blood everywhere you looks. Killin' hawgs back on
de plantation didn't bother me none, but dis am diff'rent.

"Fin'ly de General tells me I can go back to Chattanooga and guard de
supplies in camp dere and take care de wounded soldiers and prisoners. A
bunch of men is with me and we has all we can do. We gits de orders to
send supplies to some general and it my job to help load de wagons or
box cars or boats. A train of wagons leaves sometimes. We gits all dem
supplies by boat, and Chattanooga am de 'stributing center. When winter
comes, everybody rests awhile and waits for Spring to open. De Union
general sends in some more cullud soldiers. Dere ain't been many cullud
men but de las' year de war dere am lots. De North and de South am
takin' anything dey can git to win de war.

"When Spring breaks and all de snow am gone, and de trees 'gins puttin'
out and everything 'gins to look purty and peaceable-like, makin' you
think you ought to be plowin' and plantin' a crop, dat when de fightin'
starts all over 'gain, killin' men and burnin' homes and stealin' stock
and food. Den dey sends me out to help clear roads and build temp'rary
bridges. We walks miles on muddy ground, 'cross rivers, wadin' water up
to our chins. We builds rafts and pole bridges to git de mules and
hosses and cannons 'cross, and up and down hills, and cuts roads through
timber.

"But when dey wants to battle Gen. Thomas allus leaves me in camp to
tend de supplies. He calls me a coward, and I sho' glad he thunk I was.
I wasn't no coward, I jes' couldn't stand to see all dem people tore to
pieces. I hears 'bout de battle in a thick forest and de trees big as my
body jes' shot down. I seed dat in de Missionary Ridge battle, too.

"I shifts from one camp to 'nother and fin'ly gits back to Chattanooga.
I bet durin' my time I handles 'nough ammunition to kill everybody in de
whole United States. I seed mos' de mainest generals in de Union Army
and some in de Rebel Army.

"After de war am over we's turned loose, nowhere to go and nobody to
help us. I couldn't go South, for dey calls me de traitor and sho' kill
me iffen dey knows I fit for de North. I does any little job I can git
for 'bout a year and fin'ly gits work on de railroad, in Stevenson, in
Alabama. I gits transfer to Chattanooga and works layin' new tracks and
turn tables and sich.

"In 'bout two weeks I had saw a gal next door, but I's bashful. But
after payday I dresses up and takes her to a