HISTORY OF THE ORPHAN BRIGADE.

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always on duty or present for duty except when some casualty consigned him temporarily to hospital, or confined him in prison or a prisoner's bonds. His experience was varied, marked by special incidents, and full of adventure. Near Florence, Ala., May 13, 1S62, he, with a comrade, was captured and imprisoned some months at Camp Chase; was paroled in the autumn and reported to Gen. Breckinridge, then commanding the department of East Tennessee; came back home pending negotiations to resume exchange, when he might honorably return to duty; had many adventures and some narrow escapes while in Kentucky; but was finally exchanged, and under much exposure to danger and through many difficulties made his way to Albany, in Clinton County, Ky., where he found Col. Scott's regiment of Louisiana Cavalry. From this time, March, 1863, for about six months, he remained with Col. Scott, taking part in all the scouting, picketing and fighting of the command, in the mountains of Kentucky and East Tennessee. Just before the battle of Chickamauga he rejoined his old regiment at Ringgold; but being afflicted with boils, which prevented his riding, he entered one of the regiments of the Orphan Brigade and fought through the battle of Chickamauga on foot. About the middle of November, 1863, he reentered the ranks of his own company, and henceforth shared in all its duties, dangers, and sufferings.

He was frequently detailed for special and dangerous scout duty, alone or leading a detachment, and proved himself daring and efficient.

At Kenesaw Mountain, July 4, 1864, he was accidentally crippled, and was for some weeks in hospital at Newnan, where, having somewhat recovered, he took part with the extemporized force which prevented McCook from passing through that town on his retreat before Wheeler, and in the fight two miles out in which Wheeler killed and captured the greater part of the Federal raiders. About the last of August, being still unfit for active field duty, he was detailed as purchasing agent for hospitals, and traveled considerably in Southeastern Georgia, thus engaged.

After the battle of Jonesboro', and during the progress of mounting the Orphan Brigade, he again did service for some time with that command   the First Cavalry being then absent on the Tennessee and Vir ginia expedition; but when, shortly afterward, it returned, he resumed his place with Co. G, and met with no further mishap during the remainder of its almost continuous and arduous service through Georgia and the Carolinas. After Gen. Lee's surrender, the First Kentucky Cavalry formed part of President Davis's escort in his attempt to leave the country, after which, Dyer, with others of the com-

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