“'No, sir; dat am so. I staid doe, Marsa Gen'l, jes' as long as anybody else do whar I been. I tell you, our mans all git, dey do; and when I seed dat big Gen'l what's ober all ob you'uns (what am his name)—when I seed him a gittin' from dar, I 'eluded it war about time for dis ole nigga to march on dis way, too. Dat Gen'l, he not ride slow, I tell you; he go fas'. And, afore de Laud, I 'spected you ebery one killed or cotched by dem Sesh; den whar's de use ob me stayin' any mo' at dat place, Marsa Gen'l?' “'Well, Ham, did you ever study law?' “'No, sir; I 'spect not; I dunno what it am.' “'I think you would have made a good lawyer, Ham.' “'Well, Marsa Gen'l, de truf is, ole Ham no good for nuffin'. I cannot stand dis fitin'; dat am de truf, Marsa Gen'l. So, you see, I is no good. I stay all right jes' as long as it am all quiet; but whar am de use ob me stayin' by myself?'
“The General laughed and said that was too good to keep. He let Ham off, sending him out with Capt. Day and Jackson to get some tents and camp equipage from the A. Q. M. The next day he amused himself telling Papson and Sherlin what Ham said about 'no use for him to stay by hisself when de big Gen'l gone.' They all enjoyed the joke except those that came in early. Ham came back after a while to the General and begged him to promise not to tell 'Marfa,' and then went off satisfied.
“Biggs soon followed up and took possession of the ridge to the east running from the old Mission House to the Little Combination River, called Middleton's Ridge, and also a spur branching off from the regular chain of mountains down to the river west of Chatteraugus, known as Looking-Glass Mountain. The line thus formed was in the shape of a horseshoe, and, with the river washing the north side of the town, Rosenfelt was completely encircled; the object of Biggs being to force a surrender by starving him out, Biggs now fully commanding all Rosenfelt's communications both by rail and river. This was the position of the two armies at this time.
“Gen. Silent was ordered to leave Victor's Hill and proceed to Chatteraugus, sending as many troops as could be spared from the Army of the West. Gen. Meador was directed to send 20,000 men from the Army of the East, in order to protect the communications of the Army of the Center. In the meantime Broomfield had been ordered to move with his force, then in Kentucky, on Knoxburg. Gen. Hord had come on transports up the Combination River to Nashua with his corps from the Army of the East, and had sent them in advance to protect the railroad between Nashua and Bridgeton.
“Gen. Silent learning the situation, sent the troops forward from Victor's Hill and hastened to the scene himself. The first order he issued in connection with the Army of the Center was that of relieving Rosenfelt of his command and placing Gen. Papson in his place. The condition of the Army of the Center by this time was really frightful and perilous, and to relieve this situation was the thing to be done, if possible. To this end all the energy of the Chief was directed. To do this before an unprovisioned army would be forced by starvation to surrender was the problem. Gen. Silent telegraphed to Papson to hold out, and the answer came, 'We will hold out until we starve.'”
“What a noble old Roman,” said Dr. Adams.
“Yes,” said Col. Bush; “the old man had no superior in the army, either as a patriot or fighter; he was like a rock when he once took his position and got his lines formed.”
“I knew him well,” said Inglesby; “he was a noble man. He would have starved to death in Chatteraugus before he would have surrendered.”
“Uncle Daniel, what has become of Gen. Rosenfelt?” inquired Maj. Clymer. “He was a kind man, and I liked him very much, barring some faults.”
“Yes. Well, he became soreheaded and got mad at the Administration, and was exceedingly bitter on Gen. Silent for relieving him, and soon took shelter under the wing of the anti-war party; but I have not heard of him for many years. I think he went to some foreign country, then came back and went to mining. I have no knowledge of his whereabouts now, however.”