activity　had　permitted　scant　opportunity　for　the　development　of　such
  a　system。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　I　received　my　appointment　as　a
  major…general　of　Volunteers。　　My　promotion　had　been　recommended　by
  General　Rosecrans　immediately　after　the　battle　of　Stone　River；　but
  for　some　reason　it　was　delayed　until　April；　and　though　a　long　time
  elapsed　between　the　promise　and　the　performance；　my　gratification　was
  extreme。
  My　scout；　Card；　was　exceedingly　useful　while　encamped　near
  Murfreesboro；　making　several　trips　to　East　Tennessee　within　the
  enemy's　lines　to　collect　information　as　to　the　condition　of　the　loyal
  people　there；　and　to　encourage　them　with　the　hope　of　early
  liberation。　　He　also　brought　back　from　each　trip　very　accurate
  statements　as　to　the　strength　and　doings　of　the　Confederate　army；
  fixing　almost　with　certainty　its　numbers　and　the　locations　of　its
  different　divisions；　and　enabling　my　engineer…officerMajor
  Morhardtto　construct　good　maps　of　the　country　in　our　front。　　On
  these　dangerous　excursions　Card　was　always　accompanied　by　one　of　his
  brothers；　the　other　remaining　with　me　to　be　ready　for　duty　if　any
  accident　occurred　to　those　who　had　gone　out；　or　in　case　I　wanted　to
  communicate　with　them。　　In　this　way　we　kept　well　posted；　although　the
  intelligence　these　men　brought　was　almost　always　secured　at　the　risk
  of　their　lives。
  Early　in　the　spring；　before　the　Tullahoma　campaign　began；　I　thought
  it　would　be　practicable；　by　sending　out　a　small　secret　expedition　of
  but　three　or　four　men；　to　break　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga
  railroad　between　Chattanooga　and　the　enemy's　position　at　Tullahoma　by
  burning　the　bridges　in　Crow　Creek　valley　from　its　head　to　Stevenson；
  Alabama；　and　then　the　great　bridge　across　the　Tennessee　River　at
  Bridgeport。　　Feeling　confident　that　I　could　persuade　Card　to
  undertake　the　perilous　duty；　I　broached　the　contemplated　project　to
  him；　and　he　at　once　jumped　at　the　opportunity　of　thus　distinguishing
  himself；　saying　that　with　one　of　his　brothers　and　three　other　loyal
  East　Tennesseeans；　whose　services　he　knew　could　be　enlisted；　he　felt
  sure　of　carrying　out　the　idea；　so　I　gave　him　authority　to　choose　his
  own　assistants。　　In　a　few　days　his　men　appeared　at　my　headquarters；
  and　when　supplied　with　money　in　notes　of　the　State　Bank　of　Tennessee；
  current　everywhere　as　gold　in　those　days；　the　party；　composed　of
  Card；　the　second　brother；　and　the　three　East　Tennesseeans；　started　on
  their　precarious　enterprise；　their　course　being　directed　first　toward
  the　Cumberland　Mountains；　intending　to　strike　the　Nashville　and
  Chattanooga　railroad　somewhere　above　Anderson's　station。　　They
  expected　to　get　back　in　about　fifteen　days；　but　I　looked　for　some
  knowledge　of　the　progress　of　their　adventure　before　the　expiration　of
  that　period；　hoping　to　hear　through　Confederate　sources　prisoners　and
  the　like…of　the　destruction　of　the　bridges。　　I　waited　in　patience　for
  such　news；　but　none　came；　and　as　the　time　Card　had　allotted　himself
  passed　by；　I　watched　anxiously　for　his　return；　for；　as　there　was
  scarcely　a　doubt　that　the　expedition　had　proved　a　failure；　the　fate
  of　the　party　became　a　matter　of　deep　concern　to　Card's　remaining
  brother　and　to　me。　　Finally　this　brother　volunteered　to　go　to　his
  father's　house　in　East　Tennessee　to　get　tidings　of　the　party；　and　I
  consented；　for　the　probabilities　were　that　some　of　them　had　made
  their　way　to　that　point；　or　at　least　that　some　information　had
  reached　there　about　them。　　As　day　after　day　went　by；　the　time　fixed
  for　this　brother's　return　came　round；　yet　he　also　remained　out；　but
  some　days　after　the　lad　was　due　Card　himself　turned　up　accompanied　by
  the　brother　he　had　taken　with　him；　soon　explained　his　delay　in
  getting　back；　and　gave　me　the　story　of　his　adventures　while　absent。
  After　leaving　my　camp；　his　party　had　followed　various　byways　across
  the　Cumberland　Mountains　to　Crow　Creek　Valley；　as　instructed；　but
  when　nearing　the　railroad　above　Anderson's　Station；　they　were
  captured　by　some　guerrillas　prowling　about　that　vicinity；　and　being
  suspected　of　disloyalty　to　the　Confederacy；　were　carried　to
  Chattanooga　and　imprisoned　as　Yankee　spies。　　Their　prospects　now　were
  decidedly　discouraging；　for　death　stared　them　in　the　face。
  Fortunately；　however；　some　delays　occurred　relative　to　the
  disposition　that　should　be　made　of　them；　and　they；　meanwhile；
  effected　their　escape　from　their　jailors　by　way　of　one　of　the　prison
