The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1900-08-31

the corps intended for the enterprise

the corps intended for the enterprise
now awaited.
The reader will easily believe, that
| listened to the preceding intelligence
in no very enviable state of mind. Our
numbers, as | well knew, were not
equal to L successful resistance. pro-
vided the aSsailants chose to do their
duty, and there was not 4 point on
which we might not be assailed to adj
vantage The house stood in a sort of
corner, between two roads; the one,
that by which our column had advan-
ced in the morning; the other, a cross
road, Which came in upon it at right
angles. Along either of them, not in
fantry only, but cavalry, and even ar
tillery, might march; whilst the broken
nature of the ground in our rear af-
forded thousand facilities for the ap-
proach of troops, who might collect,
unnoticed by our sentinels, within a
few yards of their posts. There was
no room for hesitation as to how it be-
hooved us to act. Hurrying to the
hut, where the body OF the picket was
housed, | ordered the troops under
arms without 'lnlav: and. planting SEN
tincls over The ,.iii rent entrances to
the house, took with me a file of men.
and proceeded, without any scruples,
to secure the person of our host. But
the bird had already flown. How, or
when he escaped, no one coald tell; but
that he had escaped was certain.
BY this time Charlton, reused from
his sleep. bad joined US, and learning
in what predicament we stood, pro-
ceeded to make the best dispositions,
which circumstances would allow, to
meet threatened danger. 1t was from
the two roads, principally, that we had
reason to apprehend an attack. That
which joined the road to Alexandria,
of which have already spoken as a
by-path, fell in between our mansion
and the camp; from it, therefore, we
concluded that the principal effort
would be made. Patrols were accord
ingly directed to proceed along the
road every quarter OF an hour, and, by
way of making certainly doubly sure,
he and | took it by turns to accom-
pany them. But whilst we thus care
fully watched that quarter, we were
not neglectful of others. One-half Of
the men were ordered ont on sentry;
and the other half stood during the re-
mainder of the night with their arms
in their hands III the court yard.
The house-cloch had struck one; and
as vet no noise had been heard, nor
any circumstances taken place, calcu-
lated, in an extraordinary degree, to
excite alarm. We We're beginning, in
deed, to persuade ourselves that the
enemy, daunted by the absence of the
straggler Williams had taken; or APP
prehensivc, from some other cause,
that their plans were discovered, had
laid aside their intention; when sud
denly sentry on the right of the court
challenged This was not the quarter
from whence we looked for an attack
the man who gave the alarm stood
upon the Alexandr;an road, not upon
the cross road; yet an enemy mi : lit ~
there also; so, leaving me to watch be-
side the by path, Charlton hurried off
in the opposite direction. The senti-
mel challenged again; a third time we
heard the cry, "Who goes there!' but
in more abrupt tone; and then Charl-
ton himself exclaimed, Fire, if they
will not answer The tread of many
feet was now audible, followed by the
indistinct hum of voices; but just as
our anxiety respecting the issue had
attained its height, our attention was
called away to other objects, by one Of
our own sentries, who likewise chal-
lenged. There could not be a doubt,
that if any persons were moving in his
front, they must be \ mericans, for this
sentinel stood upon the cross road. l
fastened forward, 4 sergeant and three
men following me, and reached him
Just as he had challenged for the sec
ond time The soldier was perfectly
justified in so doing. Not only could
we even hear. distinctly enough, the
tramp of people marching, but their
very forms were distinguished in the
starlight Without moments hesi-
tation | commanded the men to fire.
The enemy halted, seemed to hesitate,
| and then, without as much as return
ing the salute, melted away. All this
was matter of extreme mystery to
| me; but in a few minutes it was cleared
up very satisfactorily.
The sound of our firing drew Charl-
ton, with the rest of the picket, to the
spot Immediately; and from them we
I learned, that the troops, whose advance
in an opposite direction had first
alarmed us, proved to be an escort OF
our own people conveying ammunition
| and provisions from the fleet. This in
! telligence at once accounted for the
precipitate retreat of the Americans.
They had doubtless obtained informa-
| ton Of the coming up of this detach-
ment, and supposing that its object was