e has no ambition to imitate
the regular soldier at all; he looks the genuine rebel; but in spite of
his bare feet, his ragged clothes, his old rug, and tooth-brush stuck
like a rose in his button-hole,[65] he has a sort of devil-may-care,
reckless, self-confident look, which is decidedly taking.

At 5 P.M. we drove up in front of the door of General Kelly's quarters,
and to my immense relief I soon discovered that he was a gentleman. I
then explained to him the whole truth, concealing nothing. I said I was
a British officer on leave of absence, travelling for my own
instruction; that I had been all the way to Mexico, and entered the
Southern States by the Rio Grande, for the express purpose of not
breaking any legally established blockade. I told him I had visited all
the Southern armies in Mississippi, Tennessee, Charleston, and Virginia,
and seen the late campaign as General Longstreet's guest, but had in no
way entered the Confederate service. I also gave him my word that I had
not got in my possession any letters, either public or private, from any
person in the South to any person anywhere else. I showed him my British
passport and General Lee's pass as a British officer; and I explained
that my only object in coming North was to return to England in time for
the expiration of my leave; and I ended by expressing a hope that he
would make my detention as short as possible.

After considering a short time, he said that he would certainly allow me
to go on, but that he could not allow my driver to go back. I felt
immensely relieved at the decision, but the countenance of my companion
lengthened considerably. It was, however, settled that he should take me
on to Cumberland, and General Kelly good-naturedly promised to do what
he could for him on his return.

General Kelly then asked me in an off-hand manner whether all General
Lee's army was at Hagerstown; but I replied, laughing, "You of course
understand, General, that, having got that pass from General Lee, I am
bound by every principle of honour not to give you any information which
can be of advantage to you." He laughed and promised not to ask me any
more questions of that sort. He then sent his aide-de-camp with me to
the provost-marshal, who immediately gave me a pass for Cumberland. On
my return to the General's, I discovered the perfidious driver (that
zealous Southerner a few hours previous) hard at work communicating to
General Kelly all he knew, and a g