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cachination。 A remark was made about my hair and eyes； and their
risibles gave way； judgment was passed on my nose； and then came a ripple
of laughter。 I got very red in the face； and uncomfortable generally。
Attention was called to the size of my feet and hands； and the usual
chorus followed。 Those useful members of my body seemed to swell up as
they do to a young man at his first party。
Then I saw that in the minds of these bucolic maidens I was scarcely；
if at all； human； they did not understand that I belonged to the race；
I was a 〃Yankee〃a something of the non…human class； as the gorilla or
the chimpanzee。 They felt as free to discuss my points before my face as
they would to talk of a horse or a wild animal in a show。 My equanimity
was partially restored by this reflection； but I was still too young to
escape embarrassment and irritation at being thus dissected and giggled
at by a party of girls； even if they were ignorant Virginia mountaineers。
I turned around to speak to the Sergeant； and in so doing showed my back
to the ladies。 The hum of comment deepened into surprise； that half
stopped and then intensified the giggle。
I was puzzled for a minute； and then the direction of their glances； and
their remarks explained it all。 At the rear of the lower part of the
cavalry jacket； about where the upper ornamental buttons are on the tail
of a frock coat； are two funny tabs； about the size of small pin…
cushions。 They are fastened by the edge； and stick out straight behind。
Their use is to support the heavy belt in the rear； as the buttons do in
front。 When the belt is off it would puzzle the Seven Wise Men to guess
what they are for。 The unsophisticated young ladies； with that swift
intuition which is one of lovely woman's salient mental traits；
immediately jumped at the conclusion that the projections covered some
peculiar conformation of the Yankee anatomysome incipient； dromedary…
like humps； or perchance the horns of which they had heard so much。
This anatomical phenomena was discussed intently for a few minutes；
during which I heard one of the girls inquire whether 〃it would hurt him
to cut 'em off？〃 and another hazarded the opinion that 〃it would probably
bleed him to death。〃
Then a new idea seized them； and they said to the Sergeant 〃Make him
sing！ Make him sing！〃
This was too much for the Sergeant； who had been intensely amused at the
girls' wonderment。 He turned to me； very red in the face； with：
〃Sergeant： the girls want to hear you sing。〃
I replied that I could not sing a note。 Said he：
〃Oh； come now。 I know better than that； I never seed or heerd of a
Yankee that couldn't sing。〃
I nevertheless assured him that there really were some Yankees that did
not have any musical accomplishments； and that I was one of that
unfortunate number。 I asked him to get the ladies to sing for me；
and to this they acceded quite readily。 One girl； with a fair soprano；
who seemed to be the leader of the crowd； sang 〃The Homespun Dress；〃 a
song very popular in the South； and having the same tune as the 〃Bonnie
Blue Flag。〃 It began；
I envy not the Northern girl
Their silks and jewels fine；
and proceeded to compare the homespun habiliments of the Southern women
to the finery and frippery of the ladies on the other side of Mason and
Dixon's line in a manner very disadvantageous to the latter。
The rest of the girls made a fine exhibition of the lung…power acquired
in climbing their precipitous mountains； when they came in on the chorus
Hurra！ Hurra！ for southern rights Hurra！
Hurra for the homespun dress；
The Southern ladies wear。
This ended the entertainment。
On our journey to Bristol we met many Rebel soldiers； of all ranks；
and a small number of citizens。 As the conscription had then been
enforced pretty sharply for over a year the only able…bodied men seen in
civil life were those who had some trade which exempted them from being
forced into active service。 It greatly astonished us at first to find
that nearly all the mechanics were included among the exempts； or could
be if they chose； but a very little reflection showed us the wisdom of
such a policy。 The South is as nearly a purely agricultural country as
is Russia or South America。 The people have； little inclination or
capacity for anything else than pastoral pursuits。 Consequently
mechanics are very scarce； and manufactories much scarcer。 The limited
quantity of products of mechanical skill needed by the people was mostly
