On the 22d day of January, 1863, General Logan's division arrived in Memphis, Tenn., preparatory to moving down the Mississippi, to join in the campaign against Vicksburg. While there, as I was passing through the city, accompanied by William Goodhart, of the 20th Ohio, I saw a splendid carriage approaching, drawn by a fine pair of black horses, with silver-plated harness. In it were Captain Daniels and the Quartermaster that had captured me and taken me to Cold Water to be paroled.
As the carriage came up, we sprang into the street toward it, to capture the inmates. Recognizing me, they sprang out at the opposite side, and ran in different directions and made their escape. Supposing that the carriage and horses belonged to them, we unfastened the horses, mounted them, and started for camp, leaving the carriage standing in the street. We reported, with the horses, to division head-quarters, and thence was ordered to brigade head-quarters. At brigade head-quarters we were ordered to turn them over to the Quartermaster of our own regiment, which we did. The next morning, the following article appeared in the Memphis Bulletin:
"Daring Robbery.—Yesterday, some time during the day, two soldiers entered the stable of a citizen on Adams street, and took therefrom a valuable span of black horses, and a set of silver-plated harness, and succeeded in getting away with the stolen property.
"Such outrages upon citizens of this city have become frequent of late, and it is high time that the military authorities took the matter in hand and suppressed such disgraceful proceedings."
The same day that the above article appeared, an order was procured by a citizen of the city for the release of the horses and harness. From what I could learn, the horses belonged to him, and not to the persons driving them.
With nothing to do about Memphis but idle my time away in camp, I began to get restless and uneasy, and was about contriving some way to get outside of the lines to work, when I received word that General Logan wanted to see me. I immediately reported to him, and was handed a sealed envelope and ordered to report with it to Colonel Hillyer, Provost-marshal General on General Grant's staff. I carried the communication to the Colonel, as directed, and, when he had read it, he immediately sat down and wrote me an order, of which the following is a copy:
"Head-quarters Department of the Tennessee,
"Office of the Provost-marshal General,
"Memphis, Tenn., February 6, 1863.
"The bearer, Lorain Ruggles, is in scout service of the Government. He will be passed through all lines, at all hours. He will be furnished with whatever assistance he may require.
"He has authority to make arrests, reporting the same to the nearest military commander or Provost-marshal.
"All officers and soldiers of this command will, in every way, facilitate his operations.