ct was made known, and the man did us
several kindnesses in return. We became quite well acquainted before our
separation.

Reaching the corral, or bull pen, as it was more generally called, I
recovered from the sorrow and despair which only my efforts to get on
the right side of our captors had kept from weighing me down, when I
found that it was a most general "round-up." Very few of the command had
escaped. Of Company B we counted thirty-five, two of whom were wounded.
Nearly all the others had had a similar experience, and it soon became
apparent that the proper thing to do was to make the best of a bad job
and to watch for a chance to get away.

Company B had ten pairs of brothers on the rolls, of whom eight pairs
were separated by death; but we will not dwell upon the dark side of
matters. Most of our captors had cloaked their robbery of us with a
pretense of trading, but in nearly every case the article offered for
exchange was of no comparative value.

Some of us began joking each other about our losses, some accepting the
jokes in good part, some being angry, and some too dispirited to care
what was going on.

It always has been a principle of mine to look at the bright side of
matters, and to find it if none such appeared on the surface. Several
others were of the same mind, and we had considerable fun--at least I
had--until one of the party began questioning me too closely.

Our lieutenant had bought a horse just before the fight, and in the
morning, as we had started on our march, I had offered to give him my
watch for the animal. He had agreed to this, and I had then given one
of my men, who was marching in his bare feet, an opportunity to ride.
Soon after, we had found a pair of boots lying just off the road, and
the rider once more had his feet encased in a proper covering. When we
had gone into action this man had ridden up and taken his place in the
line. Having the horse on my hands, and seeing one of our general's
black servants standing behind us, I had turned the horse over to him,
giving instructions that he should be kept out of the way of harm. Both
horse and rider had disappeared, and had kept out of harm, and further,
sight as well. There could be no doubt but what my horse was gone for
good, either to the rebels or elsewhere. My claim that the rebels had
not taken my watch was soon explained by cross-questioning. When I had
to admit this, I suddenly remembered that a friend of mine in one