d roared with laughter, and the adjutant, reddening to the
eyes, turned away, muttering that he believed I was the engineer
myself!

When everything was in readiness, we bade an adieu to the capital of
down-trodden East Tennessee. Oh! what bitter memories cluster around
that old gloomy building. It has been one of the principal instruments
in crushing the life and loyalty out of the hearts of a brave, but
unfortunate people. May the day soon come when the suffering of East
Tennessee will be richly repaid on the heads of its guilty authors!

While we remained here, our fare was of the most scanty character. We
received it only twice a day, and then in homeopathic doses. We
continually suffered with hunger while we were well. I, myself, became
quite sick during our imprisonment here, and continued so for most of
the summer. Several others were in the same condition. This was rather
an advantage, for when sick we did not so much mind the scantiness of
our diet.

A number of Tennesseeans were removed with us. Among them was Captain
Fry and Mr. Pierce. In conversation with the former, I learned the
full particulars of his history, some incidents of which I had heard
before leaving our camp. He had raised a company of his neighbors, and
running the gauntlet of guarded roads, succeeded in reaching our army
in Kentucky. Here he was elected captain, and remained for some time.
After a while, the general in command wished him to go into Tennessee,
and there destroy the bridges on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad;
then to raise the loyal citizens of that vicinity, and hold the
country till our forces could arrive. He refused to go, until assured
of support from McClellan himself, who was at that time (the fall of
1861) in command of the whole United States army, and who promised
that a column should advance as soon as Fry succeeded. With this
assurance, he departed on his perilous mission. He aroused the Union
men in both Virginia and Tennessee, burned the bridges, and thus for a
time destroyed the most important rebel line of communication; and,
with a force of fifteen hundred men, held the entire country embraced
in his operations, and even seriously threatened Knoxville itself. Now
was the time for our forces to have struck the decisive blow, and not
only have redeemed East Tennessee from its chains, but also severed
the rebellion in halves! It was perfectly practicable. A large body
lay near Camp Dick Robinson, with only