March 26.
This morning a company of the 8th Maine went over the creek, north of the town, and advanced about three miles through the pine barrens. At noon a messenger came in for reinforcements to go out and take a camp containing a hundred cavalry pickets. It was decided that Colonel H. and Major Strong, with four of our companies, should undertake the job, much to the disappointment of Lieut. Col. [Joseph F.] Twitchell of the 8th Maine, who told me how certain he was of making a fine dash of it if allowed to go. But we had held the town against great odds before they came to our relief, and it was our right to go.
To my surprise, the Colonel ordered me to stay behind until the reserve force should come up. I waited as long as I could conveniently and then rode over to the creek where our pickets were stationed. Instead of meