ng orders, suddenly called
upon to exercise judgment in a critical situation. Bravery suggested
push ahead and fight. To retire savored of over-prudence. Nevertheless,
it seemed to us we had no business remaining out there without
connection with other troops on either right or left, and this decided
the colonel to order the retreat.

We moved back in line of battle in excellent order and quite leisurely,
having no opposition and, so far as we knew, no troops following us. We
came out into the clearing just where we had entered the woods two hours
before. But here we met a scene that almost froze our blood. During our
absence some half-dozen batteries, forty or more guns, had been massed
here. Hurried earthworks had been thrown up, covering the knapsacks our
brigade had left there when we advanced. These guns were not forty yards
away and were just waiting the order to open on those woods right where
we were. As we emerged from the brush, our colors, fortunately, were a
little in advance, and showed through before the line appeared. Their
timely appearance, we were told, saved us from being literally blown to
pieces by those batteries. A second later the fatal order would have
been given and our brigade would have been wiped out of existence by our
own guns!

As we came out of the woods an aide galloped down to us, his face
perfectly livid, and in a voice portraying the greatest excitement
shouted to Colonel Albright: "What in h----l and d-mnation are you doing
here? Get out of here! Those woods are full of rebel troops, and we are
just waiting to open on them." Albright replied very coolly, "Save your
ammunition. There is not a rebel within a half mile, for we have just
marched back that distance absolutely unmolested. Why haven't you sent
us orders? We went in here two hours ago, and not an order have we
received since." He replied, "We have sent a dozen officers in to you
with orders, and they all reported that you had been captured." Albright
answered, "They were a lot of cowards, for there hasn't been a minute
since we advanced that an officer could not have come directly to us.
There is something wrong about this. I will go and see General Hooker."
And directing me to move the troops away from the front of those guns,
he started for General Hooker's head-quarters, only a short distance
away. As I was passing the right of that line of batteries a voice
hailed me, and I turned, and there stood one of my old Scranto