 were ninet}' in line. Then the major called for more to 
 come out. They were not long in coming. The major 
 had them counted again. Then there were two or three 
 too man)', for not enough had fallen out and gone around. 
 Another count was ordered. Bn' this time none of the 
 rebel officers could walk or count straight, and too 
 man)' of our boys fell out frotn the rear and went 
 around to the front. This time the)' reported short of 
 the required number of ont; hundred and twelve. 
 I had kept on the other side of our lines from Major 
 Griswold anci close to our line. Soon the major turned 
 to Capt. Maltb)' in command of a company from a 
 Georgia regiment that was to guard us to Charleston, 
 and staggering up to him said, "Damn 'em, I guess 
 there is a hundred and twelve of them, go along with 
 them." The column started and I fell in among our 
 boys and went too. M)' four hundred dollars' worth ot 
 whisk)' had worked to perfection so far. We tramped 
 it down to Columbia with light hearts and a good step- 
 We were taken to the cars and not long after we were 
 on our wa)' to Charleston. While waiting for the cars 
 we counted to see how man)- there were ot us. As I 
 
 144 
 
now rememl)ci', there were two hundred and fift}"-six 
 got out on an order for one hundred and twelve and a 
 gallon of whisk)' to boot. Whisky did me, and a hun- 
 dred and forty-four other officers, a big fa\or that day- 
 Thanks to Dr. La Groon and Dr. Coleman for keeping 
 their mouths shut. A word from either would ha\e 
 betrayed me. I ha\e done ni}- best to find both or 
 either of them to thank them for their kindness to me. 
 We had got out of prison and were on our wa\' to free- 
 dom, but how were we to pass Capt. Match at Charles- 
 ton. One of our number said to us, "Lieut. Harris has 
 got us out and now I will get all of \ou b\- Capt. Hatch, 
 we are old school-mates and chums." 
 
 The next da)' we arrived in Charleston, and our 
 train was stopped at the old cotton depot some ways 
 out from the wharf. Capt. Hatch was standing on the 
 platform. Our West \^irginia officer went to him, and 
 extending his hand, soon made himself known. The)' 
 had a pleasant conversation for a few moments, \\hen 
 our officer said, "Capt. Hatch, we have full double here 
 what ) our order called for; 1 hope you won't send any 
 of us back." Capt. Hatch said, "No, 1 wish \'ou had 
 brought them all along, 1 would put them all on board 
 )'our boats." A loud three cheers went up upon hear- 
 ing this. He then told us it was too late to take us 
 out to our boats that evening, but said he would gi\e us 
 the best hotel in the city to put up at that night. Off 
 we started down town afoot. Capt. Hatch told the 
 guard to let us go as we desired. We were a motley 
 looking crowd. The sidewalks were lined with white 
 and colored folks, man)- of whom gave us what the)' had 
 
to eat and plent\- of water to drink, wliich was a luxur)- 
 to us. When about half way down we heard a ver\' 
 familiar voice calling to us. On looking about to see 
 where it came from, we saw a face sticking out of a 
 window or hole in the gable end of a cottage close 
 b\' us. We immediately called to him to come down 
 and go with us. He bade his friends an affectionate 
 good-b\'e, and joined our ranks and was exchanged 
 with the rest of us. He told us that he was one of the 
 jail yard prisoners, and when we were moved to Colum- 
 bia he fell out of the line while we were going from the 
 jail yard to the depot, and that the famil)- living in this 
 house had secreted him and furnished him food all the 
 time we were in Columbia. We soon reached the 
 largest hotel in the city. The building was well 
 knocked to pieces b\- shell from the Swamp Angel 
 Batterw Several of our boys took possession of the 
 office, and in mock ceremon)-, assigned each of us to a 
 room. There was not a vistage of furniture or of any- 
 thing else in the hotel. We had little to eat, and cared 
 less; we were bound for home, for God's countr)-. 
 
 Bedlam reigned supreme. Ever3'one hollered and 
 yelled, or sang " Home, Sweet Home." There was no 
 sleep for any of us until well into the wee, small hours, 
 when we all became so exhausted that we laid down 
 and had a short nap. I was congratulated many times 
 for my coup (fctat with the gallon of whiskw With the 
 first streak of dawn some of the bo\s awoke and \ell- 
 ing like demons, woke all the rest up. After a \ery 
 scant breakfast we waited as patiently as possible under 
 the circumstances for ("apt. Hatch to come and order 
 
us to tlic whart \\li(rc we were to take the boat tliat 
 was to convey us to our Heet that lay at anchor just 
 outside the bar. About noon Capt. Hatch made his 
 appearance, and soon we were on our wa)' to the wharf. 
 Here we were put on board an English blockade run- 
 ner, manned by as glum and unfeeling set of English- 
 men for officers and men as though the\' came from the 
 wilds of Patagonia". We steamed down the harbor by 
 Fort Sumter, a glorious sight to us because ,it la\' in 
 utter ruins. Soon w^e came in sight of our fleet just 
 outside the bar, with Old Glor)- floating at each mast 
 head. Part of the bo}s undertook to cheer the old 
 flag, but most of them, like myself, found too big a 
 lump in their throat to cheer or to even make a loud 
 noise, but the tears ran down our cheeks hard and fast. 
 .Soon we ran along side of one of our big steamers that 
 tow ered like a mountain above the low one we were on. 
 A gang plank was soon thrown out, which was so steep 
 that it was almost impossible for the weaker ones to 
 run up. Gen. John E. Mulford, our assistant Com- 
 missioner of P^xchange, stood at the head of the gang 
 plank and reaching out his hand helped me onto our 
 boat. I then felt safe and my long pent up feelings 
 burst out in a hard cr\ing spell. The thought that I 
 was out of a rebel prison, out of purgator}-, out from 
 under that brute. Gen. Winder, was too much forme. I 
 cried, laughed and hollered all at the same time from 
 pure jo\'. 
 
