FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  
, were in excellent spirits, full of confidence, and clamouring to be led against _only_ double their numbers. I renewed my acquaintance with Dr Russell, for whose timely protection I shall always feel myself much indebted. I also sent my love to Smythe by several different people. At 3.30 P.M. I left Jackson in a Government ambulance, in company with Captain Brown of General Johnston's Staff, who was extremely useful to me. I had taken the precaution of furnishing myself with a pass from Colonel Ewell, the adjutant-general, which I afterwards discovered was absolutely necessary, as I was asked for it continually, and on the railroad every person's passport was rigidly examined. We drove to the nearest point at which the railroad was in working order, a distance of nearly five miles. We then got into the cars at 6 P.M. for Meridian. This piece of railroad was in a most dangerous state, and enjoys the reputation of being the very worst of all the bad railroads in the South. It was completely worn out, and could not be repaired. Accidents are of almost daily occurrence, and a nasty one had happened the day before. After we had proceeded five miles, our engine ran off the track, which caused a stoppage of three hours. All male passengers had to get out to push along the cars. * * * * * _24th May_ (Sunday).--We reached Meridian at 7.30 A.M., with sound limbs, and only five hours late. We left for Mobile at 9 A.M., and arrived there at 7.15 P.M. This part of the line was in very good order. We were delayed a short time owing to a "_difficulty_" which had occurred in the up-train. The difficulty was this. The engineer had shot a passenger, and then unhitched his engine, cut the telegraph, and bolted up the line, leaving his train planted on a single track. He had allowed our train to pass by shunting himself, until we had done so without any suspicion. The news of this occurrence caused really hardly any excitement amongst my fellow-travellers; but I heard one man remark, that "it was mighty mean to leave a train to be run into like that." We avoided this catastrophe by singular good fortune.[31] The universal practice of carrying arms in the South is undoubtedly the cause of occasional loss of life, and is much to be regretted; but, on the other hand, this custom renders altercations and quarrels of very rare occurrence, for people are naturally careful what they say when
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

occurrence

 

railroad

 

Meridian

 

difficulty

 

caused

 
engine
 

people

 

engineer

 

passengers

 
arrived

unhitched

 
passenger
 

delayed

 

occurred

 

reached

 

Mobile

 

Sunday

 

undoubtedly

 

occasional

 

carrying


practice

 

singular

 

catastrophe

 

fortune

 

universal

 

regretted

 

careful

 

naturally

 

custom

 

renders


altercations

 
quarrels
 

avoided

 

shunting

 

suspicion

 
allowed
 

bolted

 

telegraph

 

leaving

 

planted


single

 

mighty

 

remark

 

excitement

 

fellow

 

travellers

 
company
 

ambulance

 

Captain

 

General