Supposing me to be a secesh Colonel, she replied, "Well, yes, so far as breakfast for the men is concerned; but really, Colonel, about the corn, I don't know as I have got enough here to feed so many; but if you are a mind to be to the trouble to send over to my nigger quarters, about three-quarters of a mile from here, you can get all the corn you want."
"Thank you, madam. I will ride down and halt the train, and send the men up for their breakfast."
As I rode away, I heard her order the niggers to get the breakfast. I halted the train, and set the niggers (who were returning with us from Grand Junction) to cutting up corn from a field on the opposite side of the road for the teams. The infantry soldiers immediately began to scatter about the plantation, in search of horses and mules, of which we had gotten several at Grand Junction.
The thought now occurred to me that I had been supposed by the lady to be a secesh Colonel, and that as soon as she saw the blue trousers, the getting of breakfast would be stopped; so I went back to the house to see about it. As soon as I came up, she met me at the door and commenced to complain.
"I thought that it was our cavalry coming; I was mistaken. Instead, I find that it is nothing but a parcel of confounded Lincoln jayhawkers!"
"We are all liable to mistakes, madam."
"Now, could you," she continued, "demand of a poor lone widow, like I am, breakfast for sixteen men and feed for a hundred and fifty horses?"
"The subject has changed appearances considerably since I was here before. I'll see about breakfast myself."
I dismounted and fastened my mule, and then went to a wood-pile and procured a big club, and then repaired to the cook-house. The niggers had evidently commenced to get things ready for the breakfast, but had stopped.
"What are you about, you black, woolly scoundrels! Why a'n't you cooking breakfast?" said I, addressing the niggers.