“'Very easily, sir. There is not the slightest danger in doing so. I will pack them inside fresh linens and blankets, with cotton and paper outside of them, making the boxes of good material and very close in the joints. I shall leave for New York in about one month, and I have no fears that I will not succeed in doing great damage to the army, and also to the members of the Sanitary Commission who handle the goods. I regard the Commission as a set of scamps and hypocrites.'
“Jackson here interrupted, saying: 'Doctor, you seem to have your scheme pretty well planned, and it looks as though it might be a success.'
“This Dr. Blackman seems to have been a communicative individual, and Jackson having sounded him all that he wished at that time, the Captain and Jackson took their leave and repaired to their hotel. When there the Captain walked into Jackson's room and stood for a moment looking straight into Jackson's face. Finally, he spoke in about these words:
“'Mr. Jackson, I am a rebel! I am what is called a traitor to the United States Government. I am in favor of the whole country becoming one universal wreck before I would submit to go back into the Union. But, sir, I want you to remember, if you should ever think of Capt. Redingson in the future, that his mother was a Christian woman, and taught her son to have some of the instincts of humanity. No, sir; I am no murderer; no city burner; no poisoner! I have listened to all these things and remained partially silent. But, as God is my judge, I will not be a party to any of these schemes. I will obey all legitimate orders, so far as money is concerned, and as a soldier will do my duty; but no man has a right to order me to commit murder or to perform inhuman acts, and I will not do it!'
“Jackson listened to him, and then gave him his hand, saying:
“'Captain, you are a man, and a gentleman, with true appreciation of what may be justified in war, and that which cannot be.'
“The Captain said he would go the next day to see the syndicate that was to take the bonds, and as soon as he could arrange his matters he would leave London.
“Jackson told him he would go with him, and they parted for the night with that understanding.
“The next day the Captain made a visit to the office of the syndicate, where all the preliminaries were arranged. Jackson, at the Captain's request, and in pursuance of their former understanding, accompanied him. An arrangement was made for the Captain to meet these gentlemen the next day at the Bank of England, where the bonds were to be verified with papers sent by the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy. Being quite weary they did not that evening visit the rooms of Jacob Thomlinson. After the Captain retired Jackson wrote to me a detailed statement of all that had transpired, and directed his letter to his mother, so that no suspicion could attach, not knowing what might happen.
“I will digress here a moment to say that the letter was received in the due course of the mail. The statements it contained as to the proposed schemes were so revolting that they struck terror to my very soul. I left for Washington the next morning. On arriving there I laid the letter before the President. He read it and seemed to be dumfounded. He finally said: