n if not inclined to respect his parole, it was hard for the
authorities to find him. His gun and equipments, also, became ours. In
his order, General Buell said: "The system of paroles as practiced in
this army has run into an intolerable abuse. Hereafter no officer or
soldier belonging to the forces in this district will give his parole
not to take up arms, for the purpose of leaving the enemy's lines,
without the sanction of the General commanding this army, except when by
reason of wounds or disease, he could not be removed without endangering
his life. Any parole given in violation of this order will not be
recognized, and the person giving it will be required to perform
military duty, and take the risks prescribed by the laws of war," etc.

This order was issued on the 8th of August, before the surrender of
Boone. While we were at Hartsville a case of types and printing press
had been found in the deserted room once occupied as a printing office,
and were immediately put to use. Poor Niles, who had once been an
editor, went to work and organized a corps of assistants from among the
practical printers, of whom there were several in the Second Kentucky,
and issued a small sheet which he called the _Vidette_. It was printed
on any sort of paper that could be procured, and consequently, although
perfectly consistent in its politics, it appeared at different times in
different colors. Sometimes it would be a drab, sometimes a pale rose
color, and, my recollection is, that Boone's surrender was recorded upon
a page of delicate pea-green. Colonel Morgan finding the pleasure that
it gave the men, took great pains to promote the enterprise. The
_Vidette_ was expected with as much interest by the soldiers of the
command, and country people, as the _Tribune_ or _News_, by the reading
people of New York. General orders were published in it, promotions
announced, and complimentary notices made by Colonel Morgan of the
deserving. Full accounts of all our operations were published, and the
reports of the various scouting parties filled up the column devoted to
"local news." The editors indulged in the most profound and brilliant
speculations on the political future, and got off the ablest critiques
upon the conduct of the war. As every thing "good" was published, some
tremendous and overwhelmingly decisive Confederate victories, of which
the official records make no mention, even by name, were described in
the _Vidette_, and the