CHAPTER XV.
Unfortunate state of affairs—Informality of charge and specifications—Assistance of friends—Fails to get a trial—Gloomy prospects—Evidence accumulates—Guard-house incident—The "General" concludes to help himself—Narrow escape from guerrillas—The capture—Reaches his regiment—Himself and squad released.
The reader will remember that I once arrested Parson Hamers, while standing picket for the enemy, and released him. Doctor Russel, I had learned from reliable sources, had been engaged in contraband trade between Federal soldiers and guerrillas. Mr. Lawhorn had tried to induce one of the men under arrest with me to desert, and, to prevent suspicion of desertion, offered to carry him in his own carriage to a rebel paroling officer, and get him paroled and bring him back. Perry had been captured on suspicion of being a guerrilla. Such were the men that were allowed to make statements against me.
It is easy to conceive how such men would connive together for the injury of Federal soldiers, if they could only get the military authorities to tolerate their complaints and give them a hearing. Under such a state of affairs, it would be an easy matter for any disloyal citizen to cause the imprisonment of any soldier, however spotless his record.
When men are mean enough to attempt the destruction of the fairest and the best Government that ever existed, and to insult that national emblem which has called forth the honor and respect of the world, it is no wonder that they should resort to falsehood, or any other dirty means, to work their revenge upon those that love and fight for their country.
It was extremely unfortunate for us that we were thus imprisoned during the command of a temporary post-commander, to whom I was an entire stranger, and that, too, at a time when a new and extensive campaign was about to commence.
The charge and specifications, as preferred against us, were very informal, and it is doubtful whether any court-martial would have attempted a trial based on such informalities. But, nevertheless, there were grounds for our arrest and confinement.
About two weeks after our arrest, a general court-martial convened, and our friends used every exertion in their power to have our trial come on, but did not succeed. Soon afterward the principal part of the forces stationed at Bolivar moved to Lagrange, Tenn., to which place we soon followed them. A second and a third court-martial was convened at Lagrange, and still we failed to get a trial.
On the 28th day of November, the Army of the Tennessee commenced to move from Lagrange, on its campaign into the State of Mississippi, and with it was crushed all hope of our immediate trial. With the movement of the army, the court-martial had been dismissed, and our witnesses, friends, and counsel scattered beyond a probability of rendering us any assistance for a long time; and, to make the matter still more unpleasant, we were confined in a dirty, filthy building, extremely loathsome and unhealthy, and too small for the number of men confined.
During our confinement, up to the time the army moved, evidence continued to accumulate in our favor. The list of guerrillas that I had given to the Provost-marshal, he had destroyed the same day that it was handed to him. During our confinement, W. S. Perry, and all the persons named in the list that I gave to him, were captured by a detachment of the 7th Kansas Cavalry and sent North as guerrillas, showing conclusively that I had not been mistaken in supposing them such. In taking their property, under the circumstances that I found it, I did no more than any detachment of troops would have done under the same instructions.