Soon after starting out from Clifton, my cavalry escort began to drop off, one at a time, to visit their homes, and when I arrived at Pulaski I had but two of my escort with me--one was the Lieutenant and the other a Sergeant. I went through without being molested, but I came to the conclusion that "_Confederate-Federal cavalry_" was of but little service to the Government. _I never could trust a Union-secesh!_ It is too much like serving God and Mammon. _The Government has placed entirely too much confidence in that class of men._ I would as soon trust a dog with my dinner. My life has many times been placed in jeopardy by such characters, and my convictions are the result of experience. I returned to Clifton with dispatches alone, and without being molested. Two days after I was sent back again alone. I always passed over the most dangerous part of the route in the night. I went through undisturbed, but on my return I was shot at twenty-one times. At Lawrenceburg I was fired at from the dwelling-houses, as I passed through the place, without any challenge to halt. One man was standing on his porch, with his gun in his hand, evidently watching for me to come, and fired at me as I passed. Four miles from Lawrenceburg I came to several cotton-factories; the locality bore the reputation of being loyal. There I was fired at, both from the factories and dwelling-houses. I went through both of these places under full spur. The last shot that was fired at me was by a man standing in the middle of the road, who challenged me to halt, and at the same time brought his piece to an aim. Instead of halting, I put spurs to my horse and dashed by. I was not more than six feet from him when he fired, but, in the excitement of the moment, his shot missed me, and I passed on unharmed. I can assure the reader, from actual experience, that it is no very pleasant thing to be a mark for people to shoot at. I am fully convinced that it was citizens that fired at me, and that they had found out, through the cavalry, that I have mentioned, that I was a bearer of dispatches, and were watching for me. I delivered my dispatches to General Force, and told him that I was afraid to run the line alone. He gave me an order for twenty-one men, with the privilege of selecting men of my choice. Two days after, I again started to Pulaski, with my escort, who were infantry soldiers, mounted. Previous to starting, I told the General my plan of operation, to which he said, "Very well." I called at every house along the entire route. If the people were in bed, I made them get up, and said to them, "_I am running a courier line from Clifton to Pulaski, and you good, loyal people have fired at me twenty-one times. If I am ever fired at again, whether I am killed or not, every man, woman, and child within four miles of this road, on either side, shall be shot, and your houses burned._"