ers, I rode
alone to investigate. After proceeding in the woods a short
distance, to my surprise I came upon Tucker's brigade in line of
battle, partly concealed by underbrush. To avoid capture I resorted
to a ruse. In a loud voice I gave the command, "_Forward_," and
it was repeated by the Confederate officers all along the line.
I turned to ride towards my own troops. The dense thicket prevented
speed and the marines therefore kept at my horse's heels. As an
open space was approached the nearest Confederate discovered that
I was a Union officer, and cried "Shoot him." As I turned to
surrender, some confusion arose and a few shots were fired, but
Tucker and Captain John D. Semmes, being near me, knocked up the
ends of the nearest rifles with their swords and saved my life.
From this situation, lying close on my horse's neck, I escaped to
my own command. With a detachment I at once returned to the timber,
where I met Tucker and explained to him the situation of which he
was ignorant, and forthwith received his surrender with his brigade.
Later, when Tucker and Semmes were prisoners at Johnson's Island,
near Sandusky, the appealed to me to intercede for their release,
which I most gladly and successfully did. They had each been, at
the beginning of the war, in the United States Navy, which caused
them to be exceptionally detained as prisoners under President
Johnson's order.(14)

The infantry, under Wright, engaged in the battle at Sailor's Creek
at no time exceeded ten thousand men. The number participating in
the charge across the plain and in storming the heights did not
exceed seven thousand, being fewer in number than the enemy captured
on the field. It has been claimed that Humphreys' Second Corps
participated in the battle, and some Confederate officers assert
that the attack was made with thirty thousand men under Wright.
Humphreys did have a lively skirmish the evening of the 6th, and
captured a considerable train, far off to the right of the battle-
field, and in this the detachment under Colonel Binkley from my
brigade participated.(15)

Getty's division of the Sixth did not reach the field in time to
become engaged.(16) The results, being so great, naturally led
interested parties to exaggerate the number of the attacking
forces.(17)

Sheridan, in his report, May 16, 1865, speaking of the infantry
attack, says: "It was splendid, but no more than I had reason to
expect from the gallant Sixth