This was inexplicable, but after we had proceeded this way for several hours some one conceived the idea that the Rebels, to avoid treating with Butler, were taking us into the Department of some other commander to exchange us.

This explanation satisfied us, and our spirits rose again.
Night found us at Gaston, N.C., where we received a few crackers for rations, and changed cars.

It was dark, and we resorted to a little strategy to secure more room.

About thirty of us got into a tight box car, and immediately announced that it was too full to admit any more.
When an officer came along with another squad to stow away, we would yell out to him to take some of the men out, as we were crowded unbearably.
In the mean time everybody in the car would pack closely around the door, so as to give the impression that the car was densely crowded.

The Rebel would look convinced, and demand: "Why, how many men have you got in de cah ?" Then one of us would order the imaginary host in the invisible recesses to-- "Stand still there, and be counted," while he would gravely count up to one hundred or one hundred and twenty, which was the utmost limit of the car, and the Rebel would hurry off to put his prisoners somewhere else.
We managed to play this successfully during the whole journey, and not only obtained room to lie down in the car, but also drew three or four times as many rations as were intended for us, so that while we at no time had enough, we were farther from starvation than our less strategic companions.
The second afternoon we arrived at Raleigh, the capitol of North Carolina, and were camped in a piece of timber, and shortly after dark orders were issued to us all to lie flat on the ground and not rise up till daylight.