The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-11-22

tUES were ISiIS n nope
The volunteers Were taken as fol-
lows, 50 far as my memory serves me.
at the rate OF about six from edcn COM
mand, though | do not claim TO be
historically exact on this point: Cap
tain l. Bridgers Edeecombe Guards,
Captain l.. S. Williams Hornets Nest
Rifles; Captain E. A. Ross Charlotte
| Greys; Capt r. Ashes Orange
Light Infantry: Capt. ]. B Starr's La
Fayette Light Infantry; Capt Clark
VI. Avery's Burke Rifles; Capt Wright
Huske's independent Light Infantry;
Capt. d. B. Bells Enfeld Blues; Capt.
w J Hoke's Southern Stars; capt ].
C. Jacocks Chowan Light Infantry;
twelve men from Mohtagues or Stu
arts Virginia Battalion of Infantry;
twelve dismounted men from Dom
thall's and Jones Virginia Cavalry.
! Capt. Joseph B. Starr, commandan@
OF company F, or Lafayette Light In
fartry was selected by General Ma
gluder to comand the expedition, and
! an offices Of the Virginia Cavalry,
/ Lieutenant GOOde, ] think, who was
thoroughly conversant with the coun-
! Try OF the Yorktown Peninsula, acted as
! guide to the expedition. At this dis
tance of time ] recall only the fol-
| lowing volunteers from my own com-
mand, Company F. Robert NJ Orrel.
James r. Rose Theodore F. Warden
q man named Hurst, a blacksmith of
gigantic strength and physique; from
| Company H: Charles Haigh and w
E. Kyle, Jarvis B. LltterlOh~ John
McKillan. They are all dead CT kill
ed except, Kyle Haigh and the wri-
ter.
The men were ordered 20 equip
themselves in ligh, marching order
that is, without knapsacks or blank
cts, and to carry one cooked ration.
The command marched ont Of camp
early one afternoon without tap or
drum or blast of horn. | remember that
the weather was mild, and the day had
Leer beautiful, but as We went on,
: clouds thickened, and tngre were indi-
cations ofiheavy rains.
The route taken was from the Bethel
battlefield, but at short distance from
CockletUwn the head Of the column
Whirled sharp off to the left, skirted
the head of Il small swamp, proceeded
! for a short time on @ligher ground,
penetrated a dense pine thicket with
| heavy underground, and halted. Here
| ,lz~-
| told to rest at ease and eat their
ration if they felt disposed to do so,
and were at the same time cautioned
to secure any buckle or other piece of
metal which, hanging loose, might
make a jingle in walNing. They were
also recommended to rub wet earth OF
their baIonets and gun barrels to dim
the CLINT and shine. Then Capt. Starr
and the cavalry lieutenant plunged
into the woods, and were gene so long
that the soldiers had time to eat their
snack and smoke then pes; some Of
them Were zen asleep when the OFF,
GERS reappeared.
1t was then nearing night The
command was calledtTO attention, the
ranks reformed and the march resumed
In an haur the pali Of the darkest
! night, | think, [ ever experienced,
came down and aroult3 this little band,
and thencefOrth, they moved over hiM
land through forest by faith alone; bat
under the unerrinG guidance of the
cavalry lieutenant Here they flashed
through water, there 3Ghey were t0ra
and scratched by trfars and under
growth, then they truGged across the
sand Of a little stretch of open coun-
try, and were lost in the woods again
Finally last halt was made. squad
of men were armed with axes, for the
purpose of breaking down any barri-
cades which might impede their prog
ress, and at the head of this squad
was Charles Haigh, noted above, now
Major Charles Haigh, veteran south
ern soldier, and prominent business
man Of Fayetteville. Coming through
the darkness there came shapes look
ing like monsters of fable in the uR-
certain light-the horses brOugh along
to carry off the captured guns. They
must have been shOd in straw and
barnessed in cotton and velvet, for
they moved noiselessly through the
! thick woods, as weird as the myster
| ious horse of Albert Drurer.
| The command was then passed in
q whisper down the line to remove
caps from the guns, and then the
crux Of this midnight marching dawn
e6 on the minds of the men, Something
was to be done 1T the POINT of the
bayonet. The further movement Of
the little band was stealthy like the
gliding of a tiger tnrough jungle-