Part 5 (1/2)

III

The change of parties wrought by the presidential election of 1860 and co in of the Republicans in 1861 was indeed revolutionary When Mr Lincoln had finished his inaugural address and the crowd on the east portico began to disperse, I reentered the rotunda between Mr Reverdy Johnson, of Maryland, and Mr John Bell, of Tennessee, two old friends of my fa the speech we had just heard

Both were sure there would be no war All would be well, they thought, each speaking kindly of Mr Lincoln They were a the most eminent men of the time, I a boy of twenty-one; but tothe episode, I have often realized how the intuitions of youth outwit the wisdonedmy accounts of every sort, was presently ready to turn ton and seek adventures elsewhere

They met me halfway and came in plenty I tried staff duty with General Polk, asan expedition into Western Kentucky In a feeeks illness drove me into Nashville, where I passed the next winter in desultory newspaper work Then Nashville fell, and, as I wasthe Murfreesboro pike, Forrest, with his squadron just escaped fro by, and I leaped into an eeneral, attached uerilla service, veryBut Fate, if not Nature, had decided that I was a better writer than fighter, and the Bank of Tennessee having bought a newspaper outfit at Chattanooga, I was sent there to edit The Rebel--an of the Tennessee state governan of the ares to retell the well-known story of the war My life beca from day to day to fire and fall back; in the Johnston-Shern, I served as chief of scouts; then as an aid to General Hood through the siege of Atlanta, sharing the beginning of the chapter of disasters that befell that gallant soldier and his army

I was spared the last and worst of these by a curious piece of special duty, taking ned in the autuovernn journey It was no less than to go to England to sell to English buyers sonated cotton to be thus rescued fro under the supervision and indeed the orders of the Confederate fiscal agency at Liverpool

Of course I was ripe for this; but it proved a bigger job than I had conceived or dreaet out of the country

But how? That was the question To run the blockade had been easy enough a few months earlier All our ports were now sealed by Federal cruisers and gunboats There was nothing for it but to slip through the North and to get either a New York or a Canadian boat This involved chances and disguises

IV

In West Tennessee, not far from Memphis, lived an aunt of et on a Mississippi steas for wood This proved ihts, rather ill mounted, in search of some kind--any kind--of exit, when one afternoon, quite worn out, I sat by a log heap in a comfortable farmhouse It seemed that I was at the end of my tether; I did not knohat to do

Presently there was an arrival--a brisk gentleht out of Meing with hi paper In this I saw appended to various ar”

That setWas not Dana the naressman Peaslee, of New Hampshi+re, who had lived with us at Willard's Hotel--and were there not two children, Charley and Ma to the talk of the newcomer He was a licensed cotton buyer with a pass to co next day

”I want to get into Memphis--I am a nephew of Mrs General Dana Can you take me in?” I said to this person

After soreed that h; no trade if he failed

Clearly the way ahead was brightening I soon ascertained that I ith friends, loyal Confederates Then I told them who I was, and all became excitement for the next day's adventure

We drove down to the Federal outpost Crenshaw--that was the name of the cotton buyer--showed his pass to the officer in command, who then turned to me ”Captain,” I said, ”I have no pass, but I am a nephew of Mrs

General Dana Can you not pass me in without a pass?” He was very polite It was a chain picket, he said; his orders were very strict, and so on

”Well,” I said, ”suppose I were a uerillas What do you think would it be your duty to do?”

”In that case,” he answered, ”I should send you to headquarters with a guard”

”Good!” said I ”Can't you send ht a moment Then he called a cavalryentleman in to General Dana's headquarters”