 This was the I2th da)- of December, 1864. I had 
 been in rebel prisons nine months and eight da}s, dur- 
 ing which time I had passed through more trials and 
 
escapes than is the general lot of a soldier. I think 1 
 owe m\- life to my cheerful disposition, being hopeful 
 and looking on the bright side. Man}' is the time, if I 
 had given up hope, 1 would have died. I resolutely 
 put all such feelings far away from me and said, "I will 
 live to get home," and I did. An over-ruling Provi- 
 dence had raised up friends to me from among my ene- 
 mies that came to my aid several times at the right 
 moment and thus had preserved my life; I have often 
 thought, "for what?" 
 
 Gen. Mulford soon noticed that I was barefooted, 
 and asked one of the sailors to look and see if he could 
 not find me a pair of shoes. The gallant tar soon found 
 a thick pair of cowhide shoes, so stiff that I could hardl}- 
 get them on. But the}' were much better than none. 
 That night our boat started for Annapolis, Md., where 
 we arrived about noon the third da}' out. 
 
 The moment our boat came up to the wharf I jumped 
 off on to the dock. A dozen men surrounded me and 
 wanted me to go home w ith them to dinner. I went 
 with one that was act[uainted \\ ith one of our men we 
 left behind at Camp .Sorghum. lie took along three 
 or four other old prisoners. Arriving at his house we 
 washed up and made ourselves the most presentable we 
 could. W'c were then shown into the dining room, 
 w here we found a table loaded with eatables. Among 
 the rest was roast pork and bi'ef. The room was quite 
 warm ami tlie smell of the ricii food made me sick. 
 1 had to go out in the oi)en air; e\en then threw up all 
 I had on m}' stomach. I went back again but could 
 iu)t sta\- in tlie room. The other officers ate heartiK , 
 
and one of tlu'iii died before he reached home. I went 
 from there direct to the quartermaster's office to get 
 transportation to Washington, but found that they had 
 received orders not to give an}- of us a pass. While 
 standing in the office thinking what to do, I heard some 
 one call out quite loudl)-, "Lieut. Harris." I went out 
 on the porch and called, " Here is Lieut. Harris." This 
 was called out all over the grounds. Soon Lieut. A. B. 
 Isham, of the 7th Michigan Cavalr)- (now Dr. Isham of 
 Walnut Hill, Cincinnati, O.), came up and said he was 
 the one that started the call, saxing he had found a 
 friend that had lent him ten dollars, and that I had 
 helped a good man}- out of prison and he would help 
 me to Washington. 
 
 We started for the depot, reaching there just in 
 time to take the evening train for Washington. We 
 found several other old prisoners aboard, some of 
 whom cheeked it through. At the junction we got on 
 the train from Baltimore. Several of us got into each 
 car, huddled about the stove, all standing close to it to 
 keep warm. The train had harclh' started before a gen- 
 tleman came up and asked if I was Lieut. Harris, of 
 Rochester, Mich. Without looking at him I said, "Vou 
 are mistaken in the man." He went back to his seat, 
 but soon returned and said that Mrs. A. C. Baldwin 
 was sitting a few seats back and she was sure I was 
 Lieut. Harris. I answered that she was right, but she 
 must excuse me for I was in no condition to see her. 
 He went back to Mrs. Baldwin who again sent him to 
 me sa}-ing I must come to her, that she could tell me 
 all about my folks, as she had seen them but a few da}s 
 
 H9 
 
before. This was too big a piece of news for nie to 
 resist as I had not heard from them for about six 
 months. I had on the old cowhide shoes, the same old 
 cotton pants, part of an old cotton undershirt and 
 w hat was left of my old overcoat. I fixed these about 
 me the best I could and went back to see Mrs. Baldwin. 
 Standing in the aisle I shook hands with her. She 
 moved along in the seat asking me to be seated. 1 ex- 
 cused myself, saying I preferred standing. She insisted 
 on my sitting down b\- her. I was compelled to tell 
 her I was covered with bod)- lice, and for her sake 
 could not sit down in the seat with her. The gentle- 
 man who so kindl\- came to inquire my name was sit- 
 ting in the seat in front He kindly got up, and turn- 
 ing the back over requested me to take his seat, while 
 he took the seat beside Mrs. Baldwin. I learned all 
 about m\- folks, also that the\- had given me up for 
 dead, not having heard from me for several months. 
 We reached Washington in due time; nothing would 
 do but I must get a carriage for Mrs. Baldwin. After 
 she got \n 1 closed the door and was going down to the 
 hotel in the cars. Mrs. Baldwin would not allow this; 
 opening the door she said 1 must ride with her, and 
 Mr. BaUlwin would help me get what clothes 1 wanted. 
 .So I got in and sat on the front seat. Arri\ing at the 
 hotel we found Mr. Baldwin was out. 1 then excused 
 niN self antl went direct to the National hotel. The first 
 j)erson 1 met in the rotunda was Hon. Zachariah Chand- 
 ler, senator from Michigan. 1 extended my hand to him. 
 1 le lookedat nie in astonishment and asked me who I was. 
 I laughed and said, "What there is left of me is Lieut. 
 
Harris." He said, "Why, 1 th(ni(:^ht yoii were dead." 
 "No," I said, "Here I am; just out of a rebel i)rison." 
 He wanted to know if I had an\- money. I said, "No." 
 "Come along with me and I will fix \ou out," and 
 going up to the clerk of the hotel told him to give me 
 one hundred dollars and charge it to him; also telling 
 him to see that I had a good supper and a good room. 
 At this time Mr. Kellogg, member of Congress 
 from Michigan, hearing I was there came up to me and 
 asked about an of^cer from Michigan who was a pris- 
 oner with me. He said his mother and two sisters were 
 living in Washington. I was well acquainted with the 
 ofificer and knew that when I left Camp Sorghum he 
 was out in the woods, having escaped a few days before 
 I left there. But I did not dare tell him, so I told him 
 he was all right and in good health when I left the 
 prison. Nothing would do but 1 must get in a carriage 
 with him and go to see the mother and sisters and tell 
 them all about him. I was ushered into their parlor. 
 Standing near the middle of the room I told them that 
 he was well when 1 left. The\- all insisted on ni}- sit- 
 ting down. I finall\- had to tell them if 1 did I should 
 likely leaxe some animals they would rather not have 
 in their house. I answered all their questions the best 
 I could; I told them several big whoppers of lies, for 
 I knew it would not do to tell them the truth — that the 
 son and brother was out in the woods tr)'ing to escape, 
 braving the dangers of starvation, being frozen in the 
 mountains or torn to pieces by bloodhounds, and last 
 but not least, of being hung if caught by the guerrillas. 
 I thought it justifiable not to tell the truth. In about 
 
 151 
 
ten da}'s after this the\- received a telegram from Knox- 
 ville, Tenn., that he had escaped and reached our lines 
 all safe. 
 