imported from the North or Europe。 Both these sources of supply were
cutoff by the war； and the country was thrown upon its own slender
manufacturing resources。 To force its mechanics into the army would
therefore be suicidal。 The Army would gain a few thousand men； but its
operations would be embarrassed； if not stopped altogether； by a want of
supplies。 This condition of affairs reminded one of the singular paucity
of mechanical skill among the Bedouins of the desert； which renders the
life of a blacksmith sacred。 No matter how bitter the feud between
tribes； no one will kill the other's workers of iron； and instances are
told of warriors saving their lives at critical periods by falling on
their knees and making with their garments an imitation of the action of
a smith's bellows。
All whom we met were eager to discuss with us the causes； phases and
progress of the war； and whenever opportunity offered or could be made；
those of us who were inclined to talk were speedily involved in an
argument with crowds of soldiers and citizens。 But； owing to the polemic
poverty of our opponents； the argument was more in name than in fact。
Like all people of slender or untrained intellectual powers they labored
under the hallucination that asserting was reasoning； and the emphatic
reiteration of bald statements； logic。 The narrow round which all from
highest to lowesttraveled was sometimes comical； and sometimes
irritating； according to one's mood！ The dispute invariably began by
their asking：
〃Well； what are you 'uns down here a…fightin' we 'uns for？
As this was replied to the newt one followed：
〃Why are you'uns takin' our niggers away from we 'uns for？〃
Then came：
〃What do you 'uns put our niggers to fightin' we'uns for？〃 The windup
always was： 〃Well； let me tell you； sir； you can never whip people that
are fighting for liberty； sir。〃
Even General Giltner； who had achieved considerable military reputation
as commander of a division of Kentucky cavalry； seemed to be as slenderly
furnished with logical ammunition as the balance； for as he halted by us
he opened the conversation with the well…worn formula：
〃Well： what are you 'uns down here a…fighting we'uns for？〃
The question had become raspingly monotonous to me； whom he addressed；
and I replied with marked acerbity：
〃Because we are the Northern mudsills whom you affect to despise； and we
came down here to lick you into respecting us。〃
The answer seemed to tickle him； a pleasanter light came into his
sinister gray eyes； he laughed lightly； and bade us a kindly good day。
Four days after our capture we arrived in Bristol。 The guards who had
brought us over the mountains were relieved by others； the Sergeant bade
me good by； struck his spurs into 〃Hiatoga's〃 sides； and he and my
faithful horse were soon lost to view in the darkness。
A new and keener sense of desolation came over me at the final separation
from my tried and true four…footed friend； who had been my constant
companion through so many perils and hardships。 We had endured together
the Winter's cold； the dispiriting drench of the rain； the fatigue of the
long march； the discomforts of the muddy camp； the gripings of hunger；
the weariness of the drill and review； the perils of the vidette post；
the courier service； the scout and the fight。 We had shared in common
The whips and scorns of time；
The oppressor's wrong； the proud man's contumely；
The insolence of office； and the spurns
which a patient private and his horse of the unworthy take； we had had
our frequently recurring rows with other fellows and their horses； over
questions of precedence at watering places； and grass…plots； had had
lively tilts with guards of forage piles in surreptitious attempts to get
additional rations； sometimes coming off victorious and sometimes being
driven off ingloriously。 I had often gone hungry that he might have the
only ear of corn obtainable。 I am not skilled enough in horse lore to
speak of his points or pedigree。 I only know that his strong limbs never
failed me； and that he was always ready for duty and ever willing。
Now at last our paths diverged。 I was retired from actual service to a
prison； and he bore his new master off to battle against his old friends。
。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
Packed closely in old； dilapidated stock and box cars； as if cattle in
shipment to market； we pounded along slowly； and apparently interminably；
toward the Rebel capital。
The railroads of the South were already in very bad co