I could see the light of fires among the trees, as if cooking for the woundedwas going on, and the idea occurred to me that there I could easily learnthe exact position of my proper command. Once clear of my major and hispolyglot “ Pelicans,” the rest would be plain sailing.
My flank movement was easily effected, and I suddenly found myself themost private soldier on that field; there seemed to be nobody else anywherenear. I passed a farm-house, which seemed to have been used as a hospital,and where I picked up a Zouave fez. Some cavalrymen were there, one of■ whom advised “ me not to go down there,” but as he gave no special reasonand did not urge his views, I paid no heed to him, but went on my way downa long barren slope, ending in a small water-course at the bottom, beyondwhich the ground rose abruptly and was covered by small growth. Thedeepening twilight and strange solitude about me, with a remembrance ofwhat had happened a year ago on this same ground, made me feel uncom-fortably lonely. By this time I was close to the stream, and while noting thelay of the land on the opposite bank with regard to choice of a crossing-place, I became aware of a man observing me from the end of the cut above.I could not distinguish the color of his uniform, but the crown of his hattapered suspiciously, I thought, and instinctively I dropped the butt of myrifle to the ground and reached behind me for a cartridge. “ Come here! ” hecalled;—his accent was worse than his hat. “Who are you?” I respondedas I executed the movement of “tear cartridge.” He laughed and theninvited me to “come and see.” Meanwhile I was trying to draw my ram-mer, but this operation was arrested by the dry click of several gunlocks,and I found myself covered by half a dozen rifles, and my friend of thesteeple-crown, with less urbanity in his intonation, called out to me to“ drop that.” In our brief intercourse he had acquired a curious influenceover me. I did so.
My captors were of Kearny’s division, on picket. They told me theythought I was deserting until they saw me try to load. I could not account fortheir being where they were, and when they informed me that they had Jack-son surrounded and that he must surrender next day, though I openly scoutedthe notion, I must own the weight of evidence seemed to be with them. Thediscussion of this and kindred topics was continued until a late hour thatnight with the sergeant of the guard at Kearny’s headquarters, where I suppedin unwonted luxury on hard-tack and “ genuine ” coffee, the sergeant explain-ing that the fare was no better because of our destruction of their supplies atthe Junction. Kearny’s orderly gave me a blanket, and so I passed the night.We were astir early in the morning (August 30 th), and I saw Kearny as he
behind the deep cut, where we formed line. . . . slivers of stone which many were collecting andWe came in sight of the enemy when we had others were throwing. Of course, such a defenseadvanced a few yards, and were saluted with can- would have been overcome in a very short time, butnon. We pushed on, however, to the old railroad our arrival seemed to be almost simultaneous withcut, in which most of Jackson’s troops lay. The that of the enemy. We had ammunition (twentytroops occupying this place had expended their rounds to the man) and we attacked the enemyammunition and were defending themselves with and drove them headlong down the hill, across therocks . . . which seemed to have been picked valley, and over the hill into the woods, when we
or blasted out of the bed of the railroad, chips and were recalled by General Starke.”—A. C. E.