I have dined with Confederate officers they have nearly always
proposed the Queen's health, and never failed to pass the highest
eulogiums upon Her Majesty.

* * * * *

_27th April_ (Monday).--Colonel Bankhead has given me letters of
introduction to General Bragg, to General Leonidas Polk, and several
others.

At 2 P.M. I called on Mrs Bankhead to say good-bye. She told me that her
husband had two brothers in the Northern service--one in the army and
the other in the navy. The two army brothers were both in the battles of
Shiloh and Perryville, on opposite sides. The naval Bankhead commanded
the Monitor when she sank.

---- introduced me to a German militia General in a beer-house this
afternoon. These two had a slight dispute, as the latter spoke strongly
in disapproval of "_secret or night lynching_."

The recent escapade of Captain Penaloso seems to have been much
condemned in San Antonio. This individual (formerly a butcher) hanged
one of his soldiers a short time ago, on his own responsibility, for
desertion and stealing a musket. This event came off at 12 o'clock noon,
in the principal placa of the city. The tree has been cut down, to show
the feelings of the citizens.

There can be no doubt that the enforcement of the conscription has, as
a general rule, been extremely easy throughout the Confederacy (except
among the Germans); but I hear of many persons evading it, by getting
into some sort of government employment--such as contractors, agents, or
teamsters to the Rio Grande. To my extreme regret I took leave of my
friend M'Carthy this evening, whose hospitality and kindness I shall
never forget.

I left San Antonio by _stage_ for Alleyton at 9 P.M. The stage was an
old coach, into the interior of which nine persons were crammed on three
transverse seats, besides many others on the roof. I was placed on the
centre seat, which was extremely narrow, and I had nothing but a strap
to support my back. An enormously fat German was my _vis-a-vis_, and a
long-legged Confederate officer was in my rear.

Our first team consisted of four mules; we afterwards got horses.

My fellow-travellers were all either military men, or connected with the
Government.

_Only five_ out of nine chewed tobacco during the night; but they aimed
at the windows with great accuracy, and didn't _splash_ me. The amount
of sleep I got, however, was naturally very trifling.

* * *