“'Well, well, aunty, all right; I will see that you go. I will take the consequences. I will not see as good an old couple as you are held like cattle if I can help it.'
“The old woman shouted 'glory,' and hobbled out of the cabin, I presume, to tell Ham what I had said.
“By this time the Colonel had recovered somewhat from his excitement, and quietly and in a low voice told us how he came to be there. He said that when he was wounded on the works of Dolinsburg and left for dead, that some one came along and stanched the flow of blood by binding some cloth around the wound saturated with something—his wound was through the right breast, touching slightly the right lung—that in the afternoon, when a portion of the rebel army passed over the ground that he occupied, Col. Whitthorne, his wife's brother, discovered him and had him placed in one of his ambulances, bringing him away; had no knowledge as to what his intention was—whether to take him to some place of safety—some hospital, or let him die and bury him where his remains could afterwards be found by his family; that up to within a few days he had no idea where he was; that these old colored people had kept his whereabouts a profound secret, except among a few of their race whom they could trust; that when he found a force was stationed at Dolinsburg, he got them to send there and give the information, so that he might make some arrangement about getting away, for fear of recapture by the enemy, and they had sent the boy that we met. He was anxious to get away, and thought that he could bear being moved in some easy conveyance to Dolinsburg in two or three days' travel. We consulted together, and Capt. Day sent a messenger back with a letter to Col. Harden, asking him to send an ambulance and a surgeon the next day, we remaining with the Colonel until their coming. There was plenty of fodder at the plantation barns, and the men took care of the horses. Aunty prepared a sufficient quantity of wholesome food for ourselves. We passed the night without much sleep, the Captain and I using our chairs for beds, as there was not sufficient accommodation for us all; Mrs. Anderson slept on the bed by her husband, and the men found comfortable quarters in the stables. We enjoyed ourselves, however, hearing Aunt Martha and Ham tell us how they had taken care of the Colonel; how they had bathed and dressed his wound once each day with warm water and poultices of white-oak ooze and slippery-elm bark; how they stopped the bleeding with soot from the wooden chimney; how they dosed him occasionally, when his wound seemed painful, with good whiskey that Ham got up at the house on the hill (he had managed to force an entrance somehow); and how every day they asked the Lord to heal his wound and make him well, so he would take them away from their long suffering and unhappy life. The story of the old woman was most interesting as well as very amusing. The next morning we had bread, coffee and chicken, which was relished by all, I assure you. The Colonel was fed on gruel and a piece of chicken. Aunty, who had him entirely under her control, would not allow him to eat anything else. After breakfast was over I asked Aunty how she came to know Col. Anderson, and she in her way told me the story of her having been hired out once by her master to Col. Anderson's family before the Colonel was married, and she said:
“'Laud bressyou, chile, I know Massa Tom soon I put my eyes onto him. Yes, sah. I neber let on, doe. He didn't know nuffin when they frowed him out heah like a pig. No, sah. He was mos' dead, sho'. Dat's one time he mos' done gone to glory, sho'. But he all right now; he come out. An' when he do, oh, great Laud, don't I jes' want him to go for dem “Sesh.” Yes, I tell you, I do. Dar is no mistake on dat pint.'
“The day passed. The Colonel improved and conversed considerably with his wife. We left them together all we could to enjoy their reunion. He was very desirous of getting away and having the assistance of a surgeon, who, however, could do no more for him than was being done. In the afternoon late, however, there came an ambulance and the Post Surgeon. This seemed to give new life and spirit to all. The Surgeon entered the cabin, and, after pleasantly conversing about the Colonel with us, proceeded to make an examination of his wound. Aunty was determined to be present. She raised the Colonel up, and showed the Surgeon where the wound was, its condition, etc. He said it was healing rapidly, and would be well soon, but that he would be some considerable time gaining sufficient strength to do any service. He said that aunty ought to have a diploma; that she had treated him as skillfully as anyone could have done, and much better than some might have done, Aunty at once replied:
“'I tell you where you gib de “'plomas.” You jes' gib dem to de Laud. He is de one what do dis work. I tell you, He keep Massa Tom for some good. I don't know what, but he is got some good work afore he, sho' I tells you, de Laud never show dis pore old nigger what to do, des like she be a doctor, less He wanted Massa Tom to do something. He know what He wants. He know all t'ings, de Bible say so, an' dats the book you can't 'spute.'
“We all agreed with aunty, and she was happy. The next morning the ambulance was arranged in the best possible manner and the Colonel tenderly carried out and laid in, his wife and Aunt Martha having a place arranged so they could stay in the ambulance with him. We all started, old Ham tying their belongings up in a couple of blankets and lashing them on a horse loaned him by one of the escort. We were two days in making Bolinsburg, but did it without any very great inconvenience or suffering to the Colonel. When we arrived Col. Harden welcomed us most heartily, and made all necessary arrangements for the comfort of Col. Anderson, as well as the rest of us. I noticed that Col. Harden said nothing about the two colored people, and did not seem to notice them, so I called his attention to them. He looked at me rather quizzically and remarked:
“'Why, I did not observe any colored people. You did not bring any through the lines, did you?'
“I took the hint, and said:
“'O, Colonel, what did I say? I was a little absent-minded being up with Col. Anderson; and loss of sleep has bothered me.”