e
secession sympathizers were vieing with each other as to who should
visit them the oftenest and show them the greatest consideration. The
whisperings of releasing them and organizing for 'a fire in the rear,'
as the saying went, were loud and plentiful I traveled to Indianapolis
and Chicago to see if I could learn anything of a definite character on
these points, and at both places heard mutterings and threats that were
calculated to produce alarm and also to make any loyal man feel
like beginning a war at home. Everything that was being done by the
authorities was denounced as arbitrary and despotic--their acts as
unconstitutional. In fact, no satisfactory act had been performed by
the Administration that was calculated to assist in putting down the
rebellion (according to their way of thinking). When I returned home I
found a letter from Peter, who had been promoted to a Majority in his
regiment. The Lieutenant-Colonel (Rice), as I before stated, had been
made Colonel, Major Pierce Lieutenant-Colonel, and Capt. Lyon (Peter)
Major. They had not as yet learned of the discovery of Col. Anderson.
I wrote to Peter, giving him in full the details in reference to the
Colonel, but told him not to reveal the facts to a soul until it should
be reported officially. In his letter, however, he informed me of the
massing of the rebel troops at Corin Junction, and the like process
going on at the High Banks, on the Little Combination River, now called
Pittskill Landing, and that he looked for hot work as soon as the Army
of the Center, under Buda, could make a junction with Gen. Silent. When
I read Peter's letter all the family were anxious about his fate, should
there be another battle fought. Old Ham was present and seemed to be
much interested in what I was saying. He had been entertaining the three
children with his simple stories about the 'Sesh,' as he and Aunt Martha
called the rebels. He spoke up, saying:

"'Massa Daniel, I tells you da's no danger, sah. I had a dream 'bout
dat. Massa Peter am all right, sah; I tells you he is. I neber dreams
'bout anything but what comes out good.'

"My wife asked Ham if he could interpret dreams. 'No, missis; I not know
'bout dreams 'cept my own. I knows dat Massa Peter all right.'

"There was no way getting the cunning old darkey to tell his dream. My
wife said to him:

"'I am troubled about a dream that I had at the commencement of the war.
It distresses me still.'

"She then rel