Feb. 27, '65.
— Some three or four hundred more escapees from the Confederate army
came up on the boat to-day. As the day has been very pleasant indeed, (after a long spell of bad
weather,) I have been wandering around a good deal, without any other object than to be
out-doors and enjoy it; have met these escaped men in all directions. Their apparel is the same
ragged, long-worn motley as before described. I talk'd with a number of the men. Some are quite
bright and stylish, for all their poor clothes — walking with an air, wearing their old
head-coverings
on one side, quite saucily. (I find the old, unquestionable proofs, as all along, the past four years,
of the unscrupulous tyranny exercised by the Secession government in conscripting the common
people by absolute force everywhere, and paying no attention whatever to the men's time being
up — keepping them in military service just the same.).......One gigantic young fellow, a Georgian,
at least six feet three inches high, broad-sized in proportion, attired in the dirtiest, drab,
wellsmear'd rags, tied with strings, his trousers at the knees all strips and streamers, was
complacently standing eating some bread and meat. He appear'd contented enough. Then a few
minutes after I saw him slowly walking along. It was plain he did not take anything to
heart.
