“England is for us,” said Pegram, “only because she likes us little and the North less.  The French Imperialists, too, hate republics, and are in for anything that will damage them.  When we beat off the North, until she’s had enough, and set up our own free and independent republic, we’ll have both England and France annoying us, and demanding favors, because they were for us in the war.  Sympathy is something, but it doesn’t win any battles.”

“A nation has no real friend except itself,” said Bagby.  “Whatever the South gets she’ll have to get with her own good right arm.”

“I can predict the first great measure to be put through by the Southern Government after the war.”

“What will it be?”

“The abolition of slavery.”

“Why, that’s one of the things we’re fighting to maintain!”

“Exactly so.  You’re willing to throw away a thing of your own accord, when you’re not willing to throw it away because another orders you to do so.  Wars are due chiefly to our misunderstanding of human nature.”

Then Pegram turned suddenly to Harry.  “You’re from the field?” he said.  “From the Army of Northern Virginia?”

“Yes,” replied Harry.  “My name is Kenton and I’m a lieutenant on the staff of General Lee.  My friend is George Dalton, also of the commander-in-chief’s staff.”

“Are you from Kentucky?” asked Daniel curiously.

“Yes, from a little town called Pendleton.”

“Then I fancy that I’ve met a relative of yours.  I returned recently from a small town in North Georgia, the name of which I may not give, owing to military reasons, necessary at the present time, and I met while I was there a splendid tall man of middle years, Colonel George Kenton of Kentucky.”

“That’s my father!” said Harry eagerly.  “How was he?”

“I thought he must be your father.  The resemblance, you know.  I should say that if all men were as healthy as he looked there would be no doctors in the world.  He has a fine regiment and he’ll be in the battle that’s breeding down there.  Grant has taken Vicksburg, as we all know, but a powerful army of ours is left in that region.  It has to be dealt with before we lose the West.”

“And it will fight like the Army of Northern Virginia,” said Harry.  “I know the men of the West.  The Yankees win there most of the time, because we have our great generals in the East and they have theirs in the West.”

“I’ve had that thought myself,” said Bagby.  “We’ve had men of genius to lead us in the East, but we don’t seem to produce them in the West.  People are always quoting Napoleon’s saying that men are nothing, a man is everything, which I never believed before, but which I’m beginning to believe now.”