next day. He then said: "Am I the first Yankee you have met?" "Yes, the first," she said. "I am the poorest looking of our number," said Hastings. "Come and let me introduce you to the others." He brought them and we were formally introduced and they soon left. We soon heard some dogs barking. We said: "Hastings, how about that?" He said: "There are several of them, but I do not think they are on a trail." But the barking continued until one of our number went up a tree. After he got well up in the tree he saw in an open field adjoining the woods, over toward the river, a man with a bunch of dogs. Apparently he was out to give them exercise, and as they did not get scent of us or cross our trail they did not trouble us; but the two incidents gave us plenty of anxiety for that day. After dark we were moving.

One night as we were traveling in the woods, Captain Aldrich said to me: "I have kept a correct diary since we started, giving our names, telling when and how we got out and each day since, but I have lost it tonight." I replied: "I am sorry for your loss, but we will not go back to look for it. It may be found, but if it is we will hope we will be far enough away so that they will not find us." The diary probably was found and returned to Columbia, for one morning when they came in to count the prisoners, the officer in charge said: "Men, I suppose you all know that five of your number"—giving our names—"got out from here on the morning of October 3rd. They did nicely for a while, got to such a place, were discovered and a posse sent after them. They were ordered to surrender, but did not and all were shot dead." That, of course, was a warning to all the others not to take similar risks.

Not long after I reached my home in New York City, one of the lieutenants of the Eighty-fifth was exchanged. As he was passing through the city, he thought he would come to the house and see if he could learn anything about me. He did so, and was much surprised to find me there, and told me what had been told them about our escape and execution.

In the latter part of one night, when we were well up on the Blue Ridge mountains, we had trouble in making our way in the direction which we wished to keep, and came to a mountain road which led the right way. We decided to try it for a while and, as we always did when on or near a highway, one of us went ahead. This time I was ahead. As I came to a small gully and was about to step onto the bridge which was across it, I heard a call from the other side: "Corporal of the Guard, Post No. 3," which gave me a shock. I threw up my hands and hurried back, and reported what I had heard. We went up into the mountains and looked for a suitable place to hide. After a reasonable time in the morning, we said: "Hastings, we are in a tight place. You must go and investigate for we cannot move from here without some knowledge of our surroundings." He started, but did not go far before he saw a small clearing and a shack. He watched it, and saw a colored woman and some colored children. He watched until he felt sure there was no one else there, then went toward the house. As he came up the woman, speaking first, said: "Mister, this a very bad place for you uns; there is a company of guerrillas here. I am expecting one of them up here for his washing." Turning to a boy she said: "Tom, you go to that knoll and keep a sharp watch. If you see anyone coming you tell me quick." Then she turned to Hastings and was ready to talk with him. He told her who he was and about us. She gave him something to eat and other food she had for him to bring to us, and said we were in a tight place, that she was not well posted, but that her husband was a free man, hence could go about the country and was pretty well posted, that he would be home by and by, and she would have him see what he could do for us. She said for us all to come to the house after dark when her husband would be there and she would have something more for us to eat. Hastings returned and reported. We waited until after dark, then went to the house. The husband was there—quite a bright-looking man. We were fed. He said we were in a tight place, but that he would take us past the guerrillas and start us on beyond. We started out, he and I going ahead. Soon we came to a few houses, went around and past them, went through a gate into a back yard. Passing through that we went near the back of a large log stable in which were lights. We could see between the logs. It was full of horses and men caring for them. Captain Aldrich came up, took hold of my right arm and said: "Are not those the guerrillas?" I said: "Be quiet." As he held onto my arm I could feel his heart beat. But our guide took us through all right to the other side and away from the guerrillas. We came to a road leading up into the mountains. Our guide said: "You want to go the way this road runs. You had better stay in the woods until morning, then go up the mountain the way this road goes. When you come to four corners, a signboard and a schoolhouse there is the line between North and South Carolina. Keep straight ahead, but about two miles beyond the schoolhouse are some soldiers beside the road. Do not let them see you, but go well around them. They stop everybody that comes along. Get back to the road and go ahead until you come to a house and a blacksmith shop. Stop and see that man. He will take care of you." "Who is he?" we asked. "He is a first-class Union man," he replied. "I was over there this summer. He is all right." We thanked him most heartily and he left us and we went into the woods for the night. The next day we worked our way up the mountain, arriving at the schoolhouse about dark. It was raining. We decided to go a piece by the road, so started on. I went ahead. None of us thought about the guards who were by the side of the road. As I was nearing a narrow pass I saw a light shining across the road. Like a flash it came to me. I threw up my hands and hurried back. We went well around them, which was quite a job in the dark and the rain and the thick brush; but we got back to the road, kept on until we came to the blacksmith shop. It was about 10 o'clock and there was no light in the house. We had a talk and decided that we were in a tight place and that Hastings might go to the house as a Confederate soldier and see what he could learn. He went and rapped on the door. A man came to the door. Hastings told him he was a soldier with a leave of absence who had lost his way and asked if he could come in for a short time. While talking he asked the man how he was getting on. He said not at all well. "Why not?" asked Hastings, "you have a nice place here." "Yes," was the answer, "but they do not treat me well." "How is that?" Hastings inquired. "Colonel So-and-So was here the other day," said the man, "and took all of my horses, cattle and grain he could find." "Did he do the same by your neighbors?" asked Hastings. "No one else," said the man. "How so?" asked Hastings. "He said I was too much of a Union man," was the reply. Hastings then said: "We have talked long enough. I am not a Confederate soldier, but a Union officer, an escaped prisoner of war." "Why didn't you tell me that before?" asked the man. "Come, wife, get up and give this poor fellow something to eat." There was a bed in the room, an open fireplace with a fire in it. "I am not alone," said Hastings. "I have four comrades outside." "Outside in this hard rain? Go bring them in, quick," said the man. When we came in he was pulling a jug out from under the bed. Pouring something out of it, he said: "You are all wet, cold and hungry; here is some good apple jack which I made. Drink