in his life. but the hotel man said that he had never seen such eaters This same detachment welcomed us with a royal salute from field pieces brought up with them from New Orleans the night before. They served the guns magnificently. Every man in the detachment was a veteran of the war, and a gentleman of business and social prominence. Their coming so far to meet us, was esteemed by the men of Ours as a compliment of the highest order. Many and graphic reminiscences were interchanged between the veterans of both sides. [One of the artillerymen said that he had a bullet in him somewhere -a yankee bullet-and if he could only get it out, he would present it to one of Ours, whereupon one of our veterans declared with tears in his eyes, that he had a piece of a Johnny bullet in his thigh, and that he would give a thousand dollars to get both of them out so they could exchange. Then the two veterans went off to get a drink, and everybody within hearing, wished that they had a bullet in some portion of their body. Colonel Horton of the Washington Artillery in a few words, referred to the fact that his regiment and the Seventy-first had exchanged leaden compliments a number of times, and a committee of the army of the Tennessee presented our boys with a handsome silk banner, bearing words of cordial welcome and greeting.* But, while all this was going on and most of the party were drinking champagne and eating cold sandwiches, a small number of very hungry men were skirmishing for *Appendix E. a breakfast. Things were beginning to look very blue, when a gentleman came forward and tendered the hospitalities of his house. This was Mr. C. E. Cate, one of the most genial and pleasant men the detachment encountered on the trip. Mr. Cate insisted, and the party made but a feeble show of resistance. His handsome little Villa was situated about a quarter of a mile from the depot, approached by paths shaded with rustling leaves and flanked with perfumed hedges. The party was ushered into the parlor and presented to Mrs. Cate. We then realized how genuine the desire was, to show us true hospitality. This gentleman was known to none of us; he was in no way connected with, or responsible for our reception. He only knew that we were Northeners, the guests of Louisiana, and consequently of his. His whole manner was a courteous and kind reminder that we were welcome to the sunny South and the sunny hearts of its people. View them near At home, where all their wealth and pride is placed; It was the first instance of the trip where any of the party had been invited to the home of a Southern gentleman; it was only the beginning of a round of social attention that was unprecedented in the history of any body of travelers. The train started at last for the Crescent City, fifty miles distant. The organization already referred to, had arrived, and their train followed ours. With us went the Washington Artillery, and a special car containing a couple of cannons and innumerable bottles of wine. The fifty miles ride along the river was the most interesting portion of the trip. The scenery was entirely new to most of the party. The cabins and houses had a ruinous look. Every now and again, the train whirled by the ruins of a cotton press, at one time no doubt, the busy centre of a great plantation. The soil was under cultivation; men were busy plowing the fields that were not under water. The woods presented an appearance of dense tropical undergrowth, surmounted with cotton-wood trees, mossy and weird-like in their gaunt nakedness. Along the banks of the river were dense groves of the Sycamore, intermingling with the Southern pine, all in leaf, their roots and trunks washed by the overflowing, Mississippi. Then an orchard whisked by, the trees in blossom, the perfume permeating the cars, and together with the Magnolia and Orange freighting the soft and balmy air with incense until the senses were beguiled to dreaminess, only to be roused by the sharp whistle for New Orleans. Would sweep them from its path, or swallow up, Like Aaron's Rod, these streams of fame and song! -Hale. THE arrival in New Orleans was of course the feature of the trip. Everyone had looked forward to that mo ment with more than ordinary interest. It was to be the end of a long journey and the beginning of a week of pleasures and sightseeing. It was no wonder then that when the city was announced, the men thronged the windows and platforms of the cars and gazed curiously at everybody and everything. The quaint old houses interested all, and the thousands of people who thronged the streets were more interesting than the houses. Our reception was more or less of the conventional sort, but there were some things about it that were curious. The people turned out en masse, and flocked about the cars with words of kindly greeting. The train was taken far into the city before the signal to alight was given. It was rather warm, but the boys did not realize it for awhile. The fact, however, that the thermometer stood at 78° in the shade, was more or less impressed on their minds before they reached their quarters. Of course we alighted from the cars in heavy marching order—as we had left New York. That meant overcoats on and the heavy knapsacks capped with blankets. Everybody else was happy and cool in light summer costumes. The military drawn up about the stopping place consisted of the Battalion of Louisiana Field Artillery, Colonel Le Gardeur, commanding; the Veteran Company of the Washington Artillery, Captain C. L. C. Dupuy, commanding; the Battalion of Washington Artillery, Colonel Horton, commanding; the Continental Guards; the Charleston Cadets, and the Boston Lancers. |