uld willingly have
engaged in the most desperate enterprise to save his life; but, alas!
he was gone, and there was no chance even for that vengeance for which
our souls thirsted.

Before we had been long at Knoxville, we were notified to prepare for
trial. We requested that we should all be tried at once, as our cases
were precisely alike. When this was not granted, we next asked that
one might be tried, and his sentence be the sentence of the whole
party. But this too, was refused, with the reply that they knew their
own business best. We were forced to accept this decision, though we
could not imagine why it was that they should thus insist on trying
but one at a time. The only reason that I can yet conjecture for this
proceeding is, that it would have looked too absurd to arraign
twenty-one, or even twelve men, all in a body, and from one brigade,
as spies.

They allowed us the privilege of counsel, and we employed two good
Union men, Colonels Baxter and Temple, who volunteered their services.
We were each to pay them one hundred and fifty dollars, and as fast as
we were tried, to give our notes for that amount.

The charges and specifications of William Campbell were first handed
in. He was a citizen, but claimed to be a soldier, and we endorsed his
position. The charge against all who were brought to trial was for
"lurking in and around Confederate camps as spies, for the purpose of
obtaining information." Not a word was said of taking the cars, or of
anything we really did do.

Our plan of defence has been partly indicated before. It was to tell
just who we were, and what we had done, with the exceptions of the
pranks we had played on the rebel citizens coming down, and to claim
that we were United States soldiers, detailed on a military expedition
without our consent, and therefore entitled to the protection accorded
to regular prisoners of war. This was put into words, and read on the
trial as the acknowledgement of the party while pleading "not guilty"
to the charge. The only evidence they had was of the men who pursued
us on the train, and also of those who afterward arrested us; but of
course none of these knew anything of our lurking around the camps.

George D. Wilson related a ludicrous incident that occurred when he
was on trial, and which fitly illustrates the desire they had to
convict us. It was of a young lieutenant belonging to the
court-martial, who requested to be sworn, saying that he could