Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 35.djvu/31

 Rh as we could. Little Joe Peebles, who was captured in his shirt and pants, was the only one who kept his spirits up. His lively sallies and impudent retorts amused the Federal soldiers immensely and he was made quite a pet of.

During the day we were taken up to Butler's headquarters. Along with two lads, mere boys, who were severely wounded, I was assigned to a tent immediately opposite the General's luxuriously appointed quarters, and we were brought some very excellent vermicelli soup. As we had had but little to eat for twenty-four hours, excepting the aforesaid fat pork and hard tack, it was to us as nectar brewed in the garden of the gods, and refreshed us greatly. The rest of our company did not fare so well. They were kept in an open field all clay with the hot sun beating down upon them, and I truly commisserated their lot.

In the same tent with us were two ill-favored looking chaps, deserters from Wise's brigade. They informed me they had "come over" two days before. Doubtless Butler derived much information from them as to the defenceless condition of the town.

During the day Butler sent for some of our party and Mr. A. M. Keiley, B. T. Archer and one or two others came up to his tent, where he interviewed them. Mr. Keiley in his book "In Vinculus," has given a full account of his conversation with the general.

Butler in his letter to General Gilmore thus refers to this interview: "You made no such demonstration as caused any alarm in Petersburg until nine o'clock, as is evidenced by the fact that General Kautz's command captured a school-master whom I have examined, who was in his school in Petersburg after nine o'clock when the first alarm was given." It is an interesting coincidence that the school-master to whom Butler refers in his letter was young Archer, who was teaching in his school at the Anderson Seminary the day before, when I summoned him to report for duty at the front, as I have already related.

You will notice that Butler used the word "examined" in his letter to Gilmore. It is a term that a military man to the manner born and bred would hardly use. In truth, he was more at home