"DARING ROBBERY.--Yesterday, some time during the day, two soldiers entered the stable of a citizen on Adams street, and took therefrom a valuable span of black horses, and a set of silver-plated harness, and succeeded in getting away with the stolen property.
"Such outrages upon citizens of this city have become frequent of late, and it is high time that the military authorities took the matter in hand and suppressed such disgraceful proceedings."
The same day that the above article appeared, an order was procured by a citizen of the city for the release of the horses and harness. From what I could learn, the horses belonged to him, and not to the persons driving them.
With nothing to do about Memphis but idle my time away in camp, I began to get restless and uneasy, and was about contriving some way to get outside of the lines to work, when I received word that General Logan wanted to see me. I immediately reported to him, and was handed a sealed envelope and ordered to report with it to Colonel Hillyer, Provost-marshal General on General Grant's staff. I carried the communication to the Colonel, as directed, and, when he had read it, he immediately sat down and wrote me an order, of which the following is a copy:
"HEAD-QUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, } "OFFICE OF THE PROVOST-MARSHAL GENERAL, } "MEMPHIS, TENN., February 6, 1863. }
"The bearer, Lorain Ruggles, is in scout service of the Government. He will be passed through all lines, at all hours. He will be furnished with whatever assistance he may require.
"He has authority to make arrests, reporting the same to the nearest military commander or Provost-marshal.
"All officers and soldiers of this command will, in every way, facilitate his operations.
"By command of Major-General U. S. Grant.
"WILLIAM HILLYER, "_Provost-marshal General_."
Handing me the order and some money, the Colonel told me to procure a place to board, and then commence operations. He requested me to report every two or three days the result of my labors, and to do my reporting, when practicable, at night.
I selected a boarding-house on Adams street, kept by a Mrs. W----s. There I represented myself as a Major in the rebel army. My former residence in the city, at intervals of time, gave me an acquaintance that enabled me readily to carry out the character of a rebel officer, without exciting any suspicion to the contrary.