Year: 1876

Canton so soon, as l knew it was al


most 100 miles to where his COM
mand was stationed.


The half-hour at last terminated,
and the Major was announced at
the door. The boys all rushed to
him and grasped his hands as eager
ly as if he was their dearest friend
on earth. The Major was overcome.
1 saw tears standing in his eyes.
The change that had taken place
with us was too much for him. He
took seat and the boys collected
around him. 1t would be impossible
to tell what was said, for we all talk
ed at once. The Major seemed con-
strained, as if he would like to re-
lieYe his mind ofsomething, but was
afraid to say it. After he had been
with US about 20 minutes he told us
he would have to go back to his
command. He babe us good-by, and
when he started called me to follow
him. 1 stepped out of the room and
went to the foot of the stairway,
where we stopped. He turned to
me and said, ''If 1 had known that
you would have got into the hands
of this set of thieves / would have
let every one of you loose in Dixie.
I heard from my own boys that your
guards had robbed you of your
money, but 1 didn't know they had
taken your clothes. / had no other
business here but to see the officer
in command and see if ne wouldn't
restore your money. But l can't do
any thing for you. The General
told me to go back to my command,
or he would put me under arrest as
Union sympathizer. 1 am sorry
for you, and sorry that 1 can't re-
lease you"


I then told the Major about his
boys lying down and going to sleep
with us the last night we were with
them. "Oh well, said he, ''my boys
came back, Dragging about what
good time they had with you, and
you certainly didn't have it in your
hearts to kill them. 1 replied that
if all the Southern men were like
him and his men, there would be no
cause for war and blood shed


The Major then said he must be
going, and gave me his hand, and
in parting his looks and actions con-
vinced me that he was true gentle
man. There is not one man in
thousand who would take such an
interest in a company Of prisoners,
whom he regarded as enemies of his
country, as Major Robbords showed
in our welfare. He had ridden
about 100 miles to protect US and
demand that our money be refund
ed to us. He told me if he had
known that our clothes had been ia
ken when he was talking to Lee, he
would have forgot his religion


returned to the room after part
ing from the Major, and founda new
guard stationed at the different
posts, and among them Graham and
Evans. 1t was the first time they
had been on guard since fuckers
arrival. He commenced some OF his
pranks, but they ordered him to
stop, and during the time they were
on duty he was quiet.


During the day three new char
acters made their appearance among
US. One was a Capt. Johnson, an
officer of an Alabama company OF
infantry, and the other two we're
privates from two different compa-
nies. All three were under arrest
for desertion, and the two privates
under sentence of death, one to be
shot in two days, and the other had
a week to reflect on his life and pre-
pare for an unknown world.


The poor fellow who only had 48
hours to live was securely ironed.
He had handouts on, and his ankles
we're chained together so that he
could not step more than a foot at a
time. He seemed greatly depressed,
and Immediately after entering the
room complained of being very sick.
The guards procured him cot, with
some straw, and he lay down and
pulled his blanket over his head.
From bis actions that he was suffer
ing fearfully, and 1 had my doubts
whether he would live long enough
for his sentence to be carried out.


ITO be continued.


Going to Kansas or Colorado,