Federals, with its attendant horrors, combined with a prospect that the Confederates would before long probably make a desperate attempt to regain it, not having the most soothing effect upon her nerves. Hearing that she was about to leave, I went to her, and expressed a desire to purchase her passport and other foreign papers, confident that, armed with such documents as these, I would be able to make a fair start against the Federal authorities, and gain some immediate advantages that would probably be otherwise out of the question. The lady readily consented to part with the papers for a fair price, being glad to get the money I offered for them, and she either believed, or affected to believe, the story which I told to account for my eagerness to possess them. There was, in fact, however, no particular necessity for romancing to any great extent on such a subject as this ; for in the terror and confusion incident to the abandonment of the city by the Confederates and its occupation by the Federals, and in the great uncertainty with regard to what the near future would bring forth, it was the most natural thing in the world that a lone and unprotected woman like myself should desire to have the means at hand of escaping from any claims to allegiance that either party might present, and of invoking the protection of some foreign power.
A Talk with the Provost Marshal.
Armed with my British papers, I went to the office of the provost marshal for the purpose of striking up an acquaintance with that gentleman, he being the person it was most immediately important for me to have dealings with, and to gain the confidence of. On requesting an interview, I was ushered into the provost marshal's presence, and introducing myself to him under the name I had decided to assume, told him that I was heartily glad to welcome the army of the United States to New Orleans, and that I hoped this wretched contest would soon be at an end, and the stars and stripes acknowledged everywhere once more.
He seemed to be a little surprised, and even suspicious, at my warmth of manner, and giving me a rather keen look, which I bore without flinching, he asked me, with some brusqueness, but at the same time not impolitely, if I had taken the oath yet.
This was a rather delicate question, and as I had not, and
