Southern-born man who had fought in the Union army. General Montague
had been a person of quiet tastes, and his greatest pleasure had
been to sit with his two boys on his knees and "fight his battles
o'er again." He had collected all the literature of the corps which
he had commanded--a whole librarry of it, in which Allan had learned
to find his way as soon as he could read. He had literally been
brought up on the war--for hours he would lie buried in some big
illustrated history, until people came and called him away. He
studied maps of campaigns and battle-fields, until they became alive
with human passion and struggle; he knew the Army of the Potomac by
brigade and division, with the names of commanders, and their faces,
and their ways-until they lived and spoke, and the bare roll of
their names had power to thrill him.--And now here were the men
themselves, and all these scenes and memories crowding upon him in
tumultuous throngs. No wonder that he was a little dazed, and could
hardly find words to answer when he was spoken to.

But then came an incident which called him suddenly back to the
world of the present. "There is Judge Ellis," said the General.

Judge Ellis! The fame of his wit and eloquence had reached even far
Mississippi--was there any remotest corner of America where men had
not heard of the silver tongue of Judge Ellis? "Cultivate him!"
Montague's brother Oliver had laughed, when it was mentioned that
the Judge would be present--"Cultivate him--he may be useful."

It was not difficult to cultivate one who was as gracious as Judge
Ellis. He stood in the doorway, a smooth, perfectly groomed
gentleman, conspicuous in the uniformed assembly by his evening
dress. The Judge was stout and jovial, and cultivated Dundreary