Late in August, to the surprise of civilians, he departed westward with his troops, crossed the Tennessee River, twenty-nine miles distant and burned the railway bridge behind him. Something important had happened or was expected, but the people in their ignorance could only wonder as to its nature. The retreat left them unprotected from roving, lawless bands, which the war had spawned. One of these came into the town at night and despoiled stables of horses. A citizen was roused from sleep by their near prowling. Hastening to his stable, he came upon thieves who quickly decamped. They had brought to the spot a valuable horse just stolen by them from a near stall. They left it behind in the hurry of flight, but took away the horse whose owner had alarmed them. Without intending a deed of disinterested benevolence by interfering with the rogues’ work, he had saved his neighbor’s property, losing his own. The next day steps were taken to form companies of armed townsmen for defence against marauders. Before any thorough organization to that end was made, an unexpected event occurred. [Illustration: MAJ. GEN. A. E. BURNSIDE.] It was the 2nd of September, 1863. A worthy Swiss immigrant of the town at the beginning of the war espoused the side of “the South” with all the fervor of his naturally ardent disposition. His friend, “native and ... to the manner born,” was a decided Union man, and because of his sentiments, met with various troubles during the Confederate supremacy at the place, but the true-hearted Switzer was steadfast in his friendship, at the risk of losing _caste_ with his own party. In the afternoon of the day, he had concluded a visit to the Unionist and was walking homeward, when to his astonishment he saw three men on horseback and in blue uniforms, four hundred yards distant, galloping towards him as if for life. “Halt!” they shouted. But not heeding their call, he turned and ran to the room of his friend, crying out as he entered it, “The Yankees are coming!” Instantly the family assembled, and as quickly the soldiers in blue were at the door. They were advance riders of the army under Maj. Gen. Burnside, and being on the lookout for hostile soldiers in the town, they had pursued the Switzer in the belief that he was one. Through an upper window his friend looked out upon the troopers in the yard, but they saw in the company gathered above, the man whom they had followed, and immediately one of them, with face white from excitement, raised his pistol and pointing it upward at the group exclaimed, “There he is now! Stand out of the way, ladies!” The native citizen stepped forward and said. “Don’t shoot! I am a Union man.” The pistol was at once lowered, but the soldiers kept their ground and must needs be talked with. The Switzer bravely said in his imperfect English, that he would go down stairs and give himself up, but his companion would go before, and opening the front door,