there, and to take passage on the cars
at Shell Mound station, as there had been a stringent order issued to
let no one cross above, who could not present perfectly satisfactory
credentials. Andrews had these, but we had not; it was, therefore,
advisable for us to be challenged as few times as possible. We passed
a pleasant evening, during which the wit of my friend Shadrack kept us
in a continual roar of laughter.

At last morning came, and we went down to the bank of the river to
cross. The ferryman had just swung the boat into the stream, and we
were getting into it, when a man arrived with positive orders from the
military authorities to let no one across for three days.

Affairs now looked dark. We could not cross except at the upper
ferries, and not there unless our credentials were good. However, we
resolved to persevere, and thinking in this case, as in many others,
the boldest plan would be the safest, we again struck over the wild
spurs of the Cumberland, which here sweep directly down to the river,
on in the direction of Chattanooga, with the intention of trying to
cross there, at headquarters.

Our journey was far from a pleasant one, and several times we lost our
road in the entanglements of the mountains; but at last we reached a
valley that ran directly down to the river, opposite Chattanooga. Here
the road was more frequented, and from the travelers we met we learned
further particulars of the battle of Shiloh. Still the accounts were
rose-tinted for the Confederates, though they now admitted a
considerable loss.

One man gave me an interesting item of news from the East; it was,
that the Merrimac had steamed out, and after engaging the Monitor for
some time with no decisive results, had ran alongside, and throwing
grappling-hooks on her, towed her ashore, where, of course, she fell
an easy prey. He said that now they had the two best gunboats in the
world, and they would be able to raise the blockade without
difficulty, and even to burn the Northern cities. But I have not space
to tell of all the wild chimeras and absurd stories that we heard on
our entrance into a land where truth always has been contraband. From
that time forward, we heard of continuous Confederate victories, and
not one Union triumph, till in September, when they admitted that they
were repulsed by Rosecrans at Corinth.

On reaching the river, we found a great number of persons on the bank
waiting to go over. The ferryman was t