Escaping from Macon--An adventure in Atlanta--In the disguise of a Confederate soldier--My wanderings inside the Confederate army and what I experienced there--I am captured as a spy--How I got out of it all. CHAPTER XII 137 Under fire of our own guns at Charleston--Trying to capture a railway train--The secret band--Betrayed--The desolation of Charleston. CHAPTER XIII 144 Living in a grave--An adventure in the woods of South Carolina--Life in the asylum yard at the capital of South Carolina--The song of "Sherman's March to the Sea"--How it came to be written--Final escape--The burning up of South Carolina's capitol. CHAPTER XIV 174 The army in the Carolinas--General Sherman sends for me--Gives me a place on his staff--Experiences at army headquarters--Sherman's life on the march--Music at headquarters--Logan's violin--The General's false friend--The army wades, swims, and fights through the Carolinas--I am sent as despatch bearer to General Grant--A strange ride down the Cape Fear River in the night--General Terry--Learn that my song "The March to the Sea" is sung through the North, and has given the campaign its name--I bring the first news of Sherman's success to the North--An interview with General Grant. CHAPTER XV 198 Washington City in the last three days of the war--Look, the President!--_The last man of the regiment._ PREFACE In war some persons seek adventures; others have them in spite of themselves. It happened that the writer of this book belonged to a regiment that seemed to be always in the midst of great experiences. It was, in fact, one of the few regiments that absolutely fought themselves out of existence. It was mustered in a thousand strong; it lost seven hundred and seventy-seven men by death, wounds, and disease. The fragment that was left over was transferred to a cavalry command. When the writer finally escaped from prison, after many months of confinement and many thrilling adventures both in prison and in the army of the enemy, he was mustered out as a "supernumerary officer." His command had ceased to exist. He was literally the _last man of the regiment_. Of the eighty of his regiment who had been taken to prison with him all but sixteen were dead. Of the nine captured from his own company all were dead but one. While with his command he had served as a private soldier, as sergeant, and as adjutant. On escaping from prison he was for a time on General Sherman's staff and was selected to run down the Cape Fear River and carry the great news of Sherman's successes to the people of the North.