had been seen that
capture was certain.

The sergeant let me keep my sword, but it was taken away later on.

We were marched along toward a corral which the rebels had made for
their prisoners, and on the way we had to submit to involuntary trades
with our captors for what they chose to give us in return for anything
of ours which they saw and fancied.

One fellow made a grab for my hat, but his grasp was eluded with a quick
motion and a "No you don't," but the latter remark had scarcely been
uttered when an enormous fellow, who wore a big, greasy sombrero with
flapping rim, reached out a hand that seemed as large as a small ham,
with "By God, Yank, _I_ will!"

And he did, his great, broad-rimmed hat being forced down over my ears
with a force which made my head ache--at least I think it was the force,
but my head ached steadily until that hat had been exchanged for
another.

A rebel major came up, and, seeing our captors taking from the prisoners
all personal property of value, remonstrated with the offenders, in many
cases causing the purloined goods to be returned. He then offered to
receive in trust any articles which any officer might see fit to deposit
with him for safe keeping, and to give his receipt for them. This offer
seemed to be so kind that a general rush was made to take advantage of
it, and the major was soon loaded up with a general assortment of
personal effects. There can be no doubt as to the safe keeping of the
valuables, for they are still in his possession so far as known to the
depositors.

The sergeant had not interfered with the promiscuous plundering, but he
was inclined to be friendly, and we learned that the force that had
captured us was a young army of 7000 mounted infantry that had been sent
by Kirby Smith, after his defeat of Banks, to help in the effort to
gather in General Steele.

Had we crossed the river on Sunday they would have missed us. As it was,
we simply marched right into their open arms, and were enfolded as
gracefully and fraternally as could have been expected under the
circumstances.

Further talk drew from our captor that he had a mother living in
Missouri, where Confederate money was no good, and that he was anxious
to send her some greenbacks. Knowing that we were booked for a rebel
prison, Davis was enabled to supply his mother with the desired funds by
an exchange with some of our boys, who brought forth greenbacks from
various hiding places when the obje