  windows；　from　which　they　managed　to　displace　a　bar；　and　by　a　skiff；
  in　the　darkness　of　night；　crossed　the　Tennessee　River　a　little　below
  Chattanooga。　　From　this　point　the　party　made　their　way　back　to　my
  camp；　traveling　only　at　night；　hiding　in　the　woods　by　day；　and　for
  food　depending　on　loyal　citizens　that　Card　had　become　acquainted　with
  when　preaching　and　pedling。
  Card's　first　inquiry　after　relating　his　story　was　for　the　youngest
  brother；　whom　he　had　left　with　me。　　I　told　him　what　I　had　done；　in　my
  anxiety　about　himself；　and　that　more　than　sufficient　time　had　elapsed
  for　his　brother's　return。　　His　reply　was：　〃They　have　caught　him。　　The
  poor　fellow　is　dead。〃　　His　surmise　proved　correct；　for　news　soon　came
  that　the　poor　boy　had　been　captured　at　his　father's　house；　and
  hanged。　　The　blow　to　Card　was　a　severe　one；　and　so　hardened　his　heart
  against　the　guerrillas　in　the　neighborhood　of　his　father's　homefor
  he　knew　they　were　guilty　of　his　brother's　murderthat　it　was　with
  difficulty　I　could　persuade　him　to　continue　in　the　employment　of　the
  Government；　so　determined　was　he　to　avenge　his　brother's　death　at　the
  first　opportunity。　　Finally；　however；　I　succeeded　in　quieting　the
  almost　uncontrollable　rage　that　seemed　to　possess　him；　and　he
  remained　with　me　during　the　Tullahoma　and　Chickamauga　campaigns；　but
  when　we　reached　Knoxville　the　next　winter；　he　took　his　departure；
  informing　me　that　he　was　going　for　the　bushwhackers　who　had　killed
  his　brother。　　A　short　time　after　he　left　me；　I　saw　him　at　the　head　of
  about　thirty　well…armed　East　Tennesseeansrefugees。　　They　were
  determined…looking　men；　seeking　revenge　for　the　wrongs　and　sufferings
  that　had　been　put　upon　them　in　the　last　two　years；　and　no　doubt
  wreaked　their　vengeance　right　and　left　on　all　who　had　been　in　any　way
  instrumental　in　persecuting　them。
  The　feeding　of　our　army　from　the　base　at　Louisville　was　attended　with
  a　great　many　difficulties；　as　the　enemy's　cavalry　was　constantly
  breaking　the　railroad　and　intercepting　our　communications　on　the
  Cumberland　River　at　different　points　that　were　easily　accessible　to
  his　then　superior　force　of　troopers。　　The　accumulation　of　reserve
  stores　was　therefore　not　an　easy　task；　and　to　get　forage　ahead　a　few
  days　was　well…nigh　impossible；　unless　that　brought　from　the　North　was
  supplemented　by　what　we　could　gather　from　the　country。　　Corn　was
  abundant　in　the　region　to　the　south　and　southwest　of　Murfreesboro'；
  so　to　make　good　our　deficiences　in　this　respect；　I　employed　a　brigade
  about　once　a　week　in　the　duty　of　collecting　and　bringing　in　forage；
  sending　out　sometimes　as　many　as　a　hundred　and　fifty　wagons　to　haul
  the　grain　which　my　scouts　had　previously　located。　　In　nearly　every
  one　of　these　expeditions　the　enemy　was　encountered；　and　the　wagons
  were　usually　loaded　while　the　skirmishers　kept　up　a　running　fire；
  Often　there　would　occur　a　respectable　brush；　with　the　loss　on　each
  side　of　a　number　of　killed　and　wounded。　　The　officer　in　direct
  command　always　reported　to　me　personally　whatever　had　happened　during
  the　time　he　was　outthe　result　of　his　reconnoissance；　so　to　speak；
  for　that　war　the　real　nature　of　these　excursionsand　on　one　occasion
  the　colonel　in　command；　Colonel　Conrad；　of　the　Fifteenth　Missouri；
  informed　me　that　he　got　through　without　much　difficulty；　in　fact；
  that　everything　had　gone　all　right　and　been　eminently　satisfactory；
  except　that　in　returning　he　had　been　mortified　greatly　by　the　conduct
  of　the　two　females　belonging　to　the　detachment　and　division　train　at
  my　headquarters。　　These　women；　he　said；　had　given　much　annoyance　by
  getting　drunk；　and　to　some　extent　demoralizing　his　men。　　To　say　that
  I　was　astonished　at　his　statement　would　be　a　mild　way　of　putting　it；
  and　had　I　not　known　him　to　be　a　most　upright　man　and　of　sound　sense；
  I　should　have　doubted　not　only　his　veracity；　but　his　sanity。
  Inquiring　who　they　were　and　for　further　details；　I　was　informed　that
  there　certainly　were　in　the　command　two　females；　that　in　some
  mysterious　manner　had　attached　themselves　to　the　service　as　soldiers；
  that　one；　an　East　Tennessee　woman；　was　a　teamster　in　the　division
  wagon…train　and　the　other　a　private　soldier　in　a　cavalry　company
  temporarily　attached　to　my　headquarters　for　escort　duty。　　While　out
  on　the　foraging　expedition　these　Amazons　had　secured　a　supply　of
  〃apple…jack〃　by　some　means；　got　very　drunk；　and　on　the　return　had
  fallen　into　Stone　River　and　been　nearly　drowned。　　After　they　had　been
  fished　from；　the　water；　in　the　process　of