Part 16 (1/2)

Our start was made after a farewell that showed far more friendshi+p than enton in four days, taking it easy

Of the nine ht were positively disloyal to the Confederacy, but were forced to fight for it because of their hoht, at different times, talked very freely to me when the others were not around, and each one told me that they would never have held us at the river if the others could have been certainly depended upon not to report the uards, and ere really sorry when it cauards was an old man who speci to be friendly, he offered to let me ride his horse if I would allow him to hold the halter, which offer I pro him that he elcome to hold the halter and the horse's tail as well if he so desired As an apology for the limitation of my actions with his horse, he informed me that he had positive orders to let us have no chance of escape, and to shoot us without notice if such an attempt was made

In the course of conversation I asked hieant His reply was that he had been elected captain of 500 anized to resist the draft and afterwards joined the Federal army; that they had been infor been forced to co in the Confederate army as a private

We were taken up behind on the horses of our guards during part of the trip, and in one of these rides behind Sergeant Rocket I learned that he had been in Missouri with Price, but had disliked the job very much, as had most of his companions When Price had commenced his retreat he had siy Hollow They had all been forced to shi+ft for the to eat After that they had lived almost entirely on fresh anization had been largely broken up

Rocket told me that most of the people in his part of the country would hail with joy the approach of the Federal troops He was hter of a planter, as a Union h a slaveholder, and had joined the Confederate army to save his family His father-in-law lived on the road ten ton, and he described the location and gave directions so that I could find the house if I had another chance to run away, saying that if I ever reached there and et to Little Rock in safety

[Illustration: SERGEANT E B ROCKET]

Captain Payne, also, gavehborhood, and how Dooley would know ht place He also told hbor of theirs had three sons in the Federal aruides to that place

When we reached Washi+ngton, and Ed Rocket bade us good-bye, he toldin his life as that he had been obliged to capture and hold us

Ed Rocket is now a poor Baptist preacher in Arkansas

We were turned into a guardhouse that was about sixty by twenty feet in size and so full that all could not lie down at once It was far fro pleasant

The prisoners confined in this building were three spies and a large nu all the way froreeable society we spent ten days

We got acquainted with a good many of the prisoners, and had considerable fun in various ways, but ere glad to leave

Corn our stay, but the rebel prisoners were treated the same as the others, and we had an extra allowance as officers--by purchase; so we could not complain of any unfair distinctions

There was one old skillet in the guardhouse, and all the cooking had to be done with this one article It was never cool We took turns in its use, and the call of ”Next!” was as orderly and regular as in a barber shop

By coiven the first turn with this skillet, as preferred guests, and we thereby had ourin and going out of the guardhouse all the ti carried out of securing cavalry horses for other sections

In this part of the country they had more cavalry than infantry, while in other sections much of the veteran cavalry was dismounted for want of horses So they would put these cavalry or any offense whenever possible and appropriate their horses for service elsewhere Infantrymen were let off for the sae offered to let us out if ould join his company, but we declined, with thanks