y pocket an enlistment paper that I had, and produced it as my furlough.
I told them that I bought that overcoat of a Yankee for five plugs of
tobacco, and got the pants for two plugs; that you could buy any thing of
those Yankee prisoners for tobacco; They would sell the shirt off their
back for tobacco. Finally "Dock" took my furlough, and as it was raining
hard, and the fire would not burn, he got down on his knees beside it, and
would blow up a little blaze, and try to make out the papers; but could
only see that it was a printed and written document of some kind. At the
same time I was groaning over my suffering legs, and rubbing them, and
wishing I was at the captain's quarters, where I could rest and care for
them. After "Dock" had tried in vain for sometime to make out my furlough,
I said it was too bad to keep me there in the rain where I was sure to
take cold in my legs; that the Captain could examine the papers in the
morning, and see that they were all right. So he finally said, well I
reckon you are all right, you can go ahead. If you want to go to Clayton
it is the nearest way to take the left fork, but if you want to go to
Tunnel Hill take the right. We passed on a few yards to the forks, and not
wishing to let them see how anxious we were to get away, we stopped and
discussed the question whether we would go on to Tunnel Hill, or turn
towards Clayton.

We finally turned towards Clayton, as we had all the time intended, and
when we got out of sight and hearing of the picket post, we just lay down
and rolled and laughed. Up to the time that "Dock" told us we could go on,
we had scarcely the slightest idea that they would not detect the fraud,
and march us off under guard to headquarters. Sick and lame as I was, I
could not restrain my laughter at this adventure, for hours after.

We hurried forward however, for fear the officer of the guard might be
making his rounds, and learning of our passing the picket, follow us up to
ascertain that we were all right. About one o'clock we halted, completely
tired out with our almost incessant march of nearly forty-eight hours, in
the mud and rain, with little to eat, and as wet as we were, we lay down
in a thicket beside the road, and slept soundly until daylight. When we
awoke, we were wet through and completely chilled, and started on to try
and get warm. We soon came to a river which we were obliged to ford, the
water being nearly up to our waist, but as we were alr