res. The Harris Light
had the advance, and was followed by the Fourteenth Brooklyn. As our
infantry comrades became foot-sore and weary, we exchanged positions
with them, for mutual relief, until at last one half of the regiments
were bearing one another's burdens. This incident paved the way for a
strong friendship to grow up between us.

Seventeen miles were travelled quietly, when a sudden fire on our
advance-guard brought every cavalry man to his horse and infantry man to
his musket. Every thing assumed the signs of a fight. Kilpatrick, who
was in command of the regiment, ordered his band to the rear. This
precaution of the commander was no sooner taken than the vanguard, in
command of Lieutenant George Decker, was making a furious charge upon
Field's Cavalry, which was doing outpost duty ten miles from Falmouth.
On the very first assault Lieutenant Decker fell from his horse, pierced
through the heart with a fatal bullet. He was a daring young man, well
formed, light complexion, blue eyes, and about twenty-three years of
age. He was much lamented by his many friends. His fall, shocking as it
was to the command, being our first fatal casualty, only seemed to nerve
the men for bold revenge. And we had it. Like chaff before the whirlwind
the outpost was quickly scattered, and the whole regiment entered upon
its first charge with a will, a charge which continued for several miles
with wild excitement. Picket reliefs and reserves were swept away like
forest trees before the avalanche, and we fell upon their encampment
before time had been afforded them for escape. Here we captured several
men and horses, with large quantities of stores, and then rested our
tired steeds and fed them with confederate forage. The men enjoyed the
captured rations. It was near night, and as the sun disappeared the
infantry force came up to our newly-possessed territory.

The cavalry was ordered to "stand to horse," and a strong picket was
thrown out to prevent any surprise attack or flanking movement of the
enemy. In the early part of the evening one of our pickets was surprised
by the friendly approach of a citizen of Falmouth, who had come, as he
said, "to hail once more the 'old star-spangled banner,' and to greet
his loyal brethren of the North."

Such a patriotic and fearless individual among the white population of
that section of country was a great rarity, and his protestations of
friendship were at first received with some suspici