 We returned to the hotel, when I telegraphed my 
 folks that 1 was alive and would start for home the 
 next evening. I then went to a clothing store and 
 fitted myself with new clothes throughout ; then to a 
 barber shop, and taking a good bath, left all m)- old 
 clothes except what remained of my old overcoat, got 
 into my new outfit and going back to the hotel met Mr. 
 Chandler, who again did not recognize me. The next 
 morning I went to the paymaster's office and drew 
 five hundred dollars, then to the adjutant-general's 
 ofifice and procured a month's leave of absence. Fax- 
 ing Mr. Chandler back the money he kindl}' loaned 
 me, I left for home on the 6 p. m. train. 
 
 1 reached home about noon of the second day, and 
 a happy meeting it was with m\' wife, father, mother 
 and myself. The\' had all given me up as being dead. 
 1 passed a ver)- pleasant month with my famil)' and 
 friends. 
 
 It may be interesting to the reacier to know what 
 became of the drafts a large number of us signed at 
 Columbia for one hundred dollars in gold in exchange 
 for four hundred dollars in rebel mone}-. 
 
 A captain (one of us) offered to take the drafts 
 antl deliver them to a rebel friend of the loaner in New 
 
 York. This officer was a captain in the 
 
 regiment. He was taken from prison and sent to 
 Charleston, .S. C, and sent out on a tug under a flag of 
 truce to our blockade fleet, having all the drafts in a 
 
satchel. He was sent North on the first despatch boat 
 sent from the fleet. Very soon the Captain became 
 confidential with one of the officers of the boat, and 
 told him how he got out of prison b}' simply taking the 
 drafts for the rebel to his friend in New York. This 
 officer immediately told the captain of the boat, who at 
 once ordered all his officers to their state rooms and to 
 lock themselves in. He then called one of the non 
 commissioned ofificers to him and told him about the 
 drafts their passenger had, and told him to call the 
 passenger aft and to take him b\' the collar and tell 
 him to bring all the drafts to him or he would throw 
 him overboard. The traitorous captain went and got 
 the satchel containing all of them, followed by the 
 sailor who compelled him to stand by the railing and 
 tear them all up and throw them overboard. So none 
 of the signers of the drafts had to pay them, and as it 
 turned out, the rebel in Charleston paid the four hun- 
 dred dollars for the gallon of whisky that was the 
 means of m^'self and one hundred and forty-three others 
 getting out of rebel purgatory. 
 
 A large number of officers from Michigan regi- 
 ments w ere in prison w ith me. Their friends came from 
 far and near to hear from them. The morning I left 
 prison at Columbia, S. C, the guard from whom I had 
 purchased the whisk)', told me that his brother-in-law 
 was a prisoner in our hands, confined in Fort Delaware. 
 He gave me his name on a piece of paper and wished 
 me to write him that his famil\' were all well. I had 
 been home but a few days when I wrote him as re- 
 cjuested, and enclosed it in a letter to the commander 
 
 153 
 
of the })i"i.son, askint^ that he show an_\- favors to him 
 consistent!}', as his brother had been kind to me while 
 1 was in prison. I enclosed a ten dollar greenback and 
 told him his brother had invited me several times to 
 eat with him. The commander turned the letter and 
 money over to the prisoner, and also wrote me a letter 
 that he would show him all favors possible for my sake. 
 A letter from the prisoner expressed man\- thanks for 
 my kindness. Not long after this, I received another 
 letter from him asking for ten dollars more, as he was 
 sick and wanted other things to eat than arm\- rations. 
 I sent it to him gladly, as I remembered how much 
 1 wanted a few delicacies when in prison. 
 
 At the end of my leave I returned to the Marine 
 Hospital, Annapolis, Md., and reported to the surgeon 
 in charge. .Soon after this ni}- wound broke out afresh, 
 caused b\- my collar bone being badly shattered and 
 pieces working off. .Some of the younger surgeons on 
 the board thought best to have an operation performed, 
 but the president of the board said they had better let 
 well enough alone. Time passed ver\' pleasantly while 
 here. There were about two hundred of^cers of all 
 ranks in the hospital, most of them fine young men. 
 
 A few of us that were of a mechanical turn of mind, 
 would get together and form plans for business when 
 we were discharged. We would discuss each others 
 plans. My own plans were to go back to Rochester, 
 Mich., and build a railroad thirteen miles long, from 
 Royal Oak to Rochester. At Ro)'al Oak my road 
 would connect with another already running from there 
 to Detroit. This had been a pet scheme of mine for 
 
 154 
 
years. I found a small locuniotixe cnL^iiu' w cicjhinj:^ 
 about fifteen tons, antl all the new ver\' litj^ht T rail 
 I would need in the quarter-master's department, which 
 they offered me at a nominal price; much lower than 
 it would bring for old iron. The\- offered me this t(j 
 help me start again in business, knowing I was badly 
 and permanentl)' wounded. I immediately wrote to 
 two men in Rochester laying my whole plans before 
 them, but neither condescended to even answer ni)- 
 letter. So that plan of mine came to nought. 
 
 Soon Gen. Lee surrendered, and the war was j)rac- 
 ticalh' over. Then came the terrible death of Lincoln, 
 u hich was a hard blow for the North, and a harder one 
 for the South. Part of us found it a hard matter to 
 restrain the hot heads among us from taking vengeance 
 on some of the well known out-spoken stay-at-home 
 rebels of the town. One of the above kind added pitch 
 to the already fierce fire by running out of a second- 
 siory window a red flag. A large crowd of officers and 
 men started with the determination to raze the building, 
 then to appl}' the torch, but the cooler heads ])revailed 
 and the mob went back to their quarters. 
 
