n the
woods, and stood in the road waiting, sure that the end had come.

Colonel Pattee was on his horse, half faced about toward his men,
evidently impatient and eager. An aid gallops up with orders. Colonel
Pattee looks happy. He gives his old horse an extra jerk:

"FORWARD! DOUBLE QUICK! MARCH!"

On we go toward the scene of conflict.

Again Colonel Pattee's voice rings out: "DEPLOY SKIRMISHERS!"
and in less than a minute a line of Bucktails stretches through the
woods, facing the enemy. There is no waiting. "FORWARD!" passes
down the line, and we move out into the open field in front. A hundred
yards ahead the cavalry are stubbornly facing a heavy force of rebel
infantry that is crowding on them and steadily pushing them back. Now
and then a man falls from his horse or rides back wounded. We were on
lower ground than they, and the bullets whistled above us; but as we
went up the rising ground, they began to hiss around our heads. We
double-quicked forward and began firing.

Between us and the town there was a hollow, and on the farther ridge a
road led down through the village. There was a wood on the left at the
head of the hollow, and on the right a narrow strip of timber ran up to
within two hundred yards of the road. The right of the regiment extended
past the woods, or rather only a small portion of the left would strike
them in moving straight forward. As we came to the ridge overlooking the
hollow, we saw the rebel troops drawn up on the opposite slope. Soon
they gave way and moved off toward the town out of sight, and a battery
from the ridge opened with shell.

As soon as the battery opened fire, Robbins, myself, and two or three
others started toward it. A rail fence ran along the hollow proper on
the side next to us. As we neared the fence, Robbins, who was a few
steps in advance, stopped.

"We had better stay here," he said, as he deliberately aimed at the
battery.

"There are rebels in the woods there," meaning on the left. As he spoke,
a bullet from the left clipped close over his gun barrel.

"See that!" he added, his aim not in the least disturbed. The gunners
were shooting over us, as we supposed, at the line of battle farther
back. But we had only fired a few shots when a shell burst in front of
us, its fragments scattering dirt, fence rails, and splinters for yards
around.

"Well! I think we'll go on," said Robbins. On we went to the farther
side of the hollow, and under shelter of th