. Eustrom, who, in company with Lieut.
Taylor, made his escape from a hospital building, some negroes giving
them clothes, and, through almost incredible hardships and dangers, they
succeeded in reaching our lines, and I met them two days after my
arrival at Nashville.

The capitulation of our splendid regiment was one of the most deplorable
events of its kind during the whole war. It was regarded one of the best
regiments of volunteers of the Western army. It had defended itself
with great valor, and, in fact, defeated the enemy, when for some
unaccountable reason, Col. H. C. Lester decided to surrender, and he
exerted such a great influence over our officers that seven company
commanders went over to his side in the council of war, which he called,
while the remaining officers and the soldiers were strongly opposed to
the capitulation. When the men finally were ordered to stack arms they
did so with tears in their eyes, complaining bitterly because they were
not allowed to fight any longer. All the officers who had been in favor
of capitulation were afterward dismissed from service in disgrace.

Arriving at Nashville I was immediately ordered to assume command of my
own scattered regiment, of the Ninth Michigan Infantry regiment, and of
a battery of artillery, which had also capitulated on that fatal Sunday.
Having supplied the men with clothing and other necessaries, I took them
by steamboats to a camp for prisoners in St. Louis, and returned to
Nashville to report the matter in person. On my return to Nashville I
was appointed member of a general court martial, and shortly afterwards
its president, which position I occupied from July till December, 1862.
The sufferings which my friend Captain Eustrom had endured during his
flight from the rebels shattered his health so that he was soon forced
to retire from service.

About this time the well-known Indian massacre in the western
settlements of Minnesota took place. About eight hundred peaceable
citizens, mostly women and children, and among those many
Scandinavians--were cruelly butchered, and their houses and property
burnt and destroyed. The soldiers of the Third regiment had given their
parole not to take up arms against the enemy until they were properly
exchanged, but, as this did not have anything to do with the Indian war,
they were ordered from St. Louis to Minnesota and put under the command
of Major Welch, of the Fourth regiment, and soon distinguished
t