Confederate officer of the guard made his appearance with two or three
soldiers, inquiring for the commissary of house number four. I was
pointed out to him. In substance and almost in the exact words this
dialogue ensued:

"Colonel Sprague, are you commissary of this house?"

"I have that honor."

"I want to find Lieutenant Gardner."

"Who?"

"Lieutenant Gardner."

"Who's Lieutenant Gardner?"

"I am told he's an officer in house number four; and as you are
commissary, you can probably tell me where he is _at_."

"Where he's what?"

"Where he's _at_."

This was the first time I had ever heard the word _at_ so used at the
end of a sentence; but it expresses the meaning with admirable
precision. I had a slight qualm at lying; but I remembered that even
George Washington could tell a lie if necessary in war. Pacifying my
conscience with the fact that we were _outside_ the house at the time, I
said:

"There's no such officer in house four. But I remember an officer of
that name at Libby, handsomely dressed, a perfect dandy. I heard that he
escaped at the crossing of the Yadkin River two weeks ago. Has he been
recaptured, and is he going to be shot or hanged? Or have you a letter
for him? What's the good news about Gardner?"

"I only know," he replied, "that he's wanted at Major Gee's office, and
he's an officer in house number four."

"Estabrooks," said I to the man at my side, "do you know of a Lieutenant
Gardner?"

"I did know slightly such a man at Libby. You have described him well; a
fop, a beau, a dandy; just about my size, but he didn't wear rags like I
do."

"Come with me," said I to the Confederate. "We'll go into the house and
inquire if any one knows of a Lieutenant Gardner." We went in. There
were perhaps thirty or forty inside who had got wind of what was going
on. As we entered, I asked in a loud voice, "Does any officer in this
house know anything of a Lieutenant Gardner?" Several smiled and
declared it a very singular name. One wanted to know how it was spelled!
A number were speaking at once. One said he escaped at the Yadkin; he
knew he got away, for he "watched him till he got a long distance out of
sight." Another knew a Henry J. Gardner, "a Know-Nothing" governor of
Massachusetts, who knew enough to keep out of the army. Another affirmed
that Gardner was dead; he had heard him say "I'm a dead man," and he
wouldn't tell a lie! My memory is somewhat indistinct of all that was