He plead and cried, and finally prayed. As much as he deserved death, I hadn't the heart to kill him; so I returned him to his place behind the wagon. He was made to travel all the way to Vicksburg with the collar and chain fast to his neck. Sometimes the driver would stop his team, and wait till the teams ahead would go three or four hundred yards. Then he would crack up his team, and make the doctor run to keep up, and, while running, he would have to hold on to the chain with both hands, to keep it from dragging him by the neck. At Vicksburg he was tried by court-martial, and sentenced to confinement on Johnson's Island. When the army arrived at Jonesboro, on its return, General McPherson sent me, with a squad of nine men, into the country to hunt up forage. We were all mounted. When we had gone about eight miles to the north-west, we came to a small stream that flowed within deep perpendicular banks, and a few yards beyond the stream we came to a house, where we dismounted. I went to the stable in search of horses and mules. On returning to the yard, in front of the house, I found my men gathered in a circle around a young lady that had come out of the house. She was dressed extravagantly gay and rich, evidently in expectation of a visit from somebody. Her gay appearance had had something to do in gathering the men around her. "Boys," said I, "don't you know better than to huddle together in that way for bushwhackers to shoot at? One shot would kill two or three of you." "That's so, Bunker," said they, scattering out. "What are you dressed up so nice for?" said I to the lady. "Who's coming to see you?" "I a'n't dressed up; this is my every-day attire." "You needn't lie to me in that way; there is somebody coming to see you, and if you don't tell me who it is, I'll burn your house down." "Perhaps, if you stay here long enough, you will find out who it is." "Whereabouts is General Ross' command?" "He is not far from here." "Well, where is he?" "Down in the woods yonder." "Come on, boys, we'll go down and see!" We mounted and rode down into the woods; there I discovered a great many fresh horse-tracks. I ordered the boys to dismount and form a skirmish line. We had hardly got into position, when a Confederate General made his appearance on a rise of ground in our front, a hundred yards distant, coming toward us. When he had ascended fairly to the top of the hill, he halted to look. He was the richest dressed General that I ever saw. His uniform was heavily trimmed with gold lace, and his saddle, bridle, and holsters were mounted with gold. The General was straight, and well proportioned, and made a splendid appearance. I presumed that it was General Ross, on his way to visit the young lady. "Jim," said I to the man nearest me, whom I knew to be a good shot, "why don't you shoot that General?"