 The flag was quickl}- taken in. 
 
 On April 17th a general order was issued from the 
 war department discharging all ofificers in hospital that 
 were able to travel home. I was discharged under tliis 
 order and give here a photo engraved coi)y of ni)' dis- 
 charge. This is a document I think a great deal of. 
 You will notice that I was discharged for "IVon/K/s 
 received in aetiony 
 
 155 
 
3^futant (Stnttal'B ®tBct, 
 
 •EXTRACT. 
 
 ^^iTo^^'. ^^^ton ide ifi^oU o/ a !^oai^/ c/ ^^teeiJ convened 
 
 c/.-iJ, G//o. J^p4, Ju/w <#. ■f'^dS, ^tom tnia (^fe*, 
 
 l/.e^^Mi^^k^nafrfea cjIf'ceP <.a honorabi-y ci\sc\M<nas.o jfioni ^nn mtufaty 
 
 ^^c '^i-Siicle^^ G/iaie^, on account ojf AnyMcai cMavuuy, 
 
 ifKa^iec€et>^f:c/fnt/tiifiymen£) unM Ae ^fa/fj/te^ iAe -^iay ^i^eAailtneiU 
 /■^U /^ u no/ i/p</:>mea /c <ne ^^veinmen/. -.'- ~.'- —/ 
 
 
 <^^. 
 
 Assiaimif Adyttmit GeTttrnl. 
 
 ^ tt rtlip, Q/nai //^ avove a) a Hue cc^y, ana fAaf Q/ nave /.{ij 
 
 T ' 
 (/try /taea /ne afiove-^amca cujcnataea oAfeceP jk / Q ■?> '— ' ^, 
 
 ^Wa^4tjfcn. C^, J3^ ^^ - . f<^<f'<rr' 
 
 15fi 
 
I also give here a half tone engraving of an X-ray 
 photograph of my left shoulder, which shows distinctly 
 the break in my collar bone. The X-ray photograph 
 was taken March 23d, 1897, ^ little over thirty-three 
 years after 1 was wounded. 
 
 I went to Washington and opened an office as claim 
 agent, to procure back pay and pensions for officers or 
 men. I was cjuite successful as I had a ver\' large 
 acquaintance in the arm\- and especially in the cavalry 
 corps. I soon added to m\- business thai of procuring 
 patents. M\' wound had entirel)- healed up, yet I was 
 quite weak. My shoulder was ver}- tender, and even 
 the weight of my arm hanging down made it ache ver)- 
 badly. It troubled me so much that I could not sit up 
 all day. The heads of all the departments with whom 
 I had to cio business soon found it out and fa\'ored me 
 all the\' could. 
 
 I sent for m\' wife to join me. She reached Wash- 
 ington about ten o'clock, a. m., Ma\- 24th, 1865, the 
 da}' that Sherman's army was passing down Penn.syl- 
 vania avenue, at the grand review. 1 was sitting in a 
 chair at the outer edge of the sidewalk looking at the 
 troops passing when she laid her hand on m\' shoulder. 
 1 brought out another chair atul we sat there until they 
 had all passed. My own company and regiment passed 
 b)- the da}' before. 1 was sitting in the same ])lace. 
 The bo}'s of Compan}' A saw me and ga\e me a loud 
 cheer; so did each compan}' as the}' jjassed. I arose 
 and answered their welcome. 
 
 We boarded for a short time, then went lo house- 
 keeping in a modest wa}' upon Capitol Ilill. ( )ur son 
 
 lo7 
 
Charles was born Februarx- 2Sth, iS66. We named him 
 Charles Sumner. On the 22d da}- of March, 1866, I 
 was granted a pension at the rate of $17 per month; 
 even this small sum helped me out. I must say that 
 the pension office has been much more liberal with 
 many a man that was not wounded, and with some that 
 never smelled powder in action. I draw the same pen- 
 sion today, and likely will continue to draw it as long 
 as I live. 
 
 In the spring of 1867 I bought two lots on the 
 northeast corner of Eleventh and D streets, southeast. 
 The corner post of my lot was just one mile from the 
 center of the Capitol in a straight line. 1 bought the 
 lumber and built a modest house 16x32 feet. We 
 moved into it as soon as the lower rooms were finished, 
 to save rent. Before winter I had the chambers plas- 
 tered. The next \'ear 1 added on the rear a kitchen, 
 12 X 16, two stories, with a good cellar under it. 
 
 I procured a patent on ni)- rotar}' steam engine, 
 and made a ver)' nice working model which I exhibited 
 in m\' office. Not long after this I started a shop to 
 manufacture them. They proved tjuite a success up to 
 three or four horse power. The)' would have proved a 
 much greater success if I had made the wheels much 
 larger in diameter. In 1870 I invented and patented a 
 boiler that I called the "porcupine boiler." It was 
 made of a piece of tube about six inches in diameter 
 w ith small tubes sticking out all the way around, and 
 about two-thirds up the large tube. This was placed 
 in a sheet-iron casing. The fire was built under the 
 tubes which were filled with water. This made the 
 
 158 
 
most practical non-explosive boiler in existence, and is 
 used to this da>- ver}- largelw Like most inventors I 
 made little mone\- out of them, mostl\- for the reason 
 that I did not have the capital to push them properly. 
 
 One of the members of Congress with whom I was 
 well acquainted was chairman of a sub-committee from 
 the Committee on Commerce, before whom all appli- 
 cants for the safet\- of passengers on steamboats had to 
 come, requested mc to be present at their meetings, 
 and to listen to the arguments of the inventors, and 
 after adjournment to give the committee the benefit of 
 my mechanical skill. I was also present at several 
 meetings of the committee on naval affairs b\' request 
 of the chairman. I am sure that I saved the govern- 
 ment and ship-owners large sums of mone)-. The onl\' 
 compensation I received was the associations antl a long 
 walk home in the small hours of the night. 
 
