k: he was not of a hardy
constitution, and he had undergone fatigue enough--to say nothing of the
fearful weather--to have broken down a more practiced pedestrian.
Dolley's party were not the actual captors, though they were hard on the
fugitive's trail; another squad, sent to search for some Confederates
supposed to be hidden in the neighborhood, had come upon some tracks in
the snow, leading to a farm-house, and there discovered my unhappy
guide, sleeping the sleep of exhaustion. This was twelve miles from the
spot where we parted, and he had struggled on till strength would carry
him no further.
The lieutenant's face grew longer than Nature had left it, as he
perused, one after another, the documents found on Shipley. Though his
demeanor towards myself remained quite amicable, it was clear that he
judged me, to a certain extent, by my associations; and his simple
joviality was somewhat clouded by an uneasy sense of responsibility.
Nevertheless, the evening passed quickly enough round the guard-room
fire; the men sang some simple chants, and the deep, rough voices
sounded not unmusically. Once more, I preferred a single plank to the
nameless abominations of the bunks, above and below stairs; and
consequently awoke with aching bones, but flesh intact.
The next morning we bade farewell to the Greenland detachment, in no
unkindness. I was really sorry when I read in the papers, a month later,
of their capture by Imboden's division, after an obstinate defense in
the church, which was burned over their heads before the survivors would
surrender.
New Creek, the headquarters of Colonel Mulligan's brigade, was our
destination. We had a sufficient escort, and besides, the valiant Dolley
accompanied us, in the character of chief witness, as well as chief
captor. His "get up" was very remarkable, consisting of a pair of brown
overalls, an old blue uniform coat, about three sizes too small for him,
and the very tallest black hat, that, as I think, I ever beheld. Slight
as my wound was, it had quite crippled me for the time; a farmer,
however, for a moderate consideration, found me a pony that saved my
legs, at much peril to its own: for it stumbled miraculously often.
Shipley began by walking, but was glad to avail himself of a chance
animal half way. Dolley and two of his friends were mounted; the
soldiers kept pace with us gallantly on foot.
When we started, I bore no sort of malice to that same Dolley; but,
before we
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