General Steedman. 89 



for want of hands, many of the poor houses empty, and only in 

 some of them lived some wretched-looking aged men or women, 

 who scarcely sustained life, having been cut off from the rest 

 of the world for many long months. The trains were only used 

 for military purposes, and where passengers were admitted they 

 had to secure passports, which were not easily to be had. 



We required some eight hours to reach Chattanoga, where 

 we arrived at eight o'clock in the evening, where we were 

 received by General Steedman, with whom we remained 

 together in the hotel until clear. * 



General Steedman had been born in Canada. He was a 

 man of about fifty years, tall, with an agreeable, open, bold- 

 looking face. He had become an orphan when still very young, 

 and gone as such through a great deal of hardship, which made 

 him feel very kind whenever he met children in a similar 

 position. He was in general a kind and soft-hearted man, who 

 liked to hide his weakness under an assumed roughness, in 

 which, however, he was not very successful. When still a youth 

 he had taken part in some revolutionary movement in his 

 country, which made him remove to the United States, where 

 he studied law, became an influential politician, and was even 

 elected a senator. When the war commenced he made up a 

 regiment, and was major-general before we in the East had 

 heard anything of his military exploits. He was, however, a 

 practical man, and had studied war with great advantage, and 

 whenever he had an opportunity he behaved not only with 

 great courage and energy, but also very judiciously from a 

 military point of view. 



On Friday, 26th October, at nine o'clock, our party was 

 ready for an excursion to Lookout Mountain. Madame von 

 Corvin and old Groeben were in an ambulance, all the rest on 

 horseback. We were waiting for General Steedman, when he 

 sent a message, excusing himself on the ground of a bad cold 

 and important business. General Sherman having telegraphed 

 him orders to send off troops for the reinforcement of those 

 stationed at Decatur. Colonel Moy, the general's first aide, 

 went however with us, acting as a guide. 



The weather was wonderful, and the sky without a cloud. 

 We passed through part of the camp. Everywhere we saw 

 destroyed houses, and round them assembled herds of oxen 

 and mules, which latter did such excellent service in that war. 



