REAR-GUARD FIGHTING DURING THE CHANGE OF BASE. 379

rear, going through one of the regiments of Meagher’s brigade, and disablingmore men than were hurt in the brigade during the remainder of the day.The mules were seen no more, and the ponton-train was deserted. Captain(afterward General) M. T. McMahon, of my staff, volunteered to burn thetrain about 5 o’clock. It was a plucky thing to do, for the train was under theguns of the enemy, who knew its value as well as we did, and the presump-tion was that he would open his guns on it. But Captain McMahon got tenvolunteers, and the train was soon in flames. He found four mules alreadyharnessed, and brought off in triumph the most valuable wagon with this team.

In the house which has been described as about the middle of the left clear-ing lived an old man with a young wife and a child about two years old. Hecame to me about 10 o’clock and asked if I thought there would be a fightthere that day. I told him that there certainly would be. He then askedwhen I thought it would begin. I thought in about half an hour. “ Then,”said he, “ I will have time to take my wife and child to my brother, who livesabout half a mile down the swamp, and get back before it begins.”

“Yes,” said I, “but why come back at all?”

“ Why,” said he, “ if I don’t your men will take all my chickens and ducks.”

So he departed with his wife and child and in a little while returned.General Smith’s headquarters were near this house, so it was a fair targetfor the enemy. Several shots went through it, and one of them took off theleg of the poor old man, who bled to death in a few minutes. He had sacri-ficed himself for his poultry.

One of the brigadier-generals of the command during a lull in the firingcame to my headquarters, leaving his brigade to take care of itself. Findinghis stay too long, I had him sent back to his post, and a short time afterwardI was informed that he had been carried off the field on a stretcher, wounded.I thought it my duty to go to the brigade and find how things were goingwith it, and asked General Smith to accompany me. We started out, andalmost at once the enemy opened on us with great vigor. I looked back, andfound to my horror that all my own and General Smith’s staff were followingus, and that a large cavalry escort belonging to headquarters was also in theprocession. The enemy had evidently taken us for a cavalry regiment. Get-ting rid of them all, we finally arrived at the right of the brigade, unharmed.Making inquiry of a staff-officer about the general, he replied, “ Oh, no, sir,he is not wounded, he felt unwell and has gone to the wood to lie down andwill soon be back.” I turned off in great disgust to return, when anotherofficer, looking as neat and clean as if he had just joined the army, steppedup with the air of a private secretary of some grand official, and, touching hishat, said, “ Who shall I say called, sir ? ” General Smith and I did not hearthe last of that expedition for a long time.

During the day a staff-officer of General Smith had explored a road towardJames River about two miles in rear of that which the troops at Glendalewere to take, and found it practicable. About 10 in the evening, assumingthat my instructions to hold the crossing until nightfall had been obeyed,I sent word to General Heintzelman and General Sumner that I should move