volutionize and make their own of as
much territory as they inhabit.

We arrived at Danville at noon. A heavy rain began to fall. Having been
two days without opportunity to wash, we were drenched for an hour or
two by the sweet shower that seemed to pour from the open windows of
heaven. When our thoughtful guards concluded that we were sufficiently
cleansed and bleached, they sheltered us by putting us into coal cars,
where the black dust was an inch deep. That dust was fine! but the
thought seemed to strike them that our nicely laundered garments might
get soiled. So in half an hour they took us out and placed us in corn
cars. It rather went against the grain, but finally I sat down with the
other kernels on the floor. The weather being inclement, they felt it
their duty to keep us in doors, lest we should catch cold!

In these elegant and commodious vehicles we were transported next day
till we reached Greensboro, North Carolina, about fifty miles southwest
from Danville. Disgorged like poor old Jonah after three days' living
burial, we were placed in the beautiful open square, and never before
did air, earth, trees, and skies seem lovelier. Here they gave each of
us three horny crackers, "rebel hardtack," out of which some of us
carved finger rings that might have passed for bone.

In those days I was too much addicted to making public speeches, a habit
which I had contracted in Yale College. On the edge of the public green,
backed by a hundred prisoners, I was haranguing a crowd of curious
spectators, telling them how abominably we were treated, exhibiting to
them our single ration of flinty biscuit, and consigning them all to
everlasting perdition, when a well-dressed young man elbowed his way to
me at the fence. He had a large black shiny haversack swung under his
left arm. Patting it with his right hand, he asked:

"Will you have a snack?"

"A what?" I answered.

"A snack, a snack," he said.

"I don't know what a 'snack' is, unless it's a _snake_. Yes, I think I
could eat a copperhead--_cooked_. Snake for one, if you please; well
done."

He thrust his hand into his haversack; took out and gave me the most
delicious sandwich I ever tasted. Seeing how I enjoyed it, he emptied
the satchel, giving all his food to my hungry fellow prisoners. He told
me he was just starting on a long journey, and had laid in a good stock
of provisions. I took pains to write in my journal his name and
residence--"George W