Gen. James A. Hardie, then an Assistant Inspector General U. S. Army--the one time friend and confidential Military Adviser of Abraham Lincoln, whom he selected to send on that delicate mission to Frederick City, Md., to relieve Gen. Hooker from command of the Army of the Potomac just prior to the Battle of Gettysburg--appointing Gen. Meade to succeed him--happened to be at Fort R---- on his annual tour of inspection of the frontier posts. After such an introduction from Mackenzie--Gen. Hardie was very informal-- He was a very handsome man, then about 48 years of age-- He was very courteous and had an exceedingly attractive personality-- With the disparity in our ages, he seemed, at that period, to be a very "old man". He had served in the Mexican War, and died as a Brevet Maj. General, Dec. 14, 1876-- Placing both hands on my shoulders he said: "Young man, I am proud of you-- General Mackenzie ought to be proud of having such an officer in his regiment." "I want to personally congratulate and warmly thank you for the fine work you have done-- It was a duty of very great responsibility, and you should be commended not only by the Department, but by the entire Army. I believe it is a record that you should be very proud of." In rehearsing my adventures to them, I came to the incident at Hardin's ranch, and my encounter with the two "Jezabels"-- Mackenzie flared up-- "Didn't I particularly impress upon you in my '_verbal instructions_' that you must not '_violate the Civil Law_' in any way--I----" Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, I replied: "Well, Sir! I have violated no Civil Law. I have hung nobody as yet, only made a huge bluff. You will see those carbines here to-morrow morning". The "old man" who was going to "lick me out of my boots"--promptly at 10 o'clock--rolled into Fort R---- _with all of the carbines_. I happened to be at the Adjutant's office-- "Is the Gineral in"? "He is"!-- "I've brought in them guns"!-- After making a statement more or less satisfactory of how they happened to come into his possession, and after Mackenzie had "hauled him over the coals" for a "send off"--the rancher departed--"a sadder but a wiser" man. I never got any _sweet looks_ from the "ladies" after that when duty called me past that ranch. Lawton came in a day or two later. He certainly was "out of luck"-- The deserters had not headed his way. He had gone farther than the writer-- Way up into the Indian Nation (now Oklahoma), and not only had not succeeded in "bagging" anybody, but, most unfortunately, one of the best men in his detachment deserted, taking his horse, arms and entire equipment with him. After ascertaining what had come my way, he seemed to be much crest fallen.