“Madam, I can’t keep them out of your chicken-house or your smoke-house or your storerooms, but I can keep them out of your home, and I will.”

I remained on the porch till the entire command had passed.  Nothing was molested.  Much pleased, but still puzzled, the old lady was now convinced that I was no Tennessee lad, but a sure-enough Yankee, and one with a remarkable amount of influence.  When I asked for a little something to eat in return for what I had done, the best there was in the house was spread before me.

My hostess urged me to eat as speedily as possible, and be on my way.  Her men folks, she said, would soon return from the timber, and if they learned that I was a Yank would shoot me on the spot.  As she was speaking the back door was pushed open and three men rushed in.  The old lady leaped between them and me.

“Don’t shoot him!” she cried.  “He has protected our property and our lives.”  But the men had no murderous intentions.

“Give him all he wants to eat,” said the eldest, “and we will see that he gets back to the Yankee lines in safety.  We saw him from the treetops turn away the Yanks as he stood on the porch.”

While I finished my meal they put all manner of questions to me, being specially impressed that a boy so young could have kept a great army from foraging so richly stocked a plantation.  I told them that I was a Union scout, and that I had saved their property on my own responsibility.

“I knew you would be back here,” I said.  “But I was sure you wouldn’t shoot me when you learned what I had done.”

“You bet your life we won’t!” they said heartily.

After dinner I was stocked Tip with all the provisions I wanted, and given a fine bottle of peach brandy, the product of the plantation.  Then the men of the place escorted me to the rear-guard of the command, which I lost no time in joining.  When I overtook the general and presented him with the peach brandy, he said gruffly: 

“I hear you kept all the men from foraging on that plantation back yonder.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.  “An old lady and her two daughters were alone there.  My mother had suffered from raids of hostile soldiers in Kansas.  I tried to protect that old lady, as I would have liked another man to protect my mother in her distress.  I am sorry if I have disobeyed your orders and I am ready for any punishment you wish to inflict on me.”

“My boy,” said the general, “you may be too good-hearted for a soldier, but you have done just what I would have done.  My orders were to destroy all Southern property.  But we will forget your violation, of them.”

General Smith kept straight on toward Forrest’s stronghold.  Ten miles from the spot where the enemy was encamped, he wheeled to the left and headed for Tupedo, Mississippi, reaching there at dark.  Forrest speedily discovered that Smith did not intend to attack him on his own ground.  So he broke camp, and, coming up to the rear, continued a hot fire through the next afternoon.