 One da\' about ten o'clock, while at work in m\- 
 shop, in came Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase with 
 .Senator Sprague. Mr. Chase had heard of my engine 
 and wished to see it himself. 1 had one on a table 
 with the casing off, with which I showed and explained 
 the working parts. He was vcvy much interested in it 
 on account of its simplicit}-. 1 also showed him a 
 three-horse power I had running, driving m\ sliop. 
 After showing him everything 1 could, 1 asked Iiim if 
 he remembered a \oung man by the name of h'.dward 
 P. Harris. "\'es," he said, "I knew him well, but what 
 do \-ou know of him?" 1 answered, "He is mv father." 
 Mr. Chase said, "We were in college together at Dart- 
 nu)uth; lulward P. Harris was m\- cluini, and was one 
 
 159 
 
of the greatest friends I ever had. There were three 
 of us together most of the time; Jacob M. Colhmer, 
 Edward P. Harris and myself. We were all poor young 
 men trying to work our way through college the best 
 way we could." Wc were all sitting on shop stools, 
 and Mr. Chase began telling some of the pranks in 
 which both himself and m\- father were engaged while 
 students. I asked him if he remembered the time 
 they took a jackass up in the second storx' of one of 
 the buildings and tied him to the door of one of the 
 professor's rooms; also, when they took a farmer's 
 wagon apart one dark night and put it together on top 
 of the ridge pole of his barn, because he would not 
 give them a few apples that were rotting on the ground. 
 He laughed heartily and said it did him good to bring 
 back his boyhood days. Pulling out his watch he said, 
 "Mr. Harris, vou have entertained the Chief Justice so 
 well that he forgot time, and you have kept the Supreme 
 Court waiting over an hour." He suggested that I 
 make a note of it, saying, "\'ou are likel>' the onl>- man 
 living that has that honor." He .said, "I am coming 
 back soon and have this visit out." 
 
 About this time my wife was taken sick with tu- 
 bercular consumption. She suffered a great deal. 1 
 procured the services of several of the best physicians 
 in the city. She lingered until November 2d. 1871, 
 when death came to her relief. At her request 1 took 
 her back to Rochester, Mich., and laid her beside our 
 little Frances. My mother had come to live with us in 
 the summer of 1869. 1 had built ;in addition on the 
 north side ol' our house so mother and ourseKes could 
 
ha\'c a bedroom on the ijj^round floor. It was a great 
 comfort to my wife to have mother with her during her 
 long sickness. 
 
 During the summer of 1872 I became acquainted 
 with Miss Sarah S. Ladd, who lived in Wilbraham, 
 Mass. She was visiting her brother, Capt. James Ladd, 
 who lived in Washington. Capt. Ladd and myself had 
 been prisoners together in Macon, Savannah, Charles- 
 ton and Camp Sorghum about six months in all. We 
 were married at her home in Wilbraham on Christmas 
 day of 1872. 
 
 I became satisfied that Washington was no place 
 to manufacture steam engines and boilers. I formed a 
 partnership with a )'oung man who had mone)- to start 
 in business in Chicago. I sold most of my machiner\- 
 and packed up m\' patterns and small tools in the shop 
 and shipped them to Chicago, and soon followed with 
 our household effects. We arrived here on July 4th, 
 1873. I soon had ni)- shop running and made several 
 engines, all of small power. We sold all the boilers we 
 could make in our shop, and at a large profit. After 
 running about one year, my partner proved to be an\- 
 thing but a straight-forward business man. He got the 
 whole thing tied up in the courts. This threw me out 
 of even a living. I could not do any hard work on 
 account of my wounded shoulder. I had no mone\' to 
 start in anj- business again. The ne.xt few )ears were 
 hard ones for me financial 1\'. 
 
 June 20th, 1874, we had an addition to our famil\- 
 by the birth of a little girl baby. We named her 
 Sarah Klizabeth. Jul\- 26tli, 1874, we moved to 1079 
 
West Polk street, between Western and Campbell 
 avenues, to get cheaper rent. I started to make speed 
 indicators in the house, using the small lathe I had 
 made when only twelve )-ears old; earning a ver)' poor 
 and precarious living. I made a full set of patterns 
 for a small steam engine of three-inch stroke and one 
 and a half inch bore; also two sets of governor patterns; 
 one for one-eighth or one-quarter inch pipe, the other 
 for three-eighth inch pipe, doing all the turning on my 
 small lathe. I immediately took all the patterns to a 
 foundr\' and had a few set of castings made from each; 
 then advertised them in a small way. I had an un- 
 precedented sale of them all, and at a good profit. 
 This encouraged me and also enabled me to manufac- 
 ture goods and tools in the amateur line that sold well. 
 I was at my shop and store combined, earl)- and late, 
 and worked as hard as I was able to. 
 
 During this time my wife and self were living on 
 so small a sum that if I should give the cost it would be 
 considered a fish story. Hut this was the onl\- wa\' in 
 which I coulci succeed in business. In the fall of 1877 
 I received about $1,000 from m)' mother's estate which 
 enabled me to enlarge my business and to take in new 
 lines. 1 still continued to manufacture small tools at 
 such times as I was not bus\' selling goods. We con- 
 tinued to be \er\' economical in the house, aiul 1 used to 
 be at ni)- store earl\- and late. 1 was fairly prosperous. 
 Soon after this a scheming man who prt'tendetl to be a 
 great Iric-nd of mine wanted to go into partni'rship 
 with me. 1 was foolish enough to take him in. 1 ver}' 
 quickl)- found out that he would soon have all the 
 
 16;^ 
 
money and I only have the experience. He put into 
 the compan)- about j54,ooo, and it cost me over ^12,000 
 to get rid of him. It took me about five N^ears to pay- 
 off this debt. I never could have done it had it not 
 been that several of the large manufacturing firms east 
 extended to me unlimited credit on my bare word, that 
 1 would see the_\' lost nothing if worse came to worse 
 with my old partner. The reason of this confidence 
 was parti)' that I took my inventory and an abstract of 
 my books and went east, showing m}- creditors exactl)' 
 Iiow I stood. All expressed perfect satisfaction with 
 my statement, and surprise at the small sum it cost for 
 m\'self and famil\- to live. One of m\' largest credi- 
 tors said he would stand by any man who would live on 
 that small sum in order to pay his debts. I came home 
 and went to work with a determination to come out on 
 top. Before the last payment was due m\' old partner, 
 1 had increased m\' stock at least three times, besides 
 pa\ing all m\' creditors east, and was discounting all 
 ni}' present bills. There were several things that helped 
 me do this: first, my wife was very economical in our 
 home and encouraged me all in her power; second, I 
 knew ni}' business from A to Z; third, I worked hard, 
 earl)' and late; fourth, m)' inventive genius and 
 mechanical skill helped me wonderfull)-; I invented a 
 good many new tools and articles to manufacture and 
 sell; I made the patterns myself, both at my store at 
 odd times and my house evenings, ni)- little lathe of 
 boyhood days coming in good use; fifth, last but not 
 least, was a full determination to win, and I did. 
 
