opes; and, to crown
all, I was firmly bound to the carriage seat!

My evil genius, the little major, took the seat beside me as driver.
He was armed to the teeth. Two other officers on horseback, likewise
fully armed, constituted the rest of the guard that was thought
necessary to attend one chained and helpless Yankee. Oh! spirit of
chivalry! how art thou fallen! No longer one brave Southern knight a
match for eight or ten Northern mudsills; but three well-armed
officers to guard one chained Union soldier! The same exaggerated
caution I frequently noticed afterward. There seemed to be a perpetual
fear on the minds of the miscreants that we were about to do something
desperate.

As we journeyed along, the sky, which for days had been overcast, and,
during that time, had hardly afforded us a glimpse of its celestial
blue, became suddenly clear. The sun shone out in beauty, and smiled
on the first faint dawnings of spring that lay in tender green on the
surrounding hills. I am ever very sensitive to the influences of
nature in all its phases, and now felt my spirit grow more light as I
breathed the fresh air, and listened to the singing of the birds.

My companions were quite talkative, and though I hated them for the
indignity they had thus put upon me in chaining me as a criminal, yet
I knew it would be unavailing to indulge a surly and vindictive
disposition, and therefore talked as fast and as lively as they could.

My guards, themselves, did not subject me to any insults, and even
endeavored to prove that the extraordinary manner in which I was bound
was a compliment to me. I could not see it in that light, and would
have willingly excused the tying and the compliment together! The
worst was that when they passed any house they would call out, "We've
got a live Yankee here;" then men, women, and children, would rush to
the door, and stare as though they saw some great monster, asking:

"Whar did you ketch him? Goin' to hang him when you get him to
Chattanooga?" and similar expressions without end.

This was only amusing at first, but its perpetual recurrence soon grew
terribly wearisome, and was not without its effect in making me
believe they really would hang me. In fact, my expectation of escaping
was never very bright; yet I considered it my duty to keep up my
spirits as well as I could, and not despair till it really was certain
that there remained no ground for hope. The afternoon wore slowly away
as we