Mobile a city I had not visited since I marched through it in 1861 at the head of my gallant battalion of Arkansas Grays.
On arriving at Mobile, I took up my quarters at the Battle House, with the intention of taking a good rest, for I was weary with much travel, and, if possible, of arranging some definite plan of action for the future. I was resolved now to make a bold stroke of some kind, and on my own responsibility if necessary, trusting that my usual good luck would accompany me in any enterprise I might undertake.
In Mobile I met quite a number of officers whom I had met on the various battle-fields where I had figured, and received the kindest and best attentions from them all. This was most gratifying to me; and the flattering commendations that were bestowed upon me served to mitigate in a great degree the disappointment I felt on account of the non-recognition of the value of my services in other quarters.
I may as well say here, that in mentioning the disappointments I have felt at different times at not being able to obtain exactly the kind of official recognition I desired, I do not wish to appear as complaining. That I did feel disappointed, is true; but reflection told me that if any one was to blame it was myself. By entering the army as an independent, I secured a freedom of action and opportunities for participating in a great variety of adventures that I otherwise would not have had, but I also cut myself off from opportunities of regular promotion. When I resolved to start out as an independent, I was animated by a variety of motives, not the least of which was, that I believed I would be able to maintain my disguise to better advantage, and would have better opportunities for escaping any unpleasant consequences in case of detection than if I attached myself regularly to a command. I was right in this, and am now convinced that, on the whole, the course I pursued was the wisest one.
Not having been attached to a regular command, at least for any great length of time, it was impossible for me, however, to secure that standing with those who were best able to reward my services that was necessary, while the full value of my services could only be made known by my taking a number of people into my confidence, and this I had great objections to doing. As matters turned out, the peculiar experiences through which I passed, during the first two years of the war, were of the utmost value to me in a great many ways in the prosecution of the very important work in
