“All right, Ham; you get around now and get our things together, and look after my “traps.”'
“'Yes, massa, yes.'
“Ham's conduct and explanations afforded great amusement for the boys around headquarters for some time.
“Capt. Zeke Inglesby said:
“Uncle Daniel, I did not know before that Gen. Stephen Lyon, who was murdered at Bethesda Springs, was your son. I know all about his murder. I belonged to his brigade. That dastardly murder was considered by all soldiers as one of the most outrageous acts and cold-blooded murders ever known in civilized warfare.”
“Oh, yes. I grieved over his death very greatly, he being the second one of our dear boys murdered outright—the fourth dead since the war began. It chilled the blood of our whole family. The strangest thing to me was how Gen. Anderson, Capt. Jackson and Col. Peter could restrain themselves so as not to mention the name of his murderer, in all their conversations about his death; but, as I said, I never knew who did it until after the war. I could easily understand the reason for their not telling the name. Mary Anderson, being his sister, was never told the facts; nor my wife nor any of us at the time, the boys fearing that it might cause an unpleasant feeling even to know the fact that a near relative of one of our family could be such a barbarian.
“I was kept quite close at home for some months with our family, being their only protection within call. During this time no man ever suffered more in spirit. I can see it all before me now: my poor wife's agony, the sorrowing of David's widow, Mary Anderson's trouble, the two poor little children—their questions about their Uncle Stephen, who killed him, and why? These questions I could not answer.”
At this point Dr. Adams inquired if Gen. Rosenfelt ever expressed any regret at not listening to the information imparted to him on the morning of the battle.
“No, sir; I did not so understand.”
“Uncle Daniel, did you know anything of Mrs. Houghton after this?”