e to keep and I am sure
that you will appreciate it now better than you would have done last
night. When you wired me to come, you know, General Hancock's name was
signed to the telegram. I supposed I was to entertain him and don't mind
telling you, frankly, that the dinner was provided with especial
reference to his supposed partiality for the good things of life. I
don't mean to say I would not have done the same thing for you. I
certainly would now that I know you, but, all the same, please say to
the general that I expected him and regret much that he was not one of
the party so that I might have had the pleasure of entertaining him as
well as yourselves. And, by the way, he continued, when I urged you to
come to Baltimore it had been arranged that the mayor and a large number
of prominent citizens of the city were to meet you at a banquet to have
been given at the Eutaw House in honor of General Hancock."

The refined courtesy of the gentleman was something that has been rarely
surpassed.

Mr. Smith was a thoroughbred.

CHAPTER XXIV

A MEETING WITH MOSBY

At the time of the surrender of Lee and the fall of Richmond about the
only confederate force in the Shenandoah Valley was Mosby's band. The
last of Early's army had been swept away by Sheridan's advance, led by
Custer, and for the first time since 1860, that beautiful valley was
free from the movements of armed forces confronting each other in
hostile array. The bold and dashing partisan was, however, capable of
doing much mischief and it was thought best by General Hancock to treat
with him and see if he would not consent to a cessation of hostilities
and, possibly, take the parole. Accordingly, an agreement was made to
meet him at Millwood, a little town a few miles distant from Winchester
and near the mountains. General Chapman, a cavalry officer, was selected
to conduct the negotiations and with an escort of two regiments left
early on the morning of the day designated for the rendezvous agreed
upon. Not yet having been relieved from duty there I readily obtained
permission to accompany the expedition. I was early in the saddle and
joining a party of staff officers, struck across country, arriving at
about the same time as the escort which took the main road.

The region to which we were going was one of the favorite haunts of
Mosby and his men and it produced a queer sensation to thus ride
peacefully through a country where for four long years