ver
before, they never faltered or murmured. The trial found them true, I
can safely say that the men of my brigade were even more prompt in
rendering obedience, more careful in doing their full duty at this time,
when it was entirely optional with themselves whether they should go or
stay, than they had ever been in the most prosperous days of the
Confederacy. To command such men was the proudest honor that an officer
could obtain.

We moved off in silence, broken by a cheer when we passed Vaughan's
brigade which was also going on. On the next day we were overtaken by
ninety men from Giltner's brigade, who came to join us. Colonel Dimond
and Captains Scott, Rogers, Barrett, and Willis, and Lieutenant Freeman,
well known as among the best officers of the Kentucky Confederate
troops, commanded them. These men felt as we did, that disaster gave us
no right to quit the service in which we had enlisted, and that so long
as the Confederate Government survived, it had a claim upon us that we
could not refuse.

The reports that the gaps were occupied by the enemy proved untrue, and
we entered North Carolina without seeing a Federal. At Statesville,
General Echols left us to go to General Johnston's camp. Vaughan was
instructed to proceed to Morgantown, south of the Catawba river, and I
pushed on toward Lincolnton, where I expected to find Colonel Napier
with the horses. Just after crossing the river, information was received
that a part of Stoneman's force was marching from the west in the same
direction. I hoped, by moving rapidly, to get to Lincolnton first. The
enemy's column moved upon a road which approached closely to the one by
which we were marching. Our scouts were fighting, during the afternoon,
upon the by-roads which connected the main ones. When within two miles
of Lincolnton, videttes came back rapidly to tell me that the enemy had
occupied the town, and were coming out to meet us.

I was unwilling to fight, and knew that to countermarch would be
ruinous. Fortunately an officer had, a little while before, mentioned
that a small road turned off to the left two miles from Lincolnton, and
led to other traces and paths, which conducted to the main road to
Charlotte. The head of the column was just at a road which answered to
the description he had given, and, strengthening the advance guard to
hold the enemy in check, I turned the column into it. It proved to be
the right one, and, pressing guides, we reached, aft