tizenship in the State. The old man thought this was an act
of unparalleled oppression; and in the morning, before I was out of
bed, came in the room, and desired that some one of us would write
that law down, that he might show his Union neighbors what the Yankees
would do when they had the sway. I wrote it, and we all afterward
signed our names to it. No doubt that document has been the theme of
many angry discussions.

So thoroughly did we deceive the old man, that when, three days after,
the railroad adventure fell on the astonished Confederates like a clap
of thunder out of a clear sky, he would not believe that we were part
of the men engaged in it. One of his neighbors, who was a Union man,
and was arrested and confined in the same prison with us, told us that
to the last our host maintained that his guests, at least, were true
and loyal Southerners. Should I ever again be in that part of the
country, I would delight to call on him in my true character, and
talk over the national troubles from another point of view.

We stayed with him Wednesday night, and were still a long way from
Chattanooga. We had designed, notwithstanding our weariness, to travel
all that night, but accidentally met some of our comrades who had seen
Andrews, who informed them that he had postponed the enterprise one
day longer. This was a great relief, as it saved us a most wearisome
and dreaded night tramp. But better to have taken it, for the delay of
that _one_ day was fatal. On Friday there would have been no extra
trains to meet, and our success would have been sure. But this we did
not know at the time.

The next day, which was Thursday, we came to Jasper, stopped in the
town and around the groceries awhile, talking of the state of the
country. We told them Kentucky was just ready to rise and shake off
her chains, and they were just foolish enough to believe it!

Here we heard the first indistinct rumor of the battle of Shiloh--of
course, a wonderful victory to the rebels, killing thousands of
Yankees, and capturing innumerable cannon. It was the impression that
our army was totally destroyed. One countryman gravely assured me that
five hundred gunboats had been sunk. I told him I did not think the
Yankees had so many as that, but was unable to shake his faith.

That night we stayed at Widow Hall's, and there met Andrews and some
of our other comrades. This was on the banks of the Tennessee river,
and Andrews advised us to cross