s by the light of a lantern. This proving satisfactory I
proceeded on my lonely journey. A heavy rain soon set in which
wet me through, adding to my discomfort." During the hours of
darkness he stumbled upon various suspicious parties whom, being
off their guard, having crawled under shelter from the rain, and
being perhaps asleep, he managed to avoid, fearing they were
rebels. One of these parties he learned to be Independent
Pennsylvania Pickets _guarding the road_! "After a tedious
journey," he goes on to say, "I arrived at Fayetteville about
five o'clock in the morning. Arousing one of the storekeepers, I
got all the information I could regarding my journey, and
procured breakfast. The storm gave no signs of abating, but I was
determined to proceed notwithstanding the roads were fast
becoming impassable. I found the bridges washed away, and the
roads over-flowed; but I soon got used to wading up to my waist
in water. I at length came to a stream which I found unfordable,
the bridge having been destroyed by the rebels. I was told that
this was the heaviest freshet that had ever been known in those
parts. Having engaged a boy to pilot me across the stream, I gave
him charge of one of my mail bags and cautiously followed him. We
found a temporary structure crossing the stream, along which we
picked our way. But when we had got about half across the whole
structure gave way and we found ourselves floundering in the
water. After desperate exertions we managed to reach the shore,
and I proceeded on my journey. I at length came to a railroad,
or the remains of one. The rebels had torn it up, burnt the
sleepers, and twisted the rails into every imaginable shape. ** I
reached Shippensburg in time to learn that there was no train
till next morning. Although tired out I concluded to push on to
Carlisle in hopes of catching a soldier's train at that place. **
About six o'clock in the evening I arrived at a small village
where I got supper. About seven o'clock I started again for a
night's tramp, not being able to obtain any conveyance. I walked
on till dark by a very circuitous and muddy road, being at times
bewildered; till finally my route seemed to lie along a large
stream of water. I was now becoming scarcely able to st