John placed the thumb of his right hand against his nose, and extending his fingers, waved them slowly, in a manner supposed by some to be indicative of great wisdom. The General's sword leaped from its scabbard, and John from the tent just in time to save his head.

Our boys drank the "big mule driver's health" in the Bourbon, the story soon got out, and became the popular joke of the season.

STORY LX.

A COSTLY MISTAKE. 1862.

AMONG the civilian prisoners captured at Rogerville, East Tennessee, was a gentleman from Connersville, Indiana, who had been visiting Richmond on army business. He seemed to be impressed with the belief that the Rebels regarded it as an offence worthy of death, to hail from a Northern city, and that when he fell into their hands, the hour of his dissolution drew nigh.

During Saturday night, while we were all quietly bunking in a corn-field, guarded by Confederate cavalry, the unsophisticated hoosier determined to rid himself of all the "evidence of his guilt," which he had in his possession. The night was very dark and cloudy. Indiana drew out his pocket-book, and after fumbling over it for some time, took therefrom what he thought was a pass from Governor Morton, authorizing him to leave his native State.

He had now, as he thought, got hold of the instru

He

ment destined to betray him even unto death. resolved to annihilate it, and placing it in his mouth, set his vengeful teeth to work to reduce it to a state of undecipherable pulp. This done, with one masterly exhalation, he sent the "quid" over a neighboring fence, and with an easy conscience slept till morning.

During Sunday he had occasion to look over his private papers, and soon found, to his dismay, that Governor Morton's pass was still in his possession, but that a bank draft for three hundred dollars was missing! He had masticated the wrong document, much to his own pecuniary loss.

STORY LXI.

A TALK WITH A REBEL AT FORT DONELDSON.

WHEN I got back to my command, I found one of our lieutenants had Colonel Hanson, of the Kentucky 2d, in custody. He was a rough-looking customer, dressed in citizen's dress, short, muscular, and blear-eyed-he looked to me as a fit person to command a band of pirates. He said he wanted somebody to tell him where to march his men, that he was tired of waiting.

He acted and talked like one having a "heap" of authority, and not much like a prisoner. Finding no one to give him, immediately, the information he desired, he became sociable.

"Well," said he, "you were too hefty for us."

"Yes, but you were protected by these splendid defences."

"Your troops fought like tigers."

"Do you think now one Southern man can whip five Northern men?"

"Not Western men," he replied, doggedly. "Your troops are better than Yankee troops-fight harder— endure more. The devil and all hell can't stand before such fellows. But we drove you back."

"Why didn't you keep us back?”

"You had too many reinforcements."

"But we had no more troops engaged in the fight than you had."

"Well, you whipt us, but you haven't conquered us. You can never conquer the South.”

"We don't wish to conquer the South; but will restore the stars and stripes to Tennessee, if we have to hang ten thousand such dare-devils as you are."

"Never mind, sir, you will never get up to Nashville." "Then Nashville will surrender before we start." "Well, well, the old United States flag is played out -we intend to have a right Government down here." "What am I to understand by a right Government?" "A Government based on property, and not a damned mechanic in it."

"Do these poor fellows, who have been fighting for you, understand that they have no voice in the 'right Government' that you seek to establish?"

"They don't care. They have no property to protect."

Fling the striped bunting out!

Never, never let it drag!

Rally, rally freemen stout,

Underneath the starry flag!

STORY LXII.

COLONEL STRAIGHT'S CAVALRY RAID INTO GEORGIA, IN APRIL, 1863.

COLONEL A. D. STRAIGHT, of the 51st Indiana Volunteers, in command of a brigade of about 1,700 men, for special service, left Murfreesboro', on the 7th or 8th of April, 1863, to receive an outfit at Nashville.

At Nashville, instead of horses, they received, in part, about nine hundred worn-out Government mules and a few young, unbroken ones. Thus imperfectly outfitted, they embarked on the 10th of April, on transport steamers, and proceeded down the Cumberland to Palmyra, from whence they marched over land to Fort Donelson.

This march tested the bottom of the animals, proving them deficient in all respects. The expectation had been, that the men would be able to secure a better mounting by capturing horses on their route; but the guerillas, having preceded them, left but small opportunity for that operation.

From Fort Donelson they marched to Fort Henry, where the troops re-embarked for Eastport, on the Tennessee River, about 190 miles above Fort Henry, where they left the boats and started to join General Dodge's forces, at Bear Creek, Alabama. The day after reaching Dodge's command, they advanced to Tuscumbia, the Rebels leaving after slight skirmishing, Colonel Straight's brigade bringing up Dodge's rear. After a stay of a day and a half with the General, for some more brokendown mules, Colonel Straight's brigade left Tuscumbia, at midnight, for Russellville, which was reached in six

hours; the main body proceeding on to Mount Hope, to capture some horses, ascertained to be near there.

But the owners of the horses, apprised of their approach, conveyed the animals to the mountains, where they were securely secreted from our scouts. The next day the whole brigade left Mount Hope for Moulton, and, during their march, heard heavy cannonading in the direction of Town Creek, which was afterward ascertained was from Dodge's forces advancing on that place, it being his purpose to engage the enemy, and divert their attention from Colonel Straight, and prevent their pursuing him, till he could advance into the heart of their country, beyond their reach; but heavy rains and the swollen state of Town Creek prevented the General from crossing it.

Colonel Straight's command reached Moulton at dusk, and left at midnight for the Cumberland Mountains; his whole force not yet being mounted, one hundred men having to march on foot, greatly impeded his pro

gress.

While crossing the mountains, contraband information enabled them to capture a sufficient number of horses and mules to mount those of the men who were yet on foot.

Having been about two days in the mountains, just as the troops had taken up their line of march, early in the morning, they were attacked by General Forrest, who had overtaken them, with 2,200 men and two pieces of artillery.

They, however, went on about three miles, to Day's Gap, where they dismounted, formed in line of battle, and, after a sharp conflict of about two hours, repulsed the rebels, capturing their artillery and a few prisoners.