 IfiS 
 
During all these years I had been acti\e in church 
 matters. I found there was no church or Sunda)- 
 school within nearly a mile of a growing section of the 
 cit)-. After two or three years' hard work I succeeded 
 in getting the First Congregational Church to start a 
 Sunday school in an old store. Not long after the}- 
 sent students up to preach .Sunday evenings. The 
 Sunday school and evening services outgrew their 
 quarters in the old store. A new church was built on 
 the corner of Polk street and Claremont avenue, named 
 the "Covenant." I worked hard to get the church in- 
 terested in young people, especiall}' in \ oung men; to 
 establish a reading room, lecture room, have a work- 
 shop with lathes, jig saws, etc.; in fact, to make the 
 church more attractive to young men than the saloon 
 I would have a printing press and type, and induce 
 some of the boNS and young men, as well as the girls, 
 to learn to set type and run the press. I would print 
 cards and dodgers, and circulate them well, letting 
 everybod}' know that we were interested in them, and 
 especiall}- in the )-oung folks. I would ha\e one or 
 more companies of bo}'s' brigades, also of girls' bri- 
 gades. I would encourage socials, especially for }'Oung 
 folks. Make the church interesting for young people 
 and you will ha\'e a prosperous church. One live 
 young person, with likel\- a long life of usefulness 
 before him, is worlli a dozen old dead heads even if 
 ihe\' ha\e more moncw The Covenant church, I think- 
 without a (lisscnting\oice,sat down hard on all the above. 
 
 During the summer of icSS^ I bought a \ery fine 
 telescope, ha\ing an oljject glass of four and (jne-half 
 
mch aperature. The instrument was made by Warner 
 & Swasew and the object glass by Professor Brassier 
 I bought these parti}- for m\'self, but mostl\- for m\- 
 children. I do not claim to be an astronomer in an\- 
 sense of the word; I am onl\' an enthusiastic amateur, 
 anxious to learn something of what the Almighty had 
 created in the heavens, and also to interest my children 
 in the same. M\' own interest in astronomy was started 
 by m\- mother taking me out when a mere bo\- and 
 showing me the different constellations. I said that if I 
 lived I would have a good telescope. 1 have one, and 
 use it for m}'self, m\- children and for other \oung 
 people, to try and interest them in the higher things of 
 this life. 
 
 About this time I joined the Grand Ami}- of the 
 Republic, and also joined the Order of the Lo\-al 
 Legion, Commander}- of the State of Illinois. 
 
 We lived in the same house that we moved into 
 first on Polk street for si.xteen }-ears. In the spring of 
 1889 I bought the house and lot two lots west of us. 
 We fixed up this house so as to make a ver}- comfortable 
 home. We li\-ed here until the fall of 1 893, or World's 
 P'air }ear. In the fall of 1892 I bought 55 feet front 
 b}' 144 feet deep, on the north side of Jackson boule- 
 \ard, just west of Oakle}- avenue. I paid S8,ooo cash 
 for the lot. In Jul}-, 1893, I broke ground and began 
 to build the house and barn. This cost me about 
 $18,000. It was finished complete from top to bot- 
 tom, and we mo\ed into it about the 20th of November, 
 1893. W'hen we moved into it I did not owe a dollar 
 on the house or lot, neither did 1 owe an}' person one 
 
 165 
 
cent. I could lie down and sleep well and enjo\- my 
 new home, as it was all my own and every dollar of it 
 earned honestly. In planning the new house I had a 
 large hall in the third stor)% 20 x 30 feet, which I call 
 my lecture hall. Over one-hundred persons can be 
 seated comfortabl}' in it. I frequenth' have lectures on 
 various subjects, and invite our neighbors, and espec- 
 iall\' the \'oung people. The stairs in the rear of 
 the house lead directly from the rear door to the hall 
 without going through the front part of the house. 
 I also have a large number of lantern slides; many of 
 them are from photographs of the heavens. These 
 I frequently throw up for young folks that come in to 
 see us. I have been for \'ears greatly interested in 
 young folks, firmly believing that in them lies the hope 
 for future generations. I believe that when churches 
 and temperance societies wake up to the importance of 
 caring for the young, societ}' will be better off, and 
 there will be a less number of prisons and far less 
 inmates. 
 
 END 
 
 166 
 
INDEX 
 
 Arrest, Placed under 
 Army of Potomac 
 Al^er, Col., Mean act of 
 Ambusli 
 Artillery, Kebcl 
 Asliby, Maria . . 
 Augusta, Ga. 
 Adams, Capt. . . 
 Annapolis 
 Birtli 
 Brother 
 
 Birth of Children 
 Barracics, Building 
 Baldwin, Hon. A. C. .. 
 Brooke, Mrs. 
 Burlesque Questions . . 
 Breastworks of Richmond 
 Beef furnished 
 Blood Hounds Killed 
 Barse, Lieut . . 
 Baldwin, Mrs. A. 0. 
 Capture of Rebels 
 Coward, A 
 Custer, Geo. A. 
 Copeland. Gen. 
 Capturing Despatches 
 Cordovi House 
 Charge of First Michigan 
 Cold New Year's Day, 1804 
 Colored Guide 
 Chandler, Senator 
 Charging the Rebels . . 
 Column Broken in Two 
 Court-martial . . 
 Charleston, S. C, . . 
 Columbia, S. C. 
 Cam)) Sorghum 
 Carriage 
 
 24. 28, 34, ;W, 4 
 I 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 21, 29, 70 
 
 37 
 
 71 
 
 lO'l 
 
 116 
 
 .. 138 
 
 148, 154 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 SI 
 
 10 
 
 57 
 
 i)6 
 
 68 
 
 61, 
 
 114 
 137 
 141 
 149 
 15 
 16 
 3, 45 
 3, 27 
 26 
 26 
 34 
 60 
 
 70, 150 
 
 75 
 
 80 
 
 84 
 
 128, 145 
 
 1.30, 153 
 
 131 
 
 139 
 
 167 
 
Clark, Capt. 
 
