uld. But the danger of yielding for an instant to the allurement of
the drowsiness produced by the long ride without sleep was overpowering.
In an instant after getting under cover of the shelter tent I was
emulating the seven sleepers. It is doubtful if the trump of Gabriel
himself, had it sounded, could have awakened me. The assurance that we
were protected by pickets, and the order to go into camp having been
given unaccompanied by any warning to be alert and on the watch for
danger, had lulled me into such an absolutely false sense of security
that I was for the time dead to all the surroundings. There was firing
among the pickets. I did not hear it. A cannon boomed. I did not hear
it. A second piece of artillery added to the tumult. I did not hear it.
Shells hurtled through the trees, over the camp and the waves of sound
did not disturb my ear. At last partial consciousness returned. There
was a vague sense of something out of the usual order going on. Then I
found that Barnhart and the orderly were pulling me out of the "pup"
tent by the heels. That sufficed. I was instantly wide awake. Barnhart
was ordered to get his horse and mount the regiment. The orderly to
saddle my horse and his own. In a few moments all hands were in the
saddle. The regiment was wheeled by fours and moved a short distance to
the right, more in the shadow and out of range of the shells, and formed
in line facing toward where the enemy was supposed to be, and held there
awaiting orders. No orders to advance came, nor was any brigade line of
battle formed. In a very short time a staff officer came riding fast and
directed me to move out by fours on the road in rear of the alignment
and follow the command which he said had gone and was retreating. He did
not say what road it was nor whither it led. He then rode away. Wheeling
into column the regiment was moved out on the road and, greatly confused
as to the points of the compass, and not hearing or seeing anything of
the column, turned in the wrong direction. The same staff officer soon
overtook the head of the regiment and set us right. We had to
countermarch and, as a matter of fact, were going towards the enemy
instead of joining in the retreat. It was by mistake, however. We had
gone probably an eighth of a mile before being stopped.

[Illustration: LEVANT W. BARNHART WILLIAM HULL]

The march then led back within sight of the camp which had been vacated.
As we passed that point, far away i