t sure that the General did not
belong to the Army of the Cumberland, and he answered:

"I belong to the 200th Ind."

"That ain't true, General," Si protested. "He was fired out of the
regiment a year ago. He's a citizen."

"Silence, Sergeant. Billings? Billings? The name of the
Lieutenant-Colonel of the 200th Ind. happens to be McBiddle--one-armed
man, good soldier. Billings? Billings? T. J. Billings? Is that your
name?"

"Yes, sir," answered Billings, beginning to look very uncomfortable.

"Didn't you have some trouble about a bunch of cattle you sold to the
Quartermaster-General?"

"Well, there was little difference of opinion, but--"

"That'll do, sir. That'll do for the present. I begin to get you placed.
I thought I knew the name Billings as soon as you spoke it, but I
couldn't remember any officer in my army of that name. Now, Sergeant,
tell me your story."

"General, me and my pardner here," began Si, "have bin home on wounded
furlough. Wounded at Chickamauga and promoted. We got orders to bring on
this squad o' recruits from Jeffersonville for our rijimint. We got in
last night and this mornin' me and my pardner started out to see if we
could find someone to direct us to the rijimint, leavin' the squad alone
for a few minutes. While we wuz gone this feller, who's bin fired out of
our rijimint and another one that he was in, come along and tolled our
boys off, intendin' to sneak 'em into another rijimint and git pay for
'em. By great good luck we ketched him in time, just before you come up.
You kin ask the boys themselves if I hain't told you the truth."

"Good idea," said the General, in his quick, peremptory way. "You three
(indicating Si, Shorty and Billings) march off there 25 paces, while I
talk to the boys."

Gen. Sherman, for it was the Commander of the Military Division of
the Mississippi, who, with his usual impetuous, thorough way, would
investigate even the most insignificant affair in his camps, when the
humor seized him, now sprang from his horse, and began a sharp, nervous
cross-questioning of the boys as to their names, residence, ages, how
they came there and whither they were bound.

"You came down with this Sergeant and Corporal, did you? You were
recruited for the 200th Ind., were you? You were put under the charge of
those men to be taken to your regiment?" he asked Pete Skidmore, at the
end of the line.

"Yes, sir," blubbered Pete. "And they are always losin' us, particularly