Supposing that I had made all the necessary arrangements for my safety in case I was driven back, I started out. About half a mile from the vedettes, the road crossed a low piece of ground, and had been filled in with brush and rails, while wet, to keep wagons from miring, but the dry weather had dried up the mud and left the rails and brush bare, rendering it extremely difficult to cross without making a great deal of noise.
I had gone but a short distance after crossing it, when I heard a cracking of brush behind me, and turned to see what it was. The reader can judge my surprise when I saw, in the road behind me, fourteen rebel cavalry. I was ordered to halt, which I did, and they, at the same time, dismounted.
There I was, captured almost within sight of our own pickets. It was no time to show timidity, so I resolved upon a bold expedient.
"Gentlemen, I don't know as this is any of your business. I am a Confederate soldier, and I have business here, and all that you have to do is to send me, under guard, to general head-quarters."
One of the men, seemingly commander of the squad--I could not tell whether an officer or a private--ordered two of the men to take me to Gen. DeVieu.
They took me on in the same direction that I had been traveling. Not a word was exchanged between us on the way. I watched narrowly every feature of the road and the country as we went, determined, if possible, to make my way back that night.
About five miles from where I was captured, and nearly seven miles from Black River bridge, we came to General DeVieu's head-quarters. They were situated near the crossing of the roads, where the road from Baldwin's Ferry (below Black River bridge) to Edwards' Station crosses the one that I was on.
When we arrived at General DeVieu's quarters, one of the guards went in, and I heard him say to the General, "We have got a man out there that we captured close to the Yankee lines, without a pass, and he says that he is a Confederate soldier. We could not find out his business, but he told us to bring him to you, and we have done so."
"Well, have him come in," said the General.
The guard came out, and told me to go in. As I entered, I took off my hat, and, saluting him, I looked him in the face with as much composure as though I had been his commanding officer.