Year: 1867

guard against desertion felt sure
that, even if could elude the camp
guard, the pickets would not let me
out ON my pass, and that might ex-
pose myself to suspicion by trying at
this time. So | kept perfectly still ;
and you can imagine what anxiety
felt as the work of preparation went
on all about me, and | heard the at
tack discussed every hour. Like
myself, most of the soldiers thought
it was foolhardy but | knew they
would fight well enough, for all that.
You were on the ground, and know
something about the attack. Ker-
shaw's division had the advance, and
they moved out a little after dark
and crossed the river. / rode with a
small detachment of sconts that
were thrown ahead ; and a difficult
and tedious time we had Of it. We
passed some places that horseman
could not safely ride over, and then
we had to dismount and lead the ami
NAL around and it was within two
hours of daylight before We crossed
the river again. At some points we
could hear the Union pickets talking
together, and stamping their feet to
keep warm. Ny heart sunk as | saw
thousands upon thousands of the
rebel infantry wading across the
river, and silently forming in heav-
ing columns, with whole brigade
front. Here they were, exactly in
rear of the Eighth corps, and our
men sleeping in their camps as quiet
ly as if nothing unusual was to hap
pen.


Well-what did happen you know
better than l. By this time l had
got desperate, and had almost de-
termined to break away at gallop,
when General kershaw sent an or.
der for a dozen of the scouts to go
forward and find whether there were
any pickets right in front If chal-
lenged, we were to answer, "Officer
of the Day." and one of us ride for
ward and show his blue coat. | was
one of the dozen and as we spread
out in advancing, | got over to the
right, and slipped away i'll the dark
ness. l rode straight for the pike,
calculating that there was half an
hour yet before daylight, and that
something might be done if l could
find General Wright. Perhaps it
might have been better if | had rid
den straight to Crook ; but every
moment was precious now, and |
thought of nothing but getting the
whole army aroused. l dashed up
to Wright's headquarters, and found
them perfectly quiet, with nothing
stirring but a single guard before
the tents. A sleepy staff officer
thrust his head out and asked,
What's up?"


| was SO full OF excitement that /
could hardly speak, and very likely l
acted little wild


The whole rebel army will at
tack US in twenty minutes p | re-
piled. 'Let me see General Wright,
and I'll tell him all about it."


You're drunk or crazy, man
don't clearly know which," the officer
said.


Go to your regiment, or I'll hand
you over to the Provost-marshal."


protested that | was in my sober
senses, and urged to be allowed to
see General Wright 50 loudly, that
the noise awoke him, and his head,
too, was thrust out.


What's all this row about 2" he
said.


told him the whole story in less
than half a minute, and assured him
that the rebel advance was all i'll or
der of battle at that moment on
Crooks left, waiting for daylight to
begin the attack and he merely
laughed at me.


You've probably been scared out
of your senses by guerrilla" he
said. $50 to your regiment


So there | was, left alone, with the
full knowledge of what was going to
happen in fifteen minutes, and no.
body would credit me | can't say
now that blame them | presume
if had been the guard before the
tents, should have doubted the sob
erness of man who would come in
and make such a report But it was
true-fearfully true and | think
they began to believe me before they
had taken forty winks more


There was just one more chance
one faint, desperate chance. Custar
would believe me and remounting
my horse, piled whip and spur, and
galloped over the rough, hilly ground
toward the extreme right, where the
cavalry was encamped. 1t was al
most two miles from Wright's to Gus
tar's headquarters, and l might have
known there was no hope. | had
not reached the right of the Sixth
corps, and daylight had not come,
when | heard that first terrible volley
from kershaw's leading brigade, fol-
lowed by the cheers of the rebels as
they burst in on the silent camps of
the Eighth corps and drove the men
like sheep before them, making pris-
oners by the hundreds. l looked
back once from the high ground, over
beyond the pike, and saw the flash
of their rifles through the fog, and
heard their cheers and yels as they
swept down upon the Nineteenth
corps, which was harrying into line
to meet their onset. found General
Custar as quickly as l could, and
told him my story in a few words.
He dispatched staff officer to Gen
eral Wright with the report hut the
officer did not find him where had
] 4 e.. ~ n,