Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/314

 306 Southern Historical Society Papers.

so that I could have full play. I tackled a big leather trunk, and as I heaved it out on the ground it struck the front wheel and the top and bottom parted company. It evidently belonged to an officer of high rank. The first thing I pulled out was on elegant cocked hat with royal black plumes. Then followed dress uniform coats and pants, and fatigue jackets, all with epaulets, and superb underwear of every description. I was rich. I strapped to my saddle and around my person everything that I needed, and some things that I had'. better have left where I found them; but then I didn't know. Among other valuable things was an elegant pair of field-glasses. I put the strap of the case over my neck. There was a cylindrical tin box, a foot or more long, containing drawings and maps. I should have carried those to General Stuart, but I did not, and left them where they were. Then I found my "evil genius," which was a pint flask half full of good whiskey. I sampled it then and there. When I had enough I mounted my new capture and started out. I hadn't gone far when I was hailed by a man standing over a five-gallon runlet, with the head knocked in. He asked me if I didn't want something to drink. I took out the flask which I had gotten from the trunk, and handed it to him, first unscrewing the top. He simply immersed it in the whisky and let it run full, and handed it back to me.

I was sitting on my horse, and screwing on the top with the reins hanging loose, when all on a sudden the Yankees, who had crept up under cover of darkness, opened a terrible fire on us. At the first discharge the old Yankee horse bolted right over a wagon pole, and on he went into pitch darkness, through bushes and over gullies. Before I could gather up the reins he was running away with me. At the first bound the halter strap to the horse I was leading broke. As a second mishap, one stirrup leather gave way. I had to hold on by my knees. Whither he was carrying me I could not tell, for it was dark, and the bushes were raking me fore and aft, and I ex- pected every moment to be dragged off. I finally succeeded in hauling him up. Then I felt around to see what damage had been done. And ' ' I am sorry to relate, ' ' I was as poor a man as you would wish to see. Every vestige of my plunder was gone, except the field-glasses, which were around my neck. The bushes had scraped me clean; haversack and all were gone. I couldn't find my company, and I didn't know where I was. I stopped and tried to locate myself and to listen. While so engaged I heard some one groaning, apparently far below me. I could not understand it, so I