I was once very much amused by the mistake of a very old man. It happened in this way. I had been sent out on a scout, and was returning to camp, when I called at a plantation-house to get breakfast for myself and squad. Sitting upon the porch in front of the house was a very old man--a secesh--engaged in twisting up tobacco. He had a large pile of it before him already twisted. He had never seen any soldiers from either army. As we came up to the porch he kept on at his work, without being in the least alarmed at our appearance. We procured what breakfast we wanted, and was about to leave, when, addressing the old man, I said: "How do you do, daddy?" "Speak a little louder," said the old man; "I'm hard of hearing." "_How do you do, daddy?_" said I again, louder than before. "Oh, I'm pretty well, I thank you. I'm a little tired now. I've got five or six little grandsons down in General Villipigue's army, and I heard that they were out of tobacco, and I thought I'd twist up some and take down to 'em." "Boys," said I to the squad, "if you had rather the rebs would have that tobacco than to have it yourselves, let it alone." At that the boys made a spring for the tobacco. "Hut, tut, tut!" said the old man, looking wonderfully surprised; "I guess I was mistaken. I thought you were _our soldiers_; but I guess, from your _actions_, you are _Yankees_." On leaving a service that has been fraught with as much danger as that of mine has been, it is not improper, perhaps, for me to leave on record the conclusions suggested by that experience. Few, if any, of my contemporaries who started in the business as early as I did are now living. I know of none that are living who operated in the departments where I did, and who commenced when I did and continued as late as I did. Of eighteen (including myself) that commenced when I did, I am the only one that continued through the war. Fifteen of that number were killed in less than two years, and two were disgraced for bad conduct. When I look back upon what I have experienced, it seems a wonder to me that my life has been spared. Others, whom I thought were my superiors in all the necessary qualifications, have sacrificed their lives in their line of duty. It may be thought by some that a scout is of necessity of that hardened, reckless character that is insensible to the dangers that surround him; but that is a mistake. It is true that war is hardening to the finer sensibilities, but, nevertheless, if a man is unconscious of the danger of his undertaking, he is not apt to exercise the necessary precautionary measures to insure his safety, and, consequently, fails in his mission.