I hastily dressed, and accompanied Captain Ezekiel to Fort Wallace, arriving there at two o’clock in the morning.

“Bill, I am really sorry,” said Captain Ezekiel, as we alighted, “but I have orders to place you in the guard-house, and I must perform my duty.”

“Very well, Captain; I don’t blame you a bit,” said I; and into the guard-house I went as a prisoner for the first and only time in my life.  The sergeant of the—­guard who was an old friend of mine, belonging to Captain Graham’s company, which was stationed there at the time—­did not put me into a cell, but kindly allowed me to stay in his room and occupy his bed, and in a few minutes I was snoring away as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Shortly after reveille Captain Graham called to see me.  He thought it was a shame for me to be in the guard-house, and said that he would interview General Bankhead in my behalf as soon as he got up.  The Captain had a nice breakfast prepared for me, and then departed.  At guard-mount I was not sent for, contrary to my expectations, and thereupon I had word conveyed to Captain Graham, who was officer of the day, that I wanted to see General Bankhead.  The Captain informed me that the General absolutely refused to hold any conversation whatever with me.

At this time there was no telegraph line between Fort Wallace and Fort Lyon, and therefore it was impossible for me to telegraph to General Carr, and I determined to send a dispatch direct to General Sheridan.  I accordingly wrote out a long telegram informing him of my difficulty, and had it taken to the telegraph office for transmission; but the operator, instead of sending it at once as he should have done, showed it to General Bankhead, who tore it up, and instructed the operator not to pay any attention to what I might say, as he was running that post.  Thinking it very strange that I received no answer during the day I went to the telegraph office, accompanied by a guard, and learned from the operator what he had done.  “See here, my young friend,” said I, “this is a public telegraph line, and I want my telegram sent, or there’ll be trouble.”

I re-wrote my dispatch and handed it to him, accompanied with the money to pay for the transmission, saying, as I did so:  “Young man, I wish that telegram sent direct to Chicago.  You know it is your duty to send it, and it must go.”

He knew very well that he was compelled to transmit the message, but before doing so he called on General Bankhead and informed him of what I had said, and told him that he would certainly have to send it, for if he didn’t he might lose his position.  The General, seeing that the telegram would have to go, summoned me to his headquarters, and the first thing he said, after I got into his presence was: 

“If I let you go, sir, will you leave the post at once and not bother my agent at Sheridan again?”

“No, sir;” I replied, “I’ll do nothing of the kind.  I’ll remain in the guard-house until I receive an answer from General Sheridan.”