Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 25.djvu/52

 48 heavy volley from the enemy on the first piece, we followed with several rounds of shot and shell and moved by hand to the front and gave them some canister; then the command moved forward with a sheet of flame and we passed through their camp. I saw a number of white signals made by their wounded while their horses and mules were neighing and braying. "Forward," was the order, and forward we went, in passing through the Yankee camp the men hastily grabbed up such things as scattered hard tack, little wallets of ground coffee, etc. I did not leave the road, and only found a clothes brush, which was lying with the bristles up, the row of white bristles around the outer edge had caught my eye, though the night was dark and I on horseback.

I don't think that Streight ever attempted to go into camp again, or if he did he was not allowed to do so, for the chase was kept up day and night, and if they deprived us of something to eat we certainly kept them from sleeping. But at every creek or stream they would make a stand, and on all such occasions we would shell them and then charge, and so on we went, the battery to cross below or above the burning bridge as best we could.

One day in passing a little farm in a valley where the whole family, "with their sisters and their cousins and their aunts," were standing out in the yard, as I rode up, one of the young women came rushing towards me with her arms open, crying "lor' if yonder ain't buddy." I suggested that she was mistaken, as I had no sister. "Well," said she, "if you ain't buddy, you are just like him, and I will find you some bread," whereupon she rushed back to the house and brought me a small piece of bread, the first and only bread I had on the road from Tuscumbia to Rome.

One night the command seemed to come to a halt. I tried to "nod" on my horse, but could not do so satisfactorily, so I rode forward to see what the matter was. We were stopped in a branch or swampy place, the drivers were all nodding away on their horses. Just after getting out of the bottom I passed along the side of the hill in the woods, and I saw lying on the ground, asleep, Captain Ferrell, and a few feet farther lay General Forrest also asleep, I quietly dismounted and, with my arm through my bridle rein, lay down with my back as close to Captain Ferrell as I could get. It seemed that I had hardly got to sleep when I was aroused by the voice of General Forrest, "Captain Ferrell, move your battery forward," and forward we moved.

Late one evening in crossing a stream where there was no bridge,