alarmed for the safety of his wretched animals; but we all
determined to go on at all hazards and see what turned up.

We halted for dinner at a farmhouse in which were seven virgins seated
all of a row. They were all good-looking, but shy and bashful to a
degree I never before witnessed. All the young women in this country
seem to be either uncommonly free-spoken, or else extremely shy.

The further we went the more certain became the news of the fall of
Jackson.

We passed the night in the verandah of an old farmer. He told us that
Grierson's Yankee raid had captured him about three weeks ago. He
thought the Yankees were about 1500 strong; they took all good horses,
leaving their worn-out ones behind. They destroyed railroad, Government
property, and arms, and paroled all men, both old and young, but they
committed no barbarities. In this manner they traversed all the State of
Mississippi without meeting any resistance. They were fine looking men
from the North-western States.

* * * * *

_17th May_ (Sunday).--We started again at 4.30 A.M., and met five
wounded men who had been captured and paroled by Banks in Louisiana;
they confirmed everything about the fall of Jackson, which made me
consider myself particularly unfortunate, and destined apparently to be
always intercepted by the Northern troops, which had happened to me at
Alexandria, at Harrisonburg, and now again at Jackson.

At 8 A.M. we reached the little town of Brookhaven, which was full of
travellers, principally Confederate soldiers, anxious to rejoin their
regiments.

Maxey's brigade left this place by road last night to join General
Johnston, who is supposed to be concentrating his forces at a place
called Canton, not far from Jackson.

I called on Captain Matthews, the officer who commanded at Brookhaven,
and after introducing myself to him, he promised to assist me, by every
means in his power, to join General Johnston.

I then went to a Methodist chapel; a good many soldiers were there, and
great number of women.

At noon, just as I had begun to get in very low spirits about the
prospects of getting on, a locomotive arrived from a station called
Haslehurst, and brought us the astonishing report that the Yankees had
suddenly abandoned Jackson, after destroying all the Government, and a
good deal of private, property.

This news caused our prospects to look brighter.

* * * * *