Thus it will be noted that while the war was over in the East, we of the
Western army didn't know it and were still fighting, all communication
between the two armies being cut off. My friend Faber, who was one of
the most popular citizens of Montgomery was afterwards elected Mayor of
the City. The following morning I prepared to wend my way back to
Georgia. My foot was inflamed and gave me pain, so I said to a Yankee
Sergeant who was in waiting on some of the officers there if he could
not manage to get me some piece of a horse to ride as I was a long ways
from home and in a crippled condition. He said, Yes, if I would give him
my watch, which was an open faced, old fashioned English lever,
generally called bulls-eye. I acquiesced. We marched down one of the
main thoroughfares. We halted before an establishment which was used as
a guard house and previously had served as a store. In its front on the
sidewalk was a cellar. The Sergeant asked them to bring out that horse,
and in the meantime asked me for the watch. Thinking of him as a clever,
sympathetic soul, owing to his prompt offer of assistance, I
unhesitatingly handed him my watch. They having entered the cellar,
they lifted out of its confines a frame of horse so poor that six men
took him bodily and placed him on the sidewalk. He was actually nothing
but skin and bones; I was astonished that life could have existed in
such a frame. I said, Is this the best you can do for me? He said, I
promised you a horse for your watch and here he is, and he left me. The
men were amused at my discomfiture. I finally concluded that a bad ride
is better than a good walk and I made the best of a bad bargain. I asked
the men if they could get me a bridle and saddle. They answered that
they had none, so I made me a halter out of the rope around his neck,
pulled off my coat as padding on either side of his sharp backbone so as
to serve me as a saddle and asked the man next to me to give me a lift,
and there I was, mounted, representing the picture of Don Quixote to
perfection. I urged the horse forward and the men hollered Whoa! which
command he was only too eager to obey, I eventually got away from that
place and took the Eufaula route homeward. It was four o'clock in the
afternoon and I was only four miles from my starting point. The animal
had neither eat nor drunk anything while in my possession and from his
looks probably not in several days previous. I saw as I passed along at
a snail gait, a corral by the side of the road, with all kinds of
contraband. There were negroes, women and children, cattle of all
description and a quantity of mules and horses, all encircled by a large
rope and guarded by sentinels. I passed a soldier about a half mile from
this place. I said to him, What troops are those on the right hand side
up the hill? He said they were cavalry. I concluded to ride up, that
probably I might induce the officer to exchange animals with me so as to
enable me to get along, for I came to the conclusion to abandon my steed
and take a bad walk in preference to a bad ride. As I approached the
camp I noticed a man sitting on a camp stool, his back towards me, his
feet propped up against a large tree, reading a newspaper and seemingly
greatly preoccupied as he did not hear my approach. He was in negligee,
it being a very warm day; he wore nothing but his pants and a spotted
white blouse shirt and was bareheaded. I left my horse by the side of a
stump and slid off, approaching within a respectful distance in his
rear, I said, Good evening. He jumped like he had been shot. I said
excuse me sir, I did not mean to scare you. So he peremptorily said,
What will you have? I answered, Are you the commander of these troops?
He said, Yes; what will you have? I answered that I was a paroled
prisoner on my way home; that I was crippled and had a long ways to go.
The horse I got I bought from one of the Federals for a silver watch. It
took me a whole day to get from the City to where I am; that I had
noted, coming along, a corral with many loose horses and mules and I
ventured to see if he would not be kind enough to furnish me with a
better mount than the one I possessed. He replied, What country are you
from? I am from France. How long have you been in the army? Ever since
the war started. Were you forced into the army or did you volunteer? I
volunteered sir. And you have been fighting us for over four years and
now come and ask me for a favor? You need not grant it; good bye. And
off I hobbled to where I left my horse taking him by the mane I led him
up to the stump and was about to mount when the officer commanded me,
Come back here, said he, I like your style. You are the first one I've
met but what was forced into the army. Tell the officer in charge of the
corral to exchange animals with you. I remarked, Colonel, a written
order from you might have a better effect. He laughed, got up and walked
into his tent and when he returned he handed me a slip of paper
addressed to Capt. Ledger, and read as follows: Exchange animals with
the bearer; Col. York, Com'd'g 7, Indiana Cavalry. I thanked him, gave
the military salute and retraced my steps towards the corral. I
presented my note to the Capt. in charge; he said, Pick out the one you
want. There were some excellent animals but many were galled and not
serviceable for any immediate use. I spied a medium sized, plump mule.
She was in excellent order, and as I was short in funds I thought I
could tether her out to eat grass and thus progress without having to
buy food. So I took the mule. I asked him if he would furnish me with a
saddle and bridle, and he let me have nearly a new Mexican saddle and
bridle and I was once more in good shape. Capt. Ledger asked me where I
was going. I said, Home, in Georgia. Which way? I am on my way to
Eufaula. So he said, I believe I'll ride a piece of the way with you. He
had his horse caught, which was a magnificent animal. Riding along side
by side I remarked, Captain that is a splendid horse you are on. He
said, Yes, I have a pair, you could not tell one from the other; they
are spirited animals but perfectly gentle. Their owner must have prized
them highly; some of the men picked them up. That's a new name for
stealing, said I. He remarked, I suppose so, but if I could find out
their owner I am going to return them to him; I am making some effort
towards it. I said, Well sir, it does me good to hear you say so, and to
know that there are some men of feeling, and gentlemen among your army.
He said, Well, war is war. It is true that many acts were committed
unnecessarily harsh, but I am glad it is over and I hope we will all be
friends again. He stopped, saying, Well, I have ridden far enough, and I
am going back. We shook hands, he wished me a safe journey and cantered
back to his camp. It was already late and I proceeded as far as Fort
Browder and stopped over night with Mr. Tom Wells. His wife was also a
Georgian and a kinswoman of the Braswell family.