 Company A 
 
 Charles S., born 
 
 Committee 
 
 Chase, Chief Justice . . 
 
 Callimer, Jacob L. 
 
 (.Uiicago 
 
 ('red! tors . . 
 
 Church 
 
 Death of First Born Child 
 
 Detroit, (xoing to 
 
 Dutcher, Lieut. 
 
 Dodging a Shell 
 
 Dana, Hon. C. A. . . 
 
 Da vies. Gen. . . 
 
 Dahlgren Raid 
 
 Driggs, Hon. John F. .. 
 
 I)ie(rame 
 
 Davis, Jefferson 
 
 Havis, Mrs. Jefferson 
 
 Davis, Miss Winnie 
 
 Davis, Mrs. A. P. 
 
 Danville, Va. . . 
 
 Diarrh(»'a at Macon 
 
 Dean, Lieut. 
 
 Davis, Rebel Lieut. 
 
 Hug-outs 
 
 Dinner 
 
 Dance 
 
 Discharge 
 
 Drafts Destroyed 
 
 Engineer 
 
 Early, Gen. 
 
 Escaping from Robs 
 
 Examining Board 
 
 Escape, Narrow 
 
 F]sca])ing in Cart 
 
 Englishmen 
 
 Exchanged 
 
 Father 
 
 First Engagement 
 
 Foraging .. 
 
 Firing at Rebel Scout 
 
 Foraging foi' Suijjier 
 
 Feast, A 
 
 141 
 
 .. 141 
 157 
 
 .. 158 
 159 
 159 
 160 
 
 .. 161 
 163 
 
 .. 164 
 10 
 10 
 
 i:? 
 
 30 
 
 41 
 
 57, 67, 69 
 
 71, 80 
 
 70 
 
 8(> 
 
 96 
 
 106 
 
 110 
 
 111 
 
 115 
 
 116 
 
 116 
 
 124, 125 
 
 131 
 
 134, 140 
 
 . . 135 
 
 155 
 
 .. 152 
 
 8 
 
 25 
 
 47 
 
 67 
 
 33, 83 
 
 .. 120 
 
 147 
 
 .. 143 
 
 5, 159 
 
 13 
 
 17 
 
 19 
 
 38 
 
 51 
 
 1«8 
 
Figlit at (Tieen's Farm 
 
 Fired on 
 
 Food Sent from North 
 
 Flour Cure 
 
 J^resli Fish 
 
 Fox Neck 
 
 (rettysburg, Battle oj 
 
 (rould, Col. 
 
 (iraj'. Col- 
 
 German ia Ford 
 
 (rrand Officer of tlie T);i 
 
 Garcin, Mrs. 
 
 Garcin, Mrs. Eddie 
 
 Grant, Col. Fred L). 
 
 Grant the Rebel Genei 
 
 Green, Mrs. 
 
 Green, Capt. 
 
 Gibbs, Col. 
 
 Guards Bought 
 
 Griswold, Major 
 
 (xrand Review 
 
 (Jray, Capt. 
 
 Horse Presented to me 
 
 Hooker, Gen. . . 
 
 Hunting for the Quarter-maste 
 
 Hampton. Gen. Wade 
 
 Helping Family Out of Danger 
 
 Home, sent 
 
 Hastings, Capt. 
 
 Halted for Rest 
 
 Hell Fire Men 
 
 Hellish Act 
 
 Hawkins, Col. 
 
 Hospital 
 
 Hog 
 
 Hatch, Capt. . . 
 
 Hotel 
 
 Home Again . . 
 
 House, Building a 
 
 Hard up 
 
 Home, Buying a . . 
 
 Hall in House 
 
 Hicidents on My Wa.\ 
 
 I sham, Lieut. 
 
 .Idluisdii, (Jen. 1!. T. 
 
 .);icksori, Miss Fddic 
 
 :}!». 
 
 7R 
 
 81 
 
 114 
 
 117 
 
 lis 
 
 fiO 
 2:5 
 TO 
 42 
 
 H,') 
 
 its. 111 
 
 10(1 
 
 lot) 
 
 12! 
 
 ll.-) 
 
 118, 124 
 
 . . 124 
 
 130 
 
 142 
 
 l.!)7 
 
 10. \n 
 
 10 
 24 
 .32 
 
 :\: 
 
 54 
 
 ,so 
 
 81 
 
 ii:? 
 ii:{ 
 
 122 
 
 i:w 
 i:!() 
 
 145 
 140 
 152 
 158 
 102 
 105 
 100 
 
 •55 
 14!) 
 
 S2 
 102 
 
 16U 
 
Kilpatiick, (Jen. . . 
 
 K, Company 
 
 Kellogfif, Hon. Wm. V. 
 
 Learning a Trade 
 
 Left Railroading . . 
 
 Lawyers Read 
 
 Lacy House 
 
 Lee & Meade's Express 
 
 Letting Me Down Easy 
 
 Ladies, two 
 
 Libljy Prison 
 
 Ladies, Advertised for 
 
 Lepers, Ten 
 
 La Groon, Dr. 
 
 Lincoln's Tlianl<sgiving I); 
 
 Live to Get Home 
 
 Lies 
 
 Ladd. Miss Sarah . . 
 
 Ladd. Capt. James O. 
 
 Loyal Legion 
 
 Ledyard, John P. 
 
