class="tdlh">Return to Mississippi—Instructions—Visit to Troy—Movement of cavalry—Reports to General Denver—Is arrested—Federal cavalry driven back—Is released—Visits Greenwood—Journey to the Mississippi River—The perilous crossing—Again arrested— Interview with Gen. Prentiss—Takes the oath of allegiance—Meets a friend—Makes his escape—Reports to Gen. Grant

233 CHAPTER XXI. Return to the regiment—The Henry rifle—The march from Milliken's Bend—The tug of war—The army crosses the Mississippi— Capture of Port Gibson—Battle of Raymond—Amusing Capture —The charge on Jackson—Battle of Champion Hills—The rebel courier—Sharp-shooting—The gallant charge—The march to Vicksburg—The place besieged 245 CHAPTER XXII. First sharp-shooting at Vicksburg—Silences two guns—The rifle-pit— Shoots a Carolinian—The Carolinian's comrade—Outshoots a squad of sixteen—The defiant rebel—Shoots for Gens. McPherson and Logan—Beats the Parrot rifles—Joke on the Adjutant-General—Visit to Admiral Porter—The French spy—The disclosures—Capture of a rebel dispatch—The fate of the spy 259 CHAPTER XXIII. Sent for by General Grant—Instructions—Crosses Black River—Is captured by rebel cavalry—Sent to General DeVieu—The interview—Passes as Johnston's spy—The attempt to escape—The pursuit—Fired at by Federal pickets—Again fired at by the enemy—The pursuers driven back—Again fired at by Federal pickets—The alarm—Reports to General Osterhaus—Reports to General Grant 275 CHAPTER XXIV. Visit to Chickasaw Landing—Surrender of Vicksburg—Visit to the city —The paroled Major—The Yankee trick—Returns to Vicksburg —Made detective—Is sent to Yazoo City—Attends a guerrilla organization—Makes them a speech—Returns to Vicksburg 286 CHAPTER XXV. Taken sick with the ague—Encounters his Satanic Majesty—The Devil afraid of General Grant—Expedition to Bogue Chitto Creek—Captures a rebel Colonel—Enlists as a veteran—Makes a speech
to the soldiers 295 CHAPTER XXVI. Frightened by a dead Colonel—Burns Confederate corn in face of the enemy—Gets into a tight place—A frightened Major—Captures information—A headstrong Captain gobbled up—Captures a rebel Provost-marshal General—Encounter with General Ross' cavalry —A strange adventure—Races with a rebel Colonel—A hard- hearted woman 305 CHAPTER XXVII. Starts home on veteran furlough—Trouble at the table—Bluffs the Captain—Suspected of being a rebel spy—Commissioned officer serves him at the table—Kind attentions at home—Silences an old maid—Returns to the front—Shot at twenty-one times—The remedy—A Union lady—The dwarf weaver—The weaver beheaded—Goes into Marietta as a spy—Confederate side of the lines—Escape from the rebs—General McPherson's death—Hard fighting 331 CHAPTER XXVIII. Goes to Ohio to recruit—Raises twenty-one men—Difficulty with the Governor—Visits Lieutenant-General Grant—Order from the War Department—Again in difficulty—Runs away from the Governor—Reports to General Sherman—Georgia raid—An amusing coincident—Reports to General Granger, at Mobile—Reports to General Grierson, in Texas—Makes a trip to the Upper Colorado—Incident at General Grant's head-quarters—The war over 358 CHAPTER XXIX. Ludicrous effect of fear—A Corporal outflanks a Captain—A good Union man—A touching appeal—A scene among the wounded— An old Secesh discovers his mistake—Suggestions from experience—Concluding thoughts 390

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INTRODUCTION

Lorain Ruggles was enlisted by me in December, 1861, at Columbus, Ohio. The name of "General Bunker" was given to him by the men in his company, and it was by that name that he was most generally known in the army, and very many knew him by no other name.

Mr. Ruggles is a man possessed of great presence of mind, a strong memory, and not a little of native wit, and great power of physical endurance. These, with his knowledge of the Southern people and country, admirably fitted him for the duties of a scout.

The narratives here related are of facts that actually occurred in his experience, and very many of them are as well authenticated as any facts in history can be. There has been no aim at making this a work of general history, but simply a narrative of personal experience, coupled with only so much of the general history of the war as is necessary to explain the cause of the events that transpired in his experience. Many of these are incidents of daring that are without parallel in the scout service. The following testimonials of the value of his services and the truthfulness of his reports will be read with interest: