Putnam patriot., 1910-06-24
B, ALBERT cHIrrENDEN
Copyright. isaa. ey American Press
 Association


 might lead 10 intervention. he issued an order to his generals to give every facility in their power to persons de string to purchase the article and per mit them to ship tt on the army wag- ons going north empty for supplies for the troops At the time cotton could be bought for a song In the south. and before the war closed 1t had risen te dollar a pound tn the northern states
 was then young and eager to make money. Having some capital. wSut down Into Virginia and rude among the plantations III the neishborhood of ihe Uuion arInit.s buying cotton wher- ever l feand an opportunity to get It within cur lineS and send II north One day l md been eiii Il few miles beyond tse mon vedettes te 4 planla tion where l had heen told was stared large stuck of toitun There was no eneny Ill thal diuNgilH. md Ii there we're | considered my yoeafien I shield against ihierfereuip. fur l was Il ,iti. zen engaged ip assisting the suit hern planters Ia urn their eoiten into mon ey | bought fifty bates en condition that 1 could get transportation for them and rede back to the uHiun lines
 Something about the arrangement of The camps looked different from what | had left Indeed. l found il great deal Of difference. While l had been away the corps l had left had moved and another had taken its place. The officer of the picker post would not al low me to 20 where liked. but took me 10 the provost marshal. Major Campbell
 noticed that the moment The pro vest marshal looked at me lie gave Il faintly pereeptible start. told him who l was and the business l was en- gagged in He listened to my story. then said he would report my case to the general commanding. He left me to dc se and was going so long that. tired of waiting. l was about to mount my horse and ride away when a sentry stopped me. l asked him why he de tafned me. and he said that he had been ordered not to let me leave till the provost marshal returned.
 Major Campbell rode up as I was talking with the sentry. He asked me to come into his tent and. getting out the army denijohn. Invited me to have something. He chatted in a familiar way, seeming much interested in my cotton purchases and asking me a number of questions pertaining to the business. He told me that the gen eral would like to see tne. but wns too busy to receive me till the next day.
 had left my belongings at house a short distance in rear of the army. and when ihe conversation iagged l arose and said l would ride there. re turn in the morning and call on tbe general. Major Campbell suid That there was no necessity for me to go away since he would be happy to give me a cot in a tent with subaiteru officer and my meals at his mess. But I said 1 wished some clean linen and me as politely as possible that the general had directed him to bring me to his headquarters the next day and he would not dare risk losing me.
 This was equivalent to telling me that | was s temporary quasi pris- oner. Nevertheless 1 did not think much Of sbe matter. for If permitted 10 go 1 might find it inconT~nient 10 return. In that event the major would be itabie to censure for disobe- dience of s,rd+rs- So 1 made virtue of necessity. saying that l would be happy to acesp his hospitality.
 During the ex%bing 1 played the army game with fhe uaajor and sev. eral other officers in his tent. the army game beins draw poker. with greenbaek< in Iis-a of chips Somehow il seemed to De that l was an object of interest Every DOW and again an officer would come 10 the tent io iook oyer the game. But. glancing up at tbese gentlemen. invariably noticed their eyes fixed on sne rather tsaa "h the cards was puzzled. What WAS ttere about ciSiliau engaged lii eol' ton bnyng to interest officers of thp arny. However. the game interested Ire. and speculation of this Kind did not take rtn.t in my mind Ne played tilt Hldnighf. when fhe parry broke up. and WIS conducted by any teni mate to my place of rest. I poficed that hr kept an eye on une ~biie rook uf uly cutter clothing and did nof take rff gt. fut isaFp 4r naents.
 While going fo sleep the circum. stances of my drtenrlon. fhe interest l had excited. this waSchfuine,s of my tent mate altogether found f1rmer Judgment In my brain Yet as [ pon- dersd oyer fhe matter 1 could not think of one aef sufficiently noticeable to signify anything in particular. As for my visit ts The general the next day. h might fse an advantage. 1 had expected to arrange for cotton trans. portasion with the quartermaster. Pos sibly 1 might derive some advantages by interesting the general in what was doing.
 The next morning waited till II o'cIock for Major Campbell fo fake me to the general. when. becoming i'm rssieut. sebsd him rbe cause of the delay. He told me that the seneral was busy. inwardly cured these military uakobs who made every one await their pleasure and were treated bS their subordinstes as princes of the blood. H not sovereiSns- IT was not i'll . h tho affernoos that the major