headquarters, De Russey's Division, I herewith furnish you with a memorandum of changes to be made at your post, which must be strictly observed.

The ammunition, implements, equipments, etc., which are to go to other forts must be packed separately for the forts for which they are to go, and every box or barrel plainly labeled.

These labels will give a memorandum of each article contained in the package, from what fort the package is from, and to what fort the package is to be sent, etc., giving minute directions for the entire dismantling.

GEO. A. ARMES,

Capt. 2d New York Artillery, Com. Ft. Whipple.

As we had no band at our post, General Whistler would occasionally loan his regimental band, which would give a great deal of pleasure, and the music would cheer many a discontented soldier, whose only thoughts seemed to dwell on the fact that the war was over and he ought to be allowed to go home. Therefore I had to be on my guard to devise means and ways to divert the thoughts of many upon other things, and no doubt such as did not understand my motives thought I was most too strict and exacting for a commanding officer of volunteers. But Companies E, G, L and M made a fine showing on the dress parades, drills and other duties, which were daily watched and admired by the many visitors. I do not believe there were four companies in any regular regiment in our Army that could have done more effective work in action, make a better appearance on parade or be more active and precise in drilling and maneuvering than the above during the month of July, 1865.

During the short time I remained at Fort Whipple the great. Army which covered hundreds of acres of land immediately around the city of Washington disappeared. Regiment after regiment marched to the depot and were loaded upon the trains as fast as cars could be procured, until nothing but the guard of a few volunteer soldiers were left to protect the Government property until the few regular troops could be distributed to take their places.

During the month of July, 1865, when the trial of Mrs. Surratt, Payne and other conspirators connected with the assassination of Mr. Lincoln was in progress at the Washington Arsenal, an order came to me at Fort Whipple from the War Department to turn my command over to the next ranking officer and report to the

Adjutant-General of the Army at once. I was alarmed at first, fearing that Mr. Stanton was going to cut my time short in the Army upon the report of some enemy who I imagined had manufactured something that gave Mr. Stanton an excuse to bring me before him. Within one hour from the time I received the order I was in the presence of General Townsend, who at once said he had sent for me to obtain some reliable information for the Secretary of War, and asked me if I knew Dan Lee, a nephew of Gen. R. E. Lee. I told him I did, and had seen him within the past few days. As soon as he was assured that what I said was true he took me into Mr. Stanton's presence, who told me to describe Dan Lee and state how many times I had seen him since General Lee's surrender. After appearing satisfied with my statement he told General Townsend to go with me to the Arsenal and show me all the conspirators who were being tried and see if Mr. Lee was among them.

After our arrival there General Townsend saw General Hunter, the president of the court-martial, who took a recess of the court, and all the prisoners were brought into the room and seated upon a bench. General Townsend then requested me to point out Dan Lee from among them. After a close inspection I informed the General that he was not among the number. He told me I must certainly be mistaken; to look again, and be more careful, and see if there was anyone there who resembled him.

I pointed to one of the prisoners who sat in the center on the bench, remarking that he resembled Mr. Lee more than any of the rest, but that he did not belong to the Lee family.

General Townsend and I then returned to the War Department and reported to Secretary Stanton, who seemed to doubt my report at first, until I offered to go with anyone he would send to the residence of Mrs. Fitzhugh, his aunt, at Annandale, Fairfax county, Virginia, with whom Mr. Lee had been residing since the surrender. After explaining to Mr. Stanton that my father owned the adjoining property, and that Dan Mason Lee and I were boys together, he said he was satisfied that I was right. Colonel Baker, the detective, who was present at this time, flew into a rage, and stated that the prisoner Payne, whom I had pointed out as the one most nearly resembling Dan Lee of any of the prisoners, was not true; that he was in disguise, and that his name was not Fayne, but that he was a nephew of General Lee, who was impli

cated in the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, and had sent his nephew Dan to assist in the assassination of Mr. Lincoln and the Cabinet. Mr. Stanton at once ordered Colonel Baker to leave the room, as he saw he was trying to get up a scheme to have Gen, R. E. Lee and family arrested in conection with the conspirators. The villainous scheme of Baker was thwarted by my being able to convince Mr. Stanton that Payne, the conspirator, was not Dan Lee, which, in my opinion, prevented the arrest of Gen. R. E. Lee and others of his family. The failure to accomplish this vile purpose in getting Mr. Stanton to aid in trying to connect General Lee with such a crime ended his power and influence with the Secretary of War and other authorities, and soon after the news of Baker's suicide was made public.

