While in Nashville I saw much of Governor Johnson, and often heard him express his opinion of men and measures. On account of the peculiarities of Governor Johnson's character, it is difficult to describe him. He possessed great natural capacity, but his knowledge of the science of government was superficial. He was sincere and earnest in his opinions, but his prejudices were violent and often unjust. His personal dislikes were never concealed. Bailie Peyton said of him, that "he hated a gentleman by instinct." After listening to him. one day, I said: "Governor, the anti-slavery men of the North oppose slavery because it is unjust, and we hope by abolishing it to make free citizens of those human. chattels." He answered: "D-n the negroes; I am fighting these traitorous aristocrats, their masters!" His courage was of the highest order, and no man was more ready to take responsibilities. He passed through Louisville, in February, 1865, on his way to Washington to assume the vice-presidency, to which he had been. elected. In a speech delivered there, he denounced the Kentucky Union men as insincere and treacherous; advised me to trust none of them, but to arrest a thousand of the leaders and send them out of the United States. Notwithstanding this, I was not surprised that, after his accession to the presidency, he quarreled with the most radical leaders of the Republican party. They assumed to dictate to him the policy to be pursued towards the people of the states lately in rebellion, and he, who was always impatient of advice, resented dictation from any quarter, and hence the breach was inevitable.

In addition to my frequent meetings and conversations with the men whose names I have mentioned, I found other pleasant acquaintances in Nashville, and often had interesting adventures in or near the picket lines.

The most important military affair in which I participated was the surprise of the Rebel forces at La Vergne, a village about twelve miles from Nashville, in the direction of Murfreesboro. We were aware of the fact

that the place was occupied by a considerable force of Rebel infantry and cavalry, and General Negley, who commanded at Nashville, determined to surprise them. The plan of operations was, that Colonel Miller, of the 18th Indiana Infantry, should, with four regiments, leave Nashville at nine o'clock in the evening, and by a circuitous route reach the rear of the enemy at daybreak, while I, with Stoke's cavalry, about three hundred men, and a battalion of the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry under Major Wynkoop, and the 27th Illinois Infantry in covered wagons, should move at twelve o'clock at night on the direct road and attack the enemy as soon as I could reach them. It was expected that my attack would attract the attention of the enemy and aid Miller in concealing his movements. I moved promptly and marched slowly, quite willing that the enemy should know of my movements, while my long line of covered wagons made my command resemble a foraging party covered by cavalry.

It was barely daylight when we encountered the Rebel pickets and skirmished with them, waiting for Miller to reach the position he was to occupy. My infantry moved forward and charged the Rebel outpost, and captured a "Wiard" gun, and about that time we heard Miller's fire, and saw the Rebel cavalry, said to be about eight hundred strong, move off at full speed to the southwest. I had held Stokes and Wynkoop in hand for this, and ordered them to follow in pursuit.

Under the influence of the excitement produced by the scene, I forgot for a moment the firing which was going on at the front, and in some way reached the top of a stack of clover near by, from which I saw all of a thousand horsemen, pursuers and pursued, at full speed for three or four miles. After the horsemen passed out of sight, we entered the village, where we captured about one hundred prisoners, including Brigadier-General Maury, of the Rebel army. Forrest was at Murfrees

boro, and we hoped he would move out and follow us on our return to Nashville.

During our occupation of Nashville, I often rode with my escort outside the picket lines, where we had frequent skirmishes with the Rebel cavalry. Sometimes we would encounter a party who were too strong for us, and then there would be a race for the pickets, with whom my party would unite and repulse the enemy. Occasionally, we would capture a few prisoners and their horses, and, as my escort furnished their own horses, we always kept the best when captured, and turned the poor ones over to the quartermaster.

On one occasion, I took with me my escort and a company of Michigan infantry mounted, amounting on the whole to a hundred men, and went out on the Nolansville "pike." It was one of the peculiarities of Nashville that the main turnpikes were connected by rough and incomplete pikes. We went out some mile or more on the principal pike, beyond the picket line. Lieutenant Hayes was riding with me, and, when we turned to the left, in order to reach the Murfreesboro pike, I sent out Lieutenant Shaw as an advance guard, and soon heard firing in my front.

I had inadvertently, while laughing at stories told by Hayes, proceeded to a greater distance than I had intended. Shaw came back and reported to me that the Rebels had a picket at the junction of the small pike with the Murfreesboro turnpike and that we were within sight of the lunatic asylum, six or eight miles from Nashville. I said to Shaw, "We'll wish we were in a lunatic asylum before we get back!" I ordered him to "return, attack the pickets and drive them away.

As soon as we reached the Murfreesboro turnpike, I sent Gilbert, in command of the Michigan infantry, in the direction of Nashville to see what was there, and ordered Shaw to proceed in the direction of the asylum and see what was there. Shaw reported to me that

there was about a battalion on his front, while Gilbert reported that there was about one hundred and fifty men between us and our pickets on the Murfreesboro pike. I immediately determined to make "hot foot" for our pickets (one company of the 22d Illinois) and run the risk of encountering the men between us and Nashville. I said to Shaw, "You have carbines and revolvers, the other fellows have shot-guns, drive them, and when you come back we'll charge these fellows to our front."

Pretty soon Shaw had his company in motion; when he returned I put myself at the head of my escort, charged the enemy in the direction of Nashville, broke through them, and by that time the Rebel cavalry had come from the direction of the asylum, and we had a race for it. We rode through "Slip-up" at full speed, crossed the bridge over Brown's creek; our pickets had heard the firing and came at double quick to our relief; the enemy pursued us no farther; they saw the infantry and retired.

One incident which occurred on this trip is worth relating. While I was riding at full speed, with drawn saber in my hand, I heard a tremendous explosion, and saw that it was from a double-barreled shot-gun, and felt the powder in my face. I saw before me a boy, some twenty years old, who had evidently forgotten to put the shot in his gun. I raised myself in my stirrups, determined to take his head off, but he was so young and apparently so frightened that I passed the saber over his head and said to him, "You miserable rascal, you meant to murder me!" I heard that expression for many days afterwards from my escort.

CHAPTER XIII.

Diary kept in Nashville-Call from Mr. Trimble-Capture of company of the 22d Illinois-Arrival of Rosecrans at Nashville-Skirmish with the enemy-Stuart's creek—General Rosecrans' erroneous report-First day's battle of Stone River. (1862–1863.)

I kept a brief diary while in Nashville, which now reads rather racily. Some extracts from this will give a better idea of the state of things as matters appeared to me than any I can furnish from memory, I find in the entry of September 21st: "The owners of negroes give me no rest; every one who calls on me is a prodigy of patriotism and devotion to the Union. He wants his negro, as he says, not for his value, but to gratify a longing mother, who ardently desires that her son shall return to her and to slavery. The kind-hearted owner only wishes to oblige her."

We had heard nothing from the North for a month, and rumors reached us through Rebel sources like this: "Rumor reports that Buckner has taken Green river bridge, with 3,500 prisoners, after two days' resistance, and that Buell had crossed Green river in pursuit of Bragg. Another rumor is, that McClellan has been defeated and killed by Jackson and Lee near Hagerstown, Maryland, with a Federal loss of 35,000 men. The rumor of Rosecrans' defeat by Price is revived.'

On September 26th, I wrote: "The General (Negley) does not feel easy, as he thinks it probable that Price is after us, and he has a rumor that Breckenridge has reached Murfreesboro with 15,000 men, and is repairing railroads south. This afternoon, General Negley rode up and informed me that our pickets on the Murfreesboro 'pike' were attacked by a large force, and ordered me to send out a regiment of infantry. I rode