I then turned to go back to Memphis, but I found that a squad of guerrillas had got between me and the city. Not wishing to encounter them, I made my way across to Lafayette, a town on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. At that place I found Brigadier-General Lee (formerly Colonel of the 7th Kansas Cavalry). I called on him, and requested him to inform General McPherson that on account of the high water, I was unable to get through on the Hernando road. From Lafayette I went to Lagrange, at which place I found General Denver. I requested of him a pass to go through his lines. He inquired who I was. I told him, and, to convince him, showed him the order Colonel Hillyer gave me to scout, in Memphis; but, for some reason, best known to himself, he took the order away from me. It was raining at the time I asked for the pass, and I requested to have it dated for the next day. The Adjutant remarked that if I had it dated a day ahead it would afford me a _fine opportunity to see how many forces they had before I went out_. A pass was granted me, however, to go out, but not to return, and I remained at Lagrange until the next day. I think that General Denver doubted my being a Federal scout. Not expecting to pass any Federal lines, except when I left Memphis, I had no pass proper for the occasion, and showed the order that I had for want of something better. I put up at a house of entertainment kept by a Mr. Lee, where I met with a cotton-buyer by the name of Hall, who was boarding at the same place. In the course of our conversation, something was said about a noted guerrilla by the name of Sol. Street. I remarked, "I don't see how it comes that Sol. Street has managed to make himself so noted; he is a man that very little was said about before the war." "Do you know Sol. Street?" said the cotton-buyer. "Yes, I have known him for ten or twelve years. I knew him when he lived in Memphis, and then afterward when he lived on Island 40, and then again when he moved up to the foot of Island 37." "Now, see here," said Hall; "you want to make money and I want to make money, and now is the time to do it. If you are acquainted with Sol. Street, you can arrange the matter so as to make a handsome thing of it for both of us." "How so?" "Well, I will tell you. Sol. Street has got about eighty guerrillas stationed back in the country a few miles, and in their rear is a large amount of cotton. I have seen it, and it is worth eighty cents a pound. Sol. Street likes money as well as either you or I. Now, if you will see him, and get him to give you a writing that he will withdraw his men for ten days, and let Government teams in there, without molesting them, to haul the cotton away, I will give Sol. one-half of the proceeds of the cotton, at eighty cents a pound, and I will give you five thousand dollars of my share, and you shall see the cotton weighed and carry Sol.'s money to him." "That would really be a nice little spec, wouldn't it?"