had ceased to speak, he took off hat, coat, and
necktie, and laying his hand on his heart, he said, "Aim here." But
the sergeant of the guard advanced to tie his hands and blindfold
him. He asked the privilege of standing untied; the request was not
granted. His eyes were then bandaged, he kneeled upon his coffin,
and engaged in prayer for several minutes, and then said he was
ready. The lieutenant of the guard then gave the word, "Fire," and
twenty-four muskets, half of them loaded with ball, were discharged.
When the smoke lifted, the body had fallen backward, and was still.
Several balls had passed through his head, and some through his
heart. His body was tumbled into the rough pine box, and buried by
the men that shot him. Such was the fate of a Tennessee patriot. His
blood will be required of those who instigated the Rebellion.
General Hardee said afterward, when the scene was described to him,
"I think the man was half crazy from brooding over his _fancied
wrongs_. His execution was necessary to prevent others from
deserting, but no sum of money could have induced me to witness it."
General, were they "fancied wrongs!"

This scene strengthened my purpose to disconnect myself from the
South as soon as I could get my pay, which was now many months in
arrears. I could not travel many hundreds of miles without means,
and in a direction to excite suspicion in the mind of every man I
might meet. But the paymaster was not in funds; and while he
approved and indorsed my bills, he said I must go to Richmond to
receive the money. I had not means to go to Richmond. My horses, of
which I owned two, I was determined to keep, to aid me off; hence I
was forced to continue in my position as assistant-surgeon for a
time.

On the 17th of April, the surgeon-general to whose staff I was
attached left Corinth for Mobile, nearly three hundred miles
distant, with a train conveying about forty wounded men. The journey
was tedious, and to the wounded, painful, as they occupied box-cars
without springs, and the weather was exceedingly warm. A few of the
men were left under the care of physicians by the way, being unable
to endure the motion of the cars. We proceeded leisurely from
station to station, stopping long enough to receive provisions for
all on board from the citizens on the line of the road, which were
freely and gratuitously furnished. Wherever we stopped long enough
to give the people time to assemble, crowds came to offer