“'Well, massa, he say he comin' right off, sah; he say he kill 'em an' drown 'em all afore de res' ob de Yankees come for help dem; dat's what he say.'
“'Who was it said this?'
“'Why, sah, it wah de big Gen'l—de one what boss all de res'; he name wah Massa Sydenton Jackson. He say he kill all ob you stone dead—he not leab one ob em.'
“'If he is going to kill all of us, you don't want to go to our camp and get killed, do you?'
“'No, sah; I doesn't spec' to git killed; I 'bout 'cluded dat I wait till de shootin' git goin' pretty libely, den I jes' skip de ribber and neber stop 'til I be done gone whar dey done got no wa'.'
“'How many soldiers have they in Gen. Jackson's army?'
“'Well, I dunno, but I 'spec' dar am somewhar near a million ob dem, sah. Dey's got de woods full ob hoss sogers, an' all de fiel's full ob 'em what walks. Den dey got big guns wid hosses. Oh, Laudy, massa, I dunno, but dey's heaps ob dem.'
“'What were they doing when you came away?”
“'Dey was campin' 'bout ten miles, I 'spose. I walk mighty fas', and I is monstrous tired. When dey start dis mornin' I get outside and go in de woods and keep whar I see dem all de way. When dey stop I keep on. Dey be here in de mornin', sho'. I knows dey will, massa.'
“This being about all Peter could ascertain, he thought perhaps it would be as safe back towards the main army, so he returned, bringing old 'Dick' with him, that being his name. When Peter reported with Dick at headquarters the General cross-questioned the old man in a manner that would have done credit to a prosecuting attorney, and said to Peter: