ed or those suffering from any disability.
Taking them altogether, Company Q resembled Mother Goose's beggars that
came to town; "some in rags, some in tags, and some in velvet gowns."
Company Q was always the butt of the joker.

A short time after the regiment had returned from its fruitless march
down the pike, the four regiments composing the brigade under Gen.
William E. Jones were ordered to break camp and move across the
mountains into the enemy's country in West Virginia.

At that time I was almost blind with inflamed eyes. They looked like two
clots of blood. Of course, I did not go with the command, but was forced
to join Company Q. As well as I remember, the company numbered at that
time over 100 men, among them two or three officers.

As the regiment expected to be absent for over a month and to return
crowned with laurels, Company Q conceived the idea of doing something
that would put them on an equal footing with their comrades when they
returned from this expedition.

A company was formed of about 100 men, which were soon on the march down
the valley pike. My eyes had so improved that I could join the company.

The enemy was encamped near Winchester, perhaps 75 miles away. Our
destination was this camp. We were to march down the valley, make a
night attack and come back with all the plunder we could carry off or
drive off. Every fellow expected to bring back at least one extra horse.

We reached the west branch of the Shenandoah, near Strasburg, and went
into camp for the night, having first put out pickets at the various
fords up and down the river.

The enemy's camp was supposed to be ten miles beyond. We intended to
remain at this camp until the next evening about dusk, and then start
for the enemy, timing ourselves to reach their camp about midnight.

The next morning about 9 o'clock we came down from our camp into the
open field to graze our horses. We had taken the bits out of their
mouths and were lying around loose, while the horses cropped the grass,
when all at once someone shouted "Yankees." Sure enough, there they
were, a whole regiment of Union cavalrymen. They had crossed the river
some distance below our pickets and had placed themselves directly in
our rear, cutting off our retreat. We soon had our horses bridled, and
mounting, made for the river. The commander sent me down the river to
call in the pickets, but I did not go far until I met them coming in.
They had heard the firing.