I was on guard that night, and my post was at the gangway, with instructions to prevent, at all hazards, any attempt of prisoners to go ashore. About 1 o'clock at night a rebel Captain stepped up to me, and addressing me by name, said, "How are you?" I recognized in him an old acquaintance by the name of Captain Brown, with whom I had formed an acquaintance at Island No. Twenty-eight, in the summer of 1852. At that time he was the owner and captain of the Memphis and Nashville packet steamer Sligo. When the rebellion broke out he raised a company at Nashville, and was made a captain in the --th Tennessee Infantry. At one time, while in difficulty in Memphis, Captain Brown had rendered me valuable assistance. "How are _you_?" said I, as soon as I discovered who it was. "What are you doing _here_?" "I'm a prisoner, and my old friend is guarding me." "Yes, I _see_! Quite a change since you and I last met." "Yes, something of a change! I hardly expected to meet you in arms against me! You have lived a long time in the South. Do you think that you are doing exactly right to take up arms against us?" "The old government and the old flag are good enough for me," I replied, "and I mean to stick by them so long as I live." "Do you expect to pin the States together again with bayonets?" he asked. "I don't know whether we shall _pin_ the States together again or not; but I _do know one thing_; we'll have the _soil back again_, whether we have the people or not." "See here!" said he. "Do you remember of my assisting you one time in Memphis, when you was in trouble?" "Certainly I do! And you had my gratitude for it." "Well, I am in trouble. Can you render me any assistance?" "I will if I can." "Well, you can." "How?" "By letting me cross your beat and go ashore." "I _can't do that_." "Why not? I helped you; why not help me?" "Because I am no traitor to my country! I never asked you to raise your hand against your country to assist me." "Here, take this watch; perhaps I can buy you," said he, offering me a splendid gold watch. "Not _much_ you can't buy me! I think too much of the stars and stripes for that." "Take it," said he, "and let me cross your beat, and I'll give you a hundred dollars in gold besides." "_I can't do it_," said I; "_don't you ask me again._" Captain Brown went away quite chop-fallen, satisfied, I presume, that gold was not at par with genuine patriotism. We guarded the prisoners to Camp Douglas, near Chicago, Ill., where we remained nine days, and then returned to Bloody Island, where we arrived on the 6th day of March. That night the regiment embarked on board the steamer Continental, for Paducah, Ky., which place we reached in time to join in the grand expedition up the Tennessee River. At Paducah, General Sherman and staff came on board the Continental, and made it his head-quarters; and that boat, preceded by the gun-boats, led the fleet.