would scarcely be so severe that he would not be able to recover from them in course of time.
My first object was to see my brother, to give him such assistance as I was able, and to discover whether I could not do something towards having him released. I had not seen him for a number of years, and, as the reader will remember, had only learned of his being in the Confederate army some little time before my second marriage. He was the only relative I had in the country, and I felt very anxious about him, fearing greatly that he might be sick, or suffering for some of the necessities of life. I therefore pushed forward as rapidly as I could, and made no stoppage of any moment until I reached Louisville, Kentucky, where I took a room at the Gait House, and communicated with a Mr. B., a gentle man whose name had been given me as one in whom I could confide, and to whom I could appeal in case I was in need of assistance.
A Mysterious Friend of the Confederacy.
I told Mr. B. who I was, and what was my errand, and informing him that I was short of funds, asked whether he could not do something for me. He said he would make an effort in my behalf, and accordingly a gentleman, who declined to tell me his name, but who said that he was a Confederate, called that evening to see me at my room. He was greatly afraid of being seen with me; and before he would leave, after we had finished our conversation, I had to go out into the hall, and down as far as the stairway, to see that all was quiet, and no one looking, before he would venture out.
We had a long talk about, not only my immediate errand in behalf of my brother, but about the political and military situation generally. As Mr. B. had told me that I could trust him implicitly, I had no hesitation in informing him, that after having seen my brother, and made an effort to procure his release, my intention was to operate as a secret service agent, as I had had considerable experience in that line of duty. I did not think it necessary or proper to entertain him with a recital of the enterprises in which I had been engaged, but told him just enough about myself to let him understand that my pretensions were genuine, and that I really meant business. He, for his part, posted me very thoroughly about the best method of going to work, not only for procuring the