I have not to this day seen anyone who has expressed the least sympathy for him. I do not believe there was a man in the United States who had more power at one time than Baker so far as concerned arresting innocent people, thrusting them in prison, confiscating their property and burning houses and barns in the night, sending helpless women and children out in the snow and obliging them in some cases to go miles before they could find shelter.

After I had satisfied Mr. Stanton as to the facts I returned to my post.

After promptly complying with all previous orders I was handed another ordering me to report to the War Department Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.

Just as I had moved in my new quarters and assumed charge at Alexandria, Va., Colonel Marsh arrived and took command, giving me following orders assigning me to duty as superintendent for the counties of Fairfax and Alexandria, with headquarters at Fairfax Court House, which took me within six miles of my farm and old home in Fairfax county, Virginia, which I had left at the breaking out of the war over four years before, the improvements on which had all been destroyed, leaving nothing but the walls of the Castle and foundation of buildings and stumps of the orchard, which had also been destroyed.

I complied with the order at once, taking a good supply of passes signed in blank, so that I could insert my name or the name of any one of my command to whom I wished to grant a

pass.

Upon reaching Fairfax Court House I took possession, according to orders, of the residence and property of the Hon. Henry W. Thomas, who with his family had been in Richmond during the war, but just as I was about moving in Mrs. Thomas and her children appeared, having just returned from Richmond, and pleaded with me to let them go in their own house, which I did, after another one just as good for my purpose had been secured.

As I was free to go where I pleased, I had but little to do, and with officers, horses and teams at my command and disposal, having plenty of room in my house to entertain and receive visitors, I made it a point to have quite a number of them all the time, my principal duties being to investigate the complaints of the darkies and their masters, the refugees and Union people who had returned to their homes or to the land where their homes had been before the war.

Col. James Jackson having named the tournament he had given at the time the State seceded (described in Chapter I) the "Grand Secession Tournament," and as I had been the successful

knight at the same, I felt that as the war was over it would tend to restore family relations between estranged neighbors to give one to be known as "The Grand Union Tournament" as an offset to the one given by Jackson.

I announced the 5th of September, 1865, as the day fixed for the "Grand Union Tournament" to be held at Fairfax Court House, sending out handbills all over the country, inviting those who were disposed to take an interest in it to report to me, and explaining that no distinction would be shown to one party more than to the other. When it took place forty-eight knights, besides the marshals, aids, heralds and assistants took a part, many having been with Mosby and in the different branches of the service in the Confederate Army. Most all the Union or Army officers of my district took an active part, riding as knights and meeting the Southern boys on as friendly terms as if there had been no differences of opinion between them.

Seats were fixed up and awnings erected from the branches of trees which I had directed to be hauled from the woods, and every possible convenience for the comfort of the many gathered there was arranged.

Many people from Washington and Alexandria came in on extra trains and in stages, hacks and buggies. Others came in ox-carts and on foot for miles to witness the grand affair.

Speeches were made by General Massey, postmaster at Alexandria, and others, and it turned out to be a grand success.

But the most singular part of it was that I should ride as one of the knights under the title of "Hope Castle," the name of my old home, which had been destroyed during the war, and then to be pronounced by the judge as the successful knight, entitled to crown the Queen of Love and Beauty, having been awarded that honor by the judges at Colonel Jackson's Tournament over four years before.

This created quite a sensation and remark by many persons who had witnessed both affairs. As I had outgrown my bashfulnes to some extent, I crowned the eldest daughter of General Massey at the ball given in the evening, which was kept up until sunrise the next morning.

It was interesting to see the grounds around where the tournament took place filled with all kinds of vehicles. Many of the ladies who had attended the tournament given by Mr. Jackson