"Oh, indeed! I am delighted to hear it. Won't you alight and come in?" "Well, yes, I don't care if I do; for I have been riding since before daylight." I dismounted and went in, and, as soon as I was seated, the old man inquired who I was. "I have been acting the Yankee, and I belong to General Bragg's command." "You do?" "Yes, _sir_!" "Well, do you ever drink any?" "Oh, yes, I drink when I can get it; but a man is very fortunate to get it these times." "I have got some nice rum here; will you try some of it?" (offering me a glass and bottle.) "Yes, _sir_! I'll take a drink of _rum_." "How did you manage to get into Bolivar?" "Oh, I told them that I was a _Union_ man, and wanted to go in and take the _oath_!" "Well, there is right smart of them gets in that way, but there a'n't many of them that thinks it binding." "You have taken the oath, I suppose." "Yes, we _all_ do that, in order to get along smoothly. But, come, breakfast is ready; sit up and eat some breakfast." "Thank you; my ride this morning makes me quite hungry." The breakfast was just what I wanted, and his invitation saved me the trouble of asking for it. When I had finished, said I, "Mister, look 'e here; have you got any more of that 'divine, adorable stuff?'" "Yes, I have got more of it in the cellar." "Well, can't you bestow a little more of your hospitality on a fellow, in the shape of about a pint, to put in my pocket and take along?" "Yes, certainly you can," spoke the planter's wife, "if I can find any thing to put it in." She then went in search of a bottle, and soon returned with a pint bottle filled with it, which she stowed away in my coat pocket with her own hands. With a profusion of thanks and good wishes to them, I bade them adieu, and resumed my journey. Somewhere near three miles east of Somerville is a beautiful spring, that makes its exit from the ground beneath a group of shady elm trees. There I saw three men, engaged in _washing their stockings_! It is not usual for _men_ to wash their own stockings in the ordinary peaceful avocations of life, and the fact of their being so engaged, and also dressed like citizens, was conclusive evidence to me that they were guerrillas. Riding down to the spring and dismounting, I said, pulling out my bottle, "Look 'e here, boys; here is a present that I received this morning; won't you try some of it?" One of the men took the bottle and drank, and the other two declined, saying that they never drank. I then took a "little smile" myself, mounted my horse, and rode on. Finding no troops at Somerville, on my arrival there, I continued on, taking the road that leads south to Lagrange, which place I reached late in the afternoon. There I found four regiments of infantry and two regiments of cavalry. They had just arrived, and had not yet thrown out any pickets. The advance cavalry had but just entered the town, and the other troops were coming in the distance.