I arose but was unable to stand on my feet. I sat on the edge of
the bed and put my clothes on: found no water int he room;
crawled to the head of the stairs: sat down on the top step and let
myself down one step at a time. the Yankees mean time hur-
rying me up with every breath. the first Battalion (half-regiment)
had passed: the artillery was passing. Col. Allen, holding a little
blank-book in his hand, entered with the surgeon. The latter said
I could not possibly be moved that day. Allen was sorry they
had moved me the previous day, &c &c. Then he addressed me:
"Col. Crook gives you your choice this morning of going on with
us, or [1] "taking the oath of allegiance"! I asked him to word
the oath of allegiance, and he commenced something like. "You
do solemnly swear before Almighty God that you will bear
true allegiance to the government of the United States,"
&c, &c, getting worse and wo5rse to the end, I told him
I could not take it [2] [and that he could not trust me if I
did, as I was sworn to show allegiance to the Confederate Gov-
ernment.] I asked him, then, to parole me. He said he
would a great deal rather parole me, and so would Col.
Crook, but the Federal Government did not [3] allow it. I asked
him what I must do. He insisted on the "oath". I was immovable
in my determination not to take it. He then said "Suppose you
give your oath or affirmation not to serve against the Feder-
al Government." "How long would this oath be binding"?
"You may be released from it at any time by the two
Governments." [Seeing that to all intents and purposes, this
would be a parole, and was really so intended],
to take this oath. He asked me whether I would swear of
affirm. I chose to swear. The oath was then worded to me
thus: "You do swear that you will not fight against the
Federal Government, [4] nor in any way harbor, aid, or give com-
fort to their [its?] enemies." I was done with my stay among
the Yankees: I thought all was write, but my troubles in con-
nection with this matter had not yet begun].--My opinion
derived from my intercourse with the Federals (36th Regt. O.V. M.)
was that the officers were gentlemen and--liars. They actually tried
to make me believe the Yankees had Staunton and Richmond. There
was a a Captain who tried to frighten me with threats: said I would
soon be where I would not fight them any more. [They assumed all the
time that I was already a veteran]
After the Yankees went on towards
Jackson's River, it became evident that I was taking the [1] measles on top
of my pneumonia: hence my renewed cough and sickness. In a day or
two the Yankees came back and recovered the mountain.
When Col. Crook left the hotel, (which he visited in the morning, just
after I had given my parole) he said to Mr. Dixon: "I know nothing
of this young man's circumstances. Take care of him till he
leaves you, and if you are not compensated, Col. George Crook
of the 36 Ohio Regiment, will be responsible."
For "till he leaves you" he may have said "till all is over." I remember his
words were ambiguous: still I do not remember of felling any
apprehensions as to my getting well. I could see however that Crook
felt that, if I died, he was responsible for more than Mr. Dixon's
little expenses.
[1] My recollection now is that at first I had a very vague idea of
what he meant. I am not sure I had heard the expression be-
fore.
[2] This was not literally true, except in so far as
the ceremony of mustering into the Confederate service
was virtually an oath.
[3] This seemed to be a special order for the occasion. I remember
they told me that only the General Commanding Department could
authorize a parole. My recollection is that they said "Genl.
Pope"; but Pope at that time was probably in Tennessee, and
was not transferred to the Army of Va. till the end of June. I do
not know, however, to what Department Crook's brigade belonged.
Crook was Col. of the 36th Ohio, and had command of a
brigade, one regiment of which, to judge from the paper they
gave me, was commanded by Col. Elliot.
[4] This clause took me by surprise; but I was very sick,
thoroughly exhausted, and decided not to demur. I sup-
posed (& still suppose) it left me at liberty to do anything
a paroled prisoner could do.--When I took this oath, it
was my purpose to have a note made of the facts on
the army records, and have my name with this note
submitted for exchange, should a cartel be agreed upon
This was afterwards done through Lieut. G. A. Fowlkes, Comd'g Battery
and Col. A. R. Barbee, comd'g Brigade
[1] I have no recollection of feeling any concern at this discovery.
(My father had already expressed apprehensions (a few minutes before
he left me on the 16th) that my new cough portended measles).
I evidently did not understand at that time the extremely peri-
lous nature of my condition. The combination of convalescent
pneumonia with measles in a patient just recovering from diph-
theria and jaundice, with the undue excitement and fatigue
combined with the worst sort of exposure (I actually waded in
water when I got out of the ambulance, until I was put on the
cot), constituted the grounds of a dark prognosis; but no
prognosis was made, and the issue of the whole matter was
phenomenal. The measles "struck in", as they said, after being
out strong a short time. Still I was soon wading in mountain
streams fishing for trout. For years, however, as often as I
took a cold, I seemed to have the measles over again, except
the eruption; and sometimes a cold was accompanied by a
sort of pleurisy or pericarditis; but on the whole my health
was excellent, and i acquired great physical strength
as well as endurance
MSS 1578
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