I ran away from home in a truly romantic way, and placed my foot on what I expected to be the first round of the ladder of fame, by becoming "devil boy" in a printing office in a distant large City.

Charley's attachment to his mother and his home was too strong to permit him to take this step, and we parted in sorrow, mitigated on my side by roseate dreams of the future.
Six years passed.

One hot August morning I met an old acquaintance at the Creek, in Andersonville.

He told me to come there the next morning, after roll-call, and he would take me to see some person who was very anxious to meet me.

I was prompt at the rendezvous, and was soon joined by the other party.