Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-11-17
= command IN new 1orK state.

Ak III AtCW 4o1A otdtC.
Two fractional subdivisions of the
order reached about the same time the
tent in the encampment of the Sixtieth
Illinois, where Mart Ware, trooper in
the First Illinois cavalry, was giving
to Lieutenant James Ashby the last
letter he had received from home. The
fraction of the order which Jim receiv-
ed informed him that an attack was
to be expected and he was Immediate
ly to inspect all equipment of his pla-
toon, which, with the rest of the com
pany and with the other companies of
the regiment, was at once to move to
Serrelrs wood, otherwise point III 637.
Martins instructions took him to
Lieutenant Mcclure Of his troop. The
order went in written form no further
than Mcclure. 1t read:
Lieutenant McClure-Strong hostile par
ties. probably all infantry, were reported
to be very active In the general vicinity
Of Wythe this morning. The Fayville-
Wythe road was free of the enemy at
the last report an hour ago. Your squad
ron will assemble this evening at Fay
vile. Your troop will be relieved of it's
present duties and will go with the
squadron. In the meantime you will take
two noncommissioned officers And eight
men of you troop and patrol toward
Wythe, starting as soon as you can get
ready. 1 desire accurate information Of
the strength and movements of the enemy
that has appeared around Wythe. Send
reports to me here. Return when you
lave cleared up the situation.
Mart Ware learned joyfully that he
was to be one of the patrol. The
preparations only added to his eager
ness and Impotence to start on real
scouting service-such preparations as
picking out the best mounts in the
troop for the men who were to go, the
substituting Of suitable animals for
those of more conspicuous color, the
refusing Of a horse because it was
known to neigh when 1t was alone, the
tightening and resetting Of shoes.
AS darkness fell the patrol rode
from the American lines, one corporal
and one private 200 yards ahead Of the
main body, two privates 100 yards be-
hind.
The patrol surprised a small detach-
ment of the regents troops, and in the
skirmish Mart shot one of the enemy
and sabered another. Lieutenant Nc
Clure and Mart, scouting ahead, dis
covered 1000 of the enemy's soldiers
and sixty guns marching west. The
lieutenant ordered Mart to return to
the general In command and report
these facts. Owing to his inexperience,
however, Mart disobeyed orders and
told the general-what he really believ-
ed himself-that 10000 men and 800
guns were moving west.
This misinformation led the general
to believe that the true attack would
be aimed at his line well to the west
Of Monroe's farm.
"Order at once the Third Indiana
brigade and the Fourth and Fifth ILL
nois to move" He instructed a. aid,
"The artillery activity and attack op-
posite S~errell's woods must be only a
feint."
This decision, based upon Mart's ex-
aggerated report, was a fatal one. The
enemy attacked Serrell's woods In
force. His artillery fire was far SUI
perior, and before the steady rush OF
his veterans the inexperienced Ameri-
can soldiers, after suffering severe
losses, turned and fed. Among the Of
fcers who vainly endeavored to rally
their men against overwhelming odds
was Lieutenant Jim Ashby.
The army was beaten; the whole line
had collapsed. 1t was not a local rout
before Serrell's hill; for miles along
the front the American brigades were
beaten back, regiments annihilated or
cut to companies and those scattered
to squads, which were slaughtered
where they stood or had scattered
again and scqrried, fugitives, from the
field. They scrambled between trees,
over powders, and across fields; then,
herded by the hills into a road, they
ran wild eyed, shameless, pushing,