d, then
under General James B. Steadman, was increased eight hundred men--men
acclimated--men who could shoulder a musket. This was all done in less
than three weeks. The negroes were all taken from rebel plantations.

One morning Colonel Vandeveer, of the 35th Ohio, commanding the Third
Brigade, sent an orderly to my tent to inquire if I would not like to
accompany an excursion into the enemy's country. As items were scarce,
I at once assented; and, although scarce daybreak, off we went. The
Colonel informed me that, as I was a good judge of darkeys, General
Steadman had advised my going with the party.

We called first at Mrs. Carmichael's, and got two boys, aged,
respectively, fifteen and seventeen. Mrs. Carmichael begged, and,
finally, wept quite bitterly at the prospect of losing her boys--said
those were all she had left--(she had sent the others South). She
plead with us not to take "them boys"--said "they wern't no
account--couldn't do nothing nohow." But the _mother_ of these boys
told our men a different story, and begged us to take the boys, "For,"
said she, "dey does all de plantin' corn and tendin' in de feel. Dey's
my chill'n, and if I never sees 'em agin, I want de satisfaction of
knowin' _dey is free_!"

Mrs. Carmichael's supplications for the negroes not to be taken from
her were quite pitiful. She said they had been _allers_ raised _jest_
like as they were her own flesh and blood, and she just _keered_ for
'em the same. But, as Mrs. Carmichael had two sons in the rebel army,
the boys were taken. Upon the first order to come with us they seemed
delighted, which caused the mistress to become very wrathy. I told the
boys to go to their cabin and get their blankets, as they would need
them. Judge my surprise when this _kind-hearted_ woman, who had just
informed me that she had "allers treated them boys as if they were her
own flesh and blood"--this woman seized the blankets from the
half-naked boys, and fairly shrieked at them: "You nasty, dirty little
nigger thieves! if them Yankees want to steal you, let 'em find you in
blankets; _I'm not a-going to do it!_" I merely inquired if that was
the way in which she treated _her other children_--those in the REBEL
_army_?

From thence we went to Mrs. Kidd's, who had a husband and two sons in
the rebel service. On our approach she endeavored to secrete some of
the blacks, _but they_ wouldn't "_stay hid_." The cause of the visit
was explained. The rebels had