uneasy after this, we walked as
rapidly as it was possible in my enfeebled condition.

The country through which we were passing now was mostly woods and
sparsely settled. In fact, I think we did not pass but two or three houses
in the next ten miles. At that distance from Fort Emory we came to a large
house that looked as though it belonged to a well-to-do planter, and
seeing the owner out near the road we stopped and asked if we could get
some supper. We had as yet said nothing about paying, and he put on a
long face when he told us that he had nothing cooked in the house. He was
a miserly looking old seed, and thinking a little money might tempt him, I
said that we were not particular what it was, but would pay him for any
kind of a "snack," if he could manage to give us something that would stay
our stomachs until we got to Murphy.

Mr. Harshaw--for that was his name--thought he might find something if we
would wait awhile, till he could go into the house. While we were yet
talking two mounted, armed men, came suddenly around a bend in the road,
and galloped down to where we were standing, each with a drawn pistol, and
a carbine slung over his shoulder. Dick Hancock the Sergeant, asked, to
what command do you belong? 32d Georgia I answered. Where are you going?
To Murphy to see my sister; giving him a ficticious name. Let me see your
pass said he. I felt in my pocket and said, by golly Alban I left those
passes in my haversack at Maj. Carters; and then turning to the Sergeant,
I explained that we staid at the Major's last night, and as we intended to
go back to-morrow or the next day, we thought we would leave the haversack
which was pretty heavy, and our passes were in the haversack.

You can consider yourselves under arrest, said the Sergeant; and told his
companion, Tom Hubbard, to dismount and search us. Tom was a very
excitable person, and had a habit of spitting about sixty times a minute.
He first took a large Morocco pocketbook that I carried in the breast
pocket of my coat, and looking over the papers, came across my recruiting
authorization paper, which I had received from the Governor, authorizing
me to recruit volunteers, for the service of the United States. Tom read
this aloud, spitting between each sentence. He read along until he came to
the clause above spoken of, when he stopped suddenly and said: "You are a
Yankee officer, by thunder!" I laughed and said: "Well, a Yankee could not
guess better t