290 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



the water was running in streams. Hampton had 

 managed to get possession of a board about twelve feet 

 long when he met me, and immediately asked if I had 

 anything to stand or lie on. Upon receiving a nega- 

 tive answer he said : "Come on, let us share this plank 

 together.^' From this time we were messmates, being 

 joined later by Lieutenant xVrtlnir Richardson of Al- 

 bany. When I escaped from Columbia I intrusted to 

 Captain Hampton a small box in which I had kept 

 some manuscripts and sketches, that I intended to use 

 in future work. This he managed to keep until his ex- 

 change, when he expressed it to my home in Northern 

 New York. We did not meet again until after the close 

 of the war. The possession of the contents of this box 

 was of inestimable value to me in getting out my first 

 book, '^ Capture, Prison-Pen and Escape." Being 

 embarrassed for funds before the first edition of it was 

 published, I wrote to Captain Hampton, and by the 

 next mail received a generous sum sufficient to carry 

 me through that critical period. Since then he has 

 been a most loyal friend and comrade, and during my 

 stay here, did much to make enjoyable my visit to 

 the city which he had chosen for his home. 



One needs no friends though, to make Detroit at- 

 tractive, for its past history and present beauty give it 

 an unfailing interest. As to the latter, it can never 

 be justly drawn, however vivid the description, nor 

 truly understood, however careful the reader. It must 

 be seen. As to its history, that is general and belongs 

 to the country, and I know of no great American city 

 which has a more romantic past. 



In the days of the early explorers the present site 

 was looked upon as favorable for a settlement, com- 



