The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-20

tent in the encampment of the Sixtieth Illinois, where Mart Ware. trooper in the First Illinois cavalry. was giving to Lieutenant times Ashby the last letter he had received from homie. The fraction of the order which Jim receiv- ed informed him that an attack was to be expected and he wcs 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 Serrells wood, otherwise point Fl G37
 Martins instructions took him to Lieutenant Mcclure of his troop. The order went in written form no further than Mcclure. It 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 0p hour ago. Your squad ron will assemble this evening at Fay vile. Your troop will be relieved of its present duties and will go with the squadron. In the meantime you will take two noncommiSs!oned officers and eight men of your troop and patrol toward Wythe, starting as soon as you can get ready. desire accurate information of the strength and movements of the enemy that has appeared around Wythe. Send reports to me here. Return when you have 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 impatience to start on real scouting service 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, tAe refusing of a horse because it was known to neigh when it 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. k4r
 The patrol surprised small detach- ment of the regents troops, and in the skirmish Mart shot one of the enemy and sabered another. Lieutenant Mc- Cure 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 heliev- ed himself-that 10000 men and 300 guns were moving west. ~
 This. transformation 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 Hi I nois to move" He instructed an aid, ''The artillery activity and attack op- posite Serrell's woods must be only a 1 fefnt 7" fc9
 This decision, based upon Mart's ex-, aggerated report, was fatal one. The enemy attacked Serrelrs woods in force. His artillery fire was far su- perior, and before the steady rush of his veterans the inexperienced Ameri- | can. soldiers, after Esuffering 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 I had collapsed. It was not a local rout before Serrelrs hill; for miles along i the front the American briga6es were
 beaten back, regiments annihilated or 1 cut to companies and those scattered
 to squads, which were slaughtered whore they stood or had scattered
 again and scurried, fugitives. from the
 field. They scrambled between trees, i over powders, and across fields; then,
 herded by the hills into road. they
 ran wild eyed, shameless, pushing