t we cut a steak out of the
mule, and broil it, but Jim said he was not going to be a cannibal, if
he knew his own heart. While we were looking at the remains of our meal,
my horse, the rebel horse that I had rode so many months, and loved so,
which was hitched near, lay down, began to groan and kick, and in two
minutes he was dead. Then Jim's horse went through the same performance
and died, and by that time there was a commotion all around camp, horses
and mules dying suddenly, until within half an hour there were only a
dozen animals alive, and forty cavalrymen, at least, were horseless. The
camp looked like a battle field. Nobody knew what was the matter of the
animals, until an old negro, who lived near, came out and said, "You uns
ought to know better than to let you horses eat dat sneeze weed. Dat is
poison. Kills animals, just like rat poison." And then he showed us a
weed, with a square stem, that grew there, and which was called sneeze
weed. He said native animals would not touch it, but strange animals eat
it because it was nice and green. Well, we were in a fix. The men were
called together, and the major told them there was nothing to do but to
take their saddles and bridles on their backs and walk to Montgomery,
unless they could steal a horse. He advised us to scatter into parties
of two or three, enough to protect ourselves from possible attack, go on
cross roads, and to plantations, forage for something to eat, and take
the first horse or mule we could find, and report to Montgomery as soon
as possible. Jim and I, of course, decided to stand by each, other, and
after the men who had not lost their horses, had rode away, the forty
dismounted men shouldered their saddles, and started in different
directions, seeking some other men's horses. I never had realized that
a cavalry saddle was so heavy, before. Mine seemed to weigh a ton. We
struck a cross road, and followed it for two or three miles, when
I called a council of war, with Jim. I told him that it was all
foolishness to lug those heavy saddles all over the Southern
Confederacy. If we succeeded in stealing horses, we could probably steal
saddles, also, or if not we could get a sheepskin. I told Jim I would
receipt to him for his saddle, and then I would leave them in a fence
corner, and if we ever got back to the regiment I would report the
saddle lost in action.

Jim said I had a great head, and he consented, and we left our saddles
and moved on. J