out being seen, and
discovered a tent and big fire not far away, while in the distance was a
band of music moving away with an escort of rebel cavalry. Around the
tent and fire were a lot of men and cavalry horses, and we concluded to
adjourn.

After a long search through the cane we found a road and started off,
keeping a sharp lookout.

We had gone but a short distance down the road when we almost ran into
another cavalry camp, and we had to swallow our hearts to keep them in
their proper position, while we hastily executed a flank movement to
avoid the soldiers. We succeeded in passing around them without being
discovered, and again went on our way in peace for a time, but soon had
another scare.

It was now nearly evening, and as we reached the river bank we heard
some men approaching. It was a close shave, as we barely had time to
conceal ourselves before they came out of the woods on the opposite side
of the road and started for the camp we had just passed.

As soon as they had disappeared we started to follow the river bank, and
as we proceeded down stream, with the timber on our right and the river
on our left, we had not gone far when some men were heard coming in our
direction. Dodging into the brush for concealment, we lay there until
several men and their dogs had passed. They turned into the wood not far
from us and began cutting down a tree in which they had located a coon.
The tree was soon felled, and then occurred a lively skirmish between
men, dogs, clubs and coon, in which the coon finally got the worst of
it.

When the battle was over and the coon-hunters had gone, we crawled out
of our hiding place and started down the river again.

In less than a mile, and about 12 o'clock, we came upon another lot of
soldiers, camped in the road on the river bank and apparently sound
asleep, our evidence of the latter fact being the unmusical sounds
proceeding from them.

The situation was rather on the critical order, but it was light enough
for us to see any movement of the enemy. We made a careful movement by
the right flank, and were soon around them, fortunately without
discovery.

Proceeding on our way, we would have felt quite happy had Miller been
less miserable, but he could not forget that we had not as yet crossed
the river, and it was impossible for him to be comfortable while on the
wrong side of a stream of water.

Coming to an opening in the timber on our right we saw a plantation. A
hi