ar Confederates,
God bless them."

We had agreed among ourselves that come what would, we would preserve
our dignity and self-respect, and do anything rather than create a
scene among such people. It is well that we agreed. So we whispered
quietly among ourselves, exhorting each other to pay no attention to
the remarks the Yankees made about us as we passed, and acting the
martyr to perfection, until we came to Hickock's Landing. Here there
was a group of twenty Yankees. Two officers came up and asked us for
papers; we said we had none. In five minutes one came back, and asked
if we had taken the oath. No; we had never taken _any_. He then took
down our names. Mother was alone in the coop. He asked if there was not
another. The schooner had fifteen passengers, and we had given only
fourteen names. Mother then came up and gave her name, going back soon
after.

While one went after our passes, others came to examine our baggage. I
could not but smile as an unfortunate young man got on his knees before
our trunk and respectfully handled our dirty petticoats and stockings.
"You have gone through it before," he said. "Of course, the
Confederates searched it."--"Indeed, they did not touch it!" I
exclaimed. "They never think of doing such work."--"Miss, it is more
mortifying to me than it can be to you," he answered. And I saw he was
actually blushing. He did his work as delicately as possible, and when
he returned the keys, asked if we had letters. I opened my box and put
them into his hand. One came near getting me into serious trouble. It
was sent by some one I never saw, with the assurance that it contained
nothing objectionable. I gave it sealed to the man, who opened it, when
it proved to be rather disagreeable, I judged from his language. He
told me his captain must see it before he could let me have it, and
carried it off. Presently he came back and told me it could not be
returned. I told him to burn it then, as I neither knew the writer, the
contents, nor those it was written to. "I may save you some difficulty
if I destroy it," he remarked, whereupon he tore it up and flung it
into the canal. I have since found I had cause to be grateful; for just
after came an officer to see the young lady who brought that letter. I
showed the pieces in the water, saying the young man had torn it up,
which seemed to annoy him; it was to be sent to headquarters, he said.

Then came a bundle of papers on board carried by another,