Soon after starting out from Clifton, my cavalry escort began to drop off, one at a time, to visit their homes, and when I arrived at Pulaski I had but two of my escort with me—one was the Lieutenant and the other a Sergeant. I went through without being molested, but I came to the conclusion that "Confederate-Federal cavalry" was of but little service to the Government. I never could trust a Union-secesh! It is too much like serving God and Mammon. The Government has placed entirely too much confidence in that class of men. I would as soon trust a dog with my dinner. My life has many times been placed in jeopardy by such characters, and my convictions are the result of experience.
I returned to Clifton with dispatches alone, and without being molested. Two days after I was sent back again alone. I always passed over the most dangerous part of the route in the night. I went through undisturbed, but on my return I was shot at twenty-one times. At Lawrenceburg I was fired at from the dwelling-houses, as I passed through the place, without any challenge to halt. One man was standing on his porch, with his gun in his hand, evidently watching for me to come, and fired at me as I passed. Four miles from Lawrenceburg I came to several cotton-factories; the locality bore the reputation of being loyal. There I was fired at, both from the factories and dwelling-houses. I went through both of these places under full spur. The last shot that was fired at me was by a man standing in the middle of the road, who challenged me to halt, and at the same time brought his piece to an aim. Instead of halting, I put spurs to my horse and dashed by. I was not more than six feet from him when he fired, but, in the excitement of the moment, his shot missed me, and I passed on unharmed. I can assure the reader, from actual experience, that it is no very pleasant thing to be a mark for people to shoot at. I am fully convinced that it was citizens that fired at me, and that they had found out, through the cavalry, that I have mentioned, that I was a bearer of dispatches, and were watching for me.
I delivered my dispatches to General Force, and told him that I was afraid to run the line alone. He gave me an order for twenty-one men, with the privilege of selecting men of my choice. Two days after, I again started to Pulaski, with my escort, who were infantry soldiers, mounted. Previous to starting, I told the General my plan of operation, to which he said, "Very well." I called at every house along the entire route. If the people were in bed, I made them get up, and said to them, "I am running a courier line from Clifton to Pulaski, and you good, loyal people have fired at me twenty-one times. If I am ever fired at again, whether I am killed or not, every man, woman, and child within four miles of this road, on either side, shall be shot, and your houses burned."
All of them claimed to be innocent, and said they were quiet, peaceably-disposed citizens. I went through and back with my escort without being molested, and for three weeks after, I ran the line alone, without being disturbed.
The disposition of the Southern people is very much like that of a butcher's Irish bull-dog. The more you try to coax and pet them, the more they will try to bite you; but take a fire-brand and run at them, and they will sneak off as cowardly as can be. The more the Government coaxed and petted the Southern people, the worse they acted. If a favor was extended to them, they would snap and snarl at the hand that held it; but go right at them, with a sword in one hand and a fire-brand in the other, and they cower down directly. So my barbarous threat proved a wholesome remedy.
At the expiration of three weeks, General Leggett arrived at Clifton with the 3d Division of the 17th Army Corps, bringing with his command twenty-two hundred head of cattle for beef. The troops now prepared to march across to Georgia, to increase the force operating under General Sherman for the capture of Atlanta.
Preparatory to the marching of the troops, General Force sent me out on the road to Florence, to ascertain the locality of Roddy's cavalry—which was known to be hovering around—to prevent any attempt it might make to stampede the cattle. I found out that the cavalry, 4,000 strong, was at Florence, and that Bill Johnson commanded 900 of Roddy's choicest men, and that he—Roddy—had heard of the arrival of the cattle, and had ordered Johnson to be on the alert for an opportunity to stampede them. This I learned from citizens who seemed to be well informed of the intended movements of both forces. Having satisfied myself that the information was reliable, I did not go into Florence, but crossed over to the Nashville and Florence military road, which I came to seven miles from the latter place. I then went toward Lawrenceburg, on my return to my command. Twelve miles from where I came into the road, I halted at a dwelling-house, and said to the man of the house, "Can I get my horse fed, and some supper here?"
"Where do you belong?"
"I belong to Bill Johnson's cavalry, and I'm going down to look up the Yankee beef-cattle."
"Yes, yes; come in. The servant will feed your horse. I hope you'll succeed in finding the cattle."