Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/38

 32 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Howard, now a servant in the employ of Mr. J. H. Slater, on Liberty street, and another named John Davis, who had belonged to Mr. Clinton Jones of this city. These men escaped and followed us to the last, faithful then. As I am told, they have been honest, law- abiding and good citizens since.

Only one animal was left, and that was my mule, or rather a mule belonging to the Confederate Government, which I had hitched to the bu ggy. when w e left Petersburg, as a reserve force. He had escaped the bullets of the enemy, and was left like "the last rose of the sum- mer, his lovely companions all fallen and gone," and standing in the midst of the general destruction, with air and general appearance so forlorn and lugubrious, that it was impossible not to smile when look- ing at him. There was also a sad and seedy looking darkey stand- ing near, and contemplating the picture with dazed and troubled mien. I called him to me, and hastily writing a note in doggerel from the pommel of my saddle, I gave it to Sambo, with a dollar, and directed him to take the mule and buggy to a handsome resi- dence on quite an eminence above the road, and deliver both to the gentleman who lived there. I had no idea who this gentleman was, nor can I remember the doggerel lines now, except the first two, which ran somewhat in this way:

" This to the gentleman who lives on the hill, When I return may he live there still."

Nor did I ever dream of hearing from mule or man again. But I did. The gentleman was an honored member of my own profession,

Dr. J, who returned me both mule and buggy in good order in

the month of May or June after the surrender. I made my most grateful acknowledgements for his kindness as well as every possible apology for my silly note, which must have seemed to him very absurd and very unfitting an occasion of so much disaster. But my blood was younger then than now, and all soldiers, poor fellows, are apt to make merriment of misery. There was many a merry joke made amidst the fiercest fighting, and many a brilliant sally was spoken by lips sealed the next minute in death.

But my mule I feel that I cannot dismiss him so summarily I am sure that the interest of my comrades is enlisted in his story. I had not gotten back home from durance vile, but a short time, when I had a note brought me by private hands (we had the luxury of few mails just then it was the latter part of May, 1865), saying that if I would send for my mule and buggy I could get them. But whom