ral
Garfield for the requisite permission. Judge of my surprise upon
receiving the following dispatch from General Garfield:

Head-quarters Army of the Cumberland,
Murfreesboro, _May 10, 1863_.

Alf Burnett--_Sir_: The commanding General has heard of the
occurrence at Triune, and refuses you permission to come to
Murfreesboro.

J. A. GARFIELD,
_Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff_.

I immediately dispatched a batch of letters from prominent Generals;
also sent forward several fine introductory letters that I held,
addressed to General Rosecrans and General Garfield. A regular
diplomatic correspondence was opened, and, after hearing the evidence,
I received a telegram to this effect:

Alf Burnett--Report forthwith at these Head-quarters.

J. A. GARFIELD.

By order of Major-General Rosecrans.

I arrived at Murfreesboro the following day, but did not "_report_,"
for I felt somewhat chagrined at the General's crediting the stories
that he had heard. The succeeding day, however, I met General Alex
McCook, and his brother, the gallant Colonel Dan McCook, who told me
that the General wanted to see me immediately; that the greatest
anxiety was felt at head-quarters for my appearance; that I had been
the subject of conversation for an hour past. I immediately dismounted
and walked into the house, presenting my card to an orderly, and, in a
moment, General Garfield came to the door with a cordial welcome and
a hearty laugh, took me by the hand and introduced the "Preacher from
Hepsidam" to Major-General Rosecrans. When this was done, another
outburst of laughter was the result.

Major-General Turchin, Major-General Thomas, and the staffs of those
heroes were present. General Garfield and "Old Rosey" formed the party
whom I was apprised were a court-martial now duly convened to try the
"Preacher from Hepsidam." General R. asking me if I was ready for
trial, I told him I was, if he had a pair of spectacles in the "court"
room. So he called the court to order, sent for a few of his staff,
who were absent, and requested General Garfield to get me a pair of
spectacles from an adjoining room. General Rosecrans took advantage of
General Garfield's absence to tell me that General Garfield had once
been a "Hard-s