 Mother 
 
 Milwaukee 
 
 Married 
 
 Mean Trick 
 
 Michigan City 
 
 Mad .. 
 
 Murphy, Col. 
 
 M inisters 
 
 Macon, (Ja 
 
 Maggot, largest 
 
 Marion (ruards 
 
 Man From Charlestnii 
 
 Maltby, Capt. 
 
 Mulford. Gen 
 
 Norval Col Freeman 
 
 Negro Guide Hung 
 
 New York Herald 
 
 New York Tril)une 
 
 Nigger Hunter 
 
 Ordered liack to Camp 
 
 ()ldChur<-li 
 
 Ojjium Pills 
 
 ( )l1icer, loo vimny- . . 
 
 Old h'lag ' .. 
 
 ( )iir Sleaiiiei' 
 
 ] 1 , 3n 
 
 TO. 77 
 
 151 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 17 
 
 45 
 
 53 
 
 55 
 
 84 
 
 87 
 
 98 
 
 111 
 
 \:V2, 141 
 
 139 
 
 148 
 
 151 
 
 161 
 
 161 
 
 165 
 
 8 
 
 5, 160 
 
 7, 8 
 
 9, 161 
 
 9 
 
 t 
 
 103 
 
 112 
 
 116 
 
 121 
 
 126 
 
 141 
 
 144 
 
 147 
 
 13 
 
 72 
 
 SO 
 
 91 
 
 137 
 
 6(i 
 
 S2 
 
 116 
 
 120 
 
 147 
 
 147 
 
Owe My Life 
 
 14S 
 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry, ITth 
 
 i-2 
 
 Promoted to First Lieutenant 
 
 \:i 
 
 Picket Firing 
 
 57 
 
 Prisoners 
 
 71t 
 
 Prisoner, taken 
 
 82 
 
 Poem, Soldier of 1864 
 
 104 
 
 Present to Mrs. (rarcin 
 
 io;{ 
 
 Parker, Lieut. 
 
 130 
 
 Pants 
 
 1.34 
 
 Parlor, in a . . 
 
 ir,i 
 
 Pension 
 
 ]58 
 
 Partner 
 
 Kil, 162 
 
 Prosperity 
 
 163 
 
 Pennington, Lieut. 
 
 2it 
 
 Quartet of Singers 
 
 ll!l 
 
 Rotary Engine 
 
 ..6, 158 
 
 Railroad Accident 
 
 7 
 
 Rochester, return to . . 
 
 7 
 
 Raising Company 
 
 10 
 
 Raid to Asliby"s (Jap 
 
 13 
 
 Roger's Family . . 
 
 14 
 
 Raid After Stuart 
 
 U^ 
 
 Retreat of Gen. Lee 
 
 3i) 
 
 Richmond, Col. 
 
 41 
 
 Released From Arrest 
 
 42 
 
 Rosser, Gen. . . 
 
 45 
 
 Raid to King George's C. H. 
 
 46 
 
 Return to Army 
 
 56 
 
 Richmond 
 
 84 
 
 Richmond Papers 
 
 82 !)3 
 
 Retreat of Col. Dahlgren 
 
 80 
 
 Richmond, taken to 
 
 S4 
 
 Rations at Libby Prison . . 
 
 114 
 
 Rebel Sergeant 
 
 116 
 
 Rations at Macon 
 
 121 
 
 Rebel Killed a Colored Hoy 
 
 12!) 
 
 Rations, none sent in 
 
 138 
 
 Rebel Prisoner 
 
 153 
 
 Railroad . 
 
 1.".4 
 
 Steam Engine 
 
 6 
 
 Sabre Presented to Me 
 
 11 
 
 Skirmish 
 
 15 
 
 Sutler's Pies 
 
 16 
 
 Scared 
 
 20 
 
 Seci'etary Stanton 
 
 3!) 
 
 in 
 
staff Duly 
 
 49 
 
 Sykes, (Jen. 
 
 51 
 
 Sick, taken 
 
 5:] 
 
 Sedden, J. A. 
 
 72 
 
 Sedden, Mrs 
 
 74, 8i) 
 
 Sedden, Mi>^s 
 
 !)0, 111 
 
 Surgeon at Libby Prison 
 
 il2, 112 
 
 Spies 
 
 5<» 
 
 Secretary of State 
 
 .. 101 
 
 Sanitarium 
 
 111 
 
 Sent Soutli 
 
 115 
 
 Seniple, Cai)t. 
 
 118 
 
 Savannah, (ra. 
 
 .. 12H 
 
 Swamp Aujj^el IJaltery 
 
 128 
 
 Sprague, Capt. 
 
 .. 128 
 
 Sliell 
 
 128 
 
 Saluda Factory 
 
 133 
 
 Slioes 
 
 148 
 
 Store . . 
 
 .. 162 
 
 Satie E. born 
 
 161 
 
 Towne, Col- 
 
 34 
 
 Turner, Major 
 
 !»2 
 
 Thank Me, Ileturn to . . 
 
 .. Ill 
 
 Telegrapliing Home 
 
 152 
 
 Telescope 
 
 164 
 
 Under Fire 
 
 43 
 
 Union Women 
 
 ..134 
 
 \'ermont First Cavalry 
 
 82 
 
 Washington, going to 
 
 11, 150, 157 
 
 Wounded 
 
 44, 76 
 
 Whisky, IJottle of 
 
 51 
 
 Williams, Capt. 
 
 83 
 
 Waller C^apt. 
 
 86, 103 
 
 Watson, James 
 
 88 
 
 Wise, .lolin C. 
 
 109 
 
 Winder, Gen. 
 
 114 
 
 Winder, Capt. 
 
 118, 124 
 
 Wayne. Major 
 
 127 
 
 Whisky 
 
 143 
 
 Wound, X-ray of . . 
 
 157 
 
 Wife, my 
 
 157, 1(11 
 
 Windham, (ion. 
 
 16 
 
 Young. Capl. 
 
 8(; 
 
 ^'ellovv l''evci' 
 
 i:!2 
 
 ■N'ankee liiscuils 
 
 140 
 
 Young h'olks 
 
 l(i4 
 
 17a 
 

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