er's Mills, which was surrounded with
entrenchments and garrisoned with some North Carolina troops that we had
often encountered in our frequent reconnoissances, their band treating us
to "Dixie" as we passed. The next day we reached Hamilton, N. C., where we
remained until ten o'clock Sunday morning. Col. Jones, who had thus far
been in command, and who had treated us with marked kindness, often
dismounting to give some weary Yankee a ride on his horse, here took his
leave and turned us over to Lt. Col. Crowley, of the Holcomb Legion, who
started us for Tarboro. It gives me great pleasure here to relate another
instance of hospitality which I enjoyed, for up to this time we had
received more acts of kindness than of rudeness.

We were out of rations and stopped for a few moment's rest in front of the
plantation of Mrs. Piffin, and I received permission to go to the house
and buy some provisions. This lady had just boiled a ham and baked some
biscuit for the dinner, and upon learning of our not having had anything
to eat that day, freely gave us all she had. I offered to remunerate her,
but she would not take any pay, saying she had a son in the Confederate
army and she was only doing by me, as she hoped some one would do by him
should they see him in like circumstances. I sought out this lady after my
return to Tarboro in 1865, and had the pleasure of a visit with that son,
who was then home suffering from a wound, when I had the satisfaction of,
in a measure, repaying her for her kindness to the Yankee stranger.

When we reached Tarboro we were a hungry and tired crowd. We camped on the
east bank of Tar river opposite the town, where I prevailed upon the
Sergeant to send a guard with me into the town to buy some provisions. I
went to the hotel and bought nine sandwiches for ten dollars. The hotel
was crowded with people from the surrounding country, who had come to town
to see the Yankee prisoners, and I seemed an object of a good deal of
curiosity dressed in the full uniform of a cavalry officer.

All were talking about the great victory that Hoke had gained in the
capture of Plymouth. He had taken Plymouth and made prisoners of the
garrison, but at what a fearful loss. A few more such victories would ruin
the Confederacy! We remained at Tarboro until ten o'clock the next day,
26th, when we were crowded into cattle cars of the most filthy
description, forty of us being placed in each car, besides two guards at
each