ones, "_Them
breeches is a d----d bad colour._" This he said in allusion, not to
their dirty state, but to the fact of their being grey, the rebel
colour. I replied to this very disagreeable assertion in as conciliating
a way as I possibly could; and in answer to his question as to who I
was, I said that I was an English traveller. He then said that his wife
was an English lady from Preston. I next expressed my pride in being a
countryman of his wife's. He then told me in tones that admitted of no
contradiction, that Preston was just forty-five miles east of London;
and he afterwards launched into torrents of invectives against the
rebels, who had _run him_ out of Virginia; and he stated his intention
of killing them in great numbers to gratify his taste. With some
difficulty I prevailed upon him and his rabid brethren to drink, which
pacified them slightly for a time; but when the horse was brought out to
be harnessed, it became evident I was not to be allowed to proceed
without a row. I therefore addressed the crowd, and asked them quietly
who among them wished to detain me; and I told them, at the same time,
that I would not answer any questions put by those who were not persons
in authority, but that I should be most happy to explain myself to any
officer of the United States army. At length they allowed me to proceed,
on the understanding that my buggy-driver should hand me over to General
Kelly, at Hancock. The driver was provided with a letter for the
General, in which I afterwards discovered that I was denounced as a spy,
and "handed over to the General _to be dealt with as justice to our
cause demands_." We were then allowed to start, the driver being
threatened with condign vengeance if he let me escape.

After we had proceeded about six miles we fell in with some Yankee
cavalry, by whom we were immediately captured, and the responsibility of
my custody was thus removed from my conductor's shoulders. A cavalry
soldier was put in charge of us, and we passed through the numerous
Yankee outposts under the title of "_Prisoners_."

The hills near Hancock were white with Yankee tents, and there were, I
believe, from 8000 to 10,000 Federals there. I did not think much of the
appearance of the Northern troops; they are certainly dressed in proper
uniform, but their clothes are badly fitted, and they are often
round-shouldered, dirty, and slovenly in appearance; in fact, bad
imitations of soldiers. Now, the Confederat