n hear
of trouble in all the prison camps. I regard this as the beginning of
desperate work.'

"'Yes,' said Seraine; 'Henry was very sure that they were desperately
in earnest; but I thought, perhaps, the warning we had given to the
President might save any further disaster in that direction.'

"Seraine remained about a week longer, and then left for Detroit. I
sent a letter to Henry, directing him to remain in Canada as long as
necessary to find out when, where and how they were to move and operate.
My poor wife was soon taken ill again, and was quite feeble and almost
helpless for some weeks. Aunt Martha was constantly by her bedside,
waiting on her, as well as trying to entertain her with her curious
interpretations of dreams and her experience while in slavery. My
friends, this did not last a great while. More sorrows soon came to us."

CHAPTER XVII.

MOBS IN THE NORTH.--LAWLESS VIOLENCE AND OUTRAGE BY REBEL
SYMPATHIZERS.--THE CLASH OF ARMS.--BATTLE OF THE CHAPARRAL
BETWEEN GEN. SILENT AND GEN. LAWS.

"One day thou wilt be blest,
So still obey the guiding hand that fends
Thee safely through these wonders for sweet ends."
--Keats.

"After the battle of Middleton's Ridge some rest for Papson's troops was
indispensable. As soon, how-ever, as it could be done consistently
with the condition of things, Gen. Silent issued orders from his
headquarters, then at Nashua, to Papson and Sherwood for a disposition
of the troops to be made so as to protect the lines of communication
between Louis City, Nashua and Chatteraugus north, and from Chatteraugus
to Bridgeton, Huntersville and De Kalb west. This distribution was
speedily made. The enemy was in no condition for serious offensive
movements, and contented himself during the Winter with a continuous
harassing of our troops whenever found in squads or small commands not
sufficiently strong to make effective resistance.

"Near Huntersville a man by the name of John Cotton, with somewhere
between fifty and one hundred men, was constantly raiding small corrals
where only a few guards were left to watch them. His business seemed to
be to steal mules and wagons, being one of the parties operating under a
contract to plunder for fifty per cent, of the property so taken. He had
the same authority and character of commission from the authorities at
Richmond as Blackman and Beall, of whom I have heretofore spoken. During
the Winter th