Col. G. “General, what are you going to do with him?”
Gen. J. “Treat him like a man. Bring in the surgeon and dress his wounds, and give him something to eat.”
A colored boy was immediately called, and I was soon engaged in discussing the merits of a warm supper. After finishing the meal, I was taken out and seated by a fire near the tent, still closely watched and heavily guarded. I heard the General say to the court-martial that “the charges against the prisoner were, 1st. For firing after he was surrounded; 2d. For injuring our men by firing; and 3d. That he never surrendered.”
“Now,” said Johnson, “if he had first surrendered, and then fired and injured our men, he would have been guilty, and the court-martial might have condemned him. But inasmuch as he did not surrender, he is not liable to the death punishment. In regard to this third charge, I will remark that you can not legally court-martial a man for not surrendering. And now,” continued he, addressing the officers, “do you know that, if I had been placed in similar circumstances, I would have done just as he did?”
It would be impossible for me to describe the emotions I then experienced. Until I heard this, I had not indulged the faintest hope of life. Johnson handed me a paper, and said:
“Will you please sign this parole that you will report at Corinth to-morrow?”
I declined to do this, for I hoped that if I could make my escape to the Union lines that night, I could impart information of great value to our army.
When I declined, the rebel Colonel said, “There, General, I told you what he was.” General Johnson replied:
“Detail a guard of six men to take charge of him, and treat him well.”
The guard was brought, and amidst their guns and bayonets, I was led away.