he path by
which Colonel Lester was to go in a manner so as to impress the colonel
with the idea that he had a much larger force than really existed, and
in his demand for surrender he stated that, if not acceded to, the whole
command would be put to the sword, as he could not control his men. This
was an old trick of Forest's, which he played successfully on other
occasions. From what is known, he had not over one thousand men with
which he could have engaged the Third that day.

When Colonel Lester returned to his regiment his mind was fully made up
to surrender. A consultation was held with the officers of the regiment,
and a vote taken on the question, which resulted in a majority being in
favor of fighting and against surrender, but the matter was reopened and
reargued by the colonel, and after some of the officers who opposed
surrender had left the council and gone to their companies, another vote
was taken, which resulted in favor of the surrender. The officers who,
on this final vote, were against surrender, were Lieutenant Colonel
Griggs and Captains Andrews and Hoyt. Those who voted in favor of
surrender were Captains Webster, Gurnee, Preston, Clay and Mills of the
Third Regiment, and Captain Hewitt of the Kentucky Battery.

On December 1st an order was made, dismissing from the service the five
captains of the Third who voted to surrender the regiment, which order
was subsequently revoked as to Captain Webster.

The conduct of Colonel Lester on this occasion has been accounted for on
various theories. Before this he had been immensely popular with his
regiment, and also at home in Minnesota, and his prospects were most
brilliant. It is hard to believe that he was actuated by cowardice, and
harder to conceive him guilty of disloyalty to his country. An
explanation of his actions which obtained circulation in Minnesota was,
that he had fallen in love with a rebel woman, who exercised such
influence and control over him as to completely hypnotize his will. I
have always been a convert to that theory, knowing the man as well as I
did, and have settled the question as the French would, by saying
"Cherchez la femme."

General Buell characterized the surrender in general orders as one of
the most disgraceful examples in the history of war.

What a magnificent opportunity was presented to some officer of that
regiment to immortalize himself by shooting the colonel through the head
while he was ignominously dally