CHAPTER XXII.
CRUELTY OF GENERAL LEDBETTER—ANOTHER NARROW ESCAPE—ORDERED TO CUMBERLAND GAP—A WEARISOME JOURNEY—ARRIVED AT THE GAP—THE STOLEN LETTER—ALONE IN THE DARKNESS—THE NORTH STAR—DAY DAWN.
Most of the time in Knoxville I was sick and confined to the house, under the kind care of Mrs. Craig's family. Our company of Maryland Artillery, after a time, had been ordered away to Cumberland Gap, where they were to manage, if necessary, one or two old iron cannon that had been secured somewhere for them. Part of the refugees were left at Knoxville as part of the guard at Parson Brownlow's house. For this duty those were selected who had been sick, or who were thought to be "inefficient" for active field duty. I was among the number so detailed, because I certainly was the most "inefficient" Rebel soldier you ever saw or read about.
It will be remembered that in the opening chapter, while I was in Washington before the war began, I was accidentally, or, perhaps, providentially, introduced to Senator Andy Johnson through one of Senator Wigfall's Comanche Indian breaks in the Senate.
I flatter myself that the evidence I gave then—before Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated—shows that the great conspiracy was going on while the conspirators themselves were yet in the service of the Government, and under oath to support the same—therefore it was a "conspiracy."
This acquaintance with Mr. Johnson was recalled one day while in East Tennessee.
Mr. Craig said something one day about some letters that Mr. Johnson was charged with having written to some Abolitionist in Boston, proposing, or, in some way that I do not exactly recall, admitting that, for a certain large sum of money, he (Johnson) would use his influence in favor of the Union.
If Mr. Craig had any opinion as to the truth or falsity of the matter, he was careful not to let me learn it.
At the first opportunity, in order to get an opinion from a man who was not at all slow in furnishing that cheap article, in season and out of season, I interviewed Mr. Brownlow about the Johnson bribery to bring him out.