When some three miles beyond camps, I noted a little smoke arising as I
approached. I noted that it was the outpost. My cap was covered with an
oil cloth, and I had an overcoat with a cape, such as officers wore;
hence the guard could not tell whether I was a private, corporal or a
general. I noticed that they had seen me approach. One of them advanced
to the road to challenge me, but I spoke first. I knew it was against
the orders to have a fire at the outpost on vidette duty so I said, "Who
told you to have a fire? Put out that fire, sirs, don't you know it is
strictly prohibited?"--"What is your name--what Company do you belong
to, and what is your regiment?" all of which was answered. I took my
little note book and pencil, and made an entry, or at least made a bluff
in this direction, and said, "You'll hear from me again." I had the poor
fellow scared pretty badly, and they never even made any demand on me to
find out who I was. They belonged to Colonel Scott's regiments. The
bluff worked like a charm, and I marched on. When about six miles from
camp, I was pretty tired, walking in the snow and up-hill. I saw
General Henry R. Jackson, and Major B. L. Blum, coming along in a
jersey wagon. The General asked me where I was going,--it was my time to
get a little scared. I answered that I was going on top the Allegheny
where they built winter quarters. "Get in the wagon, you can ride, we
are going that way." I thanked them; undoubtedly the General thought
that I was detailed to go there and to assist in that work. This is the
last I saw of General Jackson in that country.
Among the men I found Tom Tyson, Richard Hines, William Roberson
(surnamed "Crusoe"). I spent the night with them in a cabin they had
built and the following morning I took an early start down the mountain
toward Monterey. It had continued to snow all the night and it lay to
the depth of twelve inches. I could only follow the road by the opening
distance of the tree tops, and which sometimes was misleading. I passed
the half-way house, known as the tavern, about 9 o'clock A. M. Four
hundred yards beyond, going in an oblique direction at an angle of about
45 degrees, I saw a large bear going through the woods; he was a fine
specimen, his fur was as black as coal. I approximate his size as about
between three hundred and four hundred pounds. He turned his head and
looked at me and stopped. I at once halted, bringing my musket to a
trail. I was afraid to fire for fear of missing my mark, my musket being
inaccurate, so I reserved my fire for closer quarters, the bear being at
least fifty yards from me, and he followed his course in a walk. I was
surprised and said to myself,--"Old fellow, if you let me alone, I
surely will not bother you."
I watched him 'till he was out of my sight. My reason for not shooting
him was two-fold; first, I was afraid I might miss him, and my gun being
a muzzle loader, the distance between us was too short, and he would
have been on me before I could have reloaded, so I reserved my fire,
expecting to get in closer proximity. I was agreeably surprised when he
continued his journey. When I came to Monterey that afternoon, I told
some of its citizens what a narrow escape I had. They smiled and said
"Bears seldom attack human, unless in very great extremities, but I did
well not to have shot unless I was sure that I would have killed him,
for a wounded bear would stop the flow of blood with his fur, by tapping
himself on the wound, and face his antagonist, and I could have been
sure he would have gotten the best of me."
From Monterey I went over to McDowell, fourteen miles, to see my friend
Eagle and his brother-in-law, Sanders, he that made the twelve Yankees
run by running in front of them. I stated my business and invoked their
assistance, which they cheerfully extended. In about three days, we had
about as much as a four horse team could pull.
Provisions sold cheap. One could buy a fine turkey for fifty cents, a
chicken for fifteen to twenty cents, butter twelve and one-half cents
and everything else in proportion. Apples were given me for the
gathering of them. Bacon and hams for seven to eight cents per pound,
the finest cured I ever tasted.
The people in these regions lived bountifully, and always had an
abundance to spare. Mr. Eagle furnished the team and accompanied me to
camp, free of charge. Money was a scarce article at that time among the
boys; the government was several months in arrear with our pay, but we
expected to be paid off daily, so Mr. Eagle said he would be responsible
to the parties that furnished the provisions, and the Company could pay
him when we got our money; he was one of the most liberal and patriotic
men that it was my pleasure to meet during the war.
Four days later, Captain Jones received our money. I kept a record of
all the provisions furnished to each man, and the captain deducted the
amount from each. I wrote Eagle to come up and get his money; he came,
and received every cent that was due him.
But I must not omit an incident that occurred when near our camp with
the load of provisions. I had to pass hard by the Twelfth Georgia
Regiment, which was camped on the side of the turn pike, when some of the
men who were as anxious for a change of diet as we were, came to me and
proposed to buy some of my provisions. I stated that they were sold and
belonged to Company E, First Regiment, and that I could not dispose of
them. Some Smart-Aleks, such as one may find among any gathering of men,
proposed to charge the wagon and appropriate its contents by force.
Seeing trouble ahead, I drew my pistol, when about a dozen men ran out
with their guns. Eagle turned pale, he thought his time had come, when a
Lieutenant interfered, asking the cause of the disturbance, which I
stated. He said, "Men, none of that, back with those guns." He mounted
the wagon and accompanied us to my camp, which was a few hundred yards
beyond.