from
Carter, trying to march steadily at the regular marching gait, and
keeping a keen watch on everything in front and to the flanks.

=Captain:= Very good. When you arrive at the cross roads you see a man
standing in the yard of the Baker house.

=Corporal Baker:= I would not stop, but would continue on by the cross
roads, as I have no time to question the man and the Sergeant will
want to do that. I would call to him and ask him if he had seen any of
the enemy about and how far it was to the Chester Pike. If anything
looked suspicious around the house or barnyard, I would investigate.

=Captain:= Sergeant, you arrive at the cross roads, and see the
Corporal and Carter going on ahead of you.

=Sergeant Adams:= I would have already signaled to the two men
following the creek to come in and would send a man to meet them with
the following order: "Tell Davis to move along the railroad fill with
Evans, keeping abreast of us. Then you return to me." I would then
say, "Fiske, look in that house and around the barn and orchard and
then rejoin me down this road (pointing east)." I would have the
civilian join me and walk down the road with me while I questioned
him.

=Captain:= Do you think you have made careful arrangements for
searching the house, etc., by leaving only one man to do the work?

=Sergeant Adams:= I have not sufficient men nor time enough to do much
more. I simply want to make sure things are reasonably safe and I
thought that a couple of men from the main body of the advance guard
would do any careful searching, questioning, etc., that might be
deemed necessary. I must not delay the march.

=Captain:= That is right. You learn nothing from the civilian and he
does not arouse any suspicion on your part. You continue along the
road. The fields to the north of the road are in wheat stubble; the
ground to the south, between your road and the railroad, is rough,
rocky grass land with frequent clumps of bushes. Davis and Evans, your
right flankers on the railroad fill, are just approaching the cut;
Fiske has rejoined; Corporal Baker and his men are about 200 yards
from the road forks at Brown's, and you and your four men are 200
yards in their rear, at the turn of the road. At this moment a half
dozen shots are fired down the road in your direction from behind the
wall along the edge of the orchard on the Brown farm. This firing
continues and your two leading men are lying down at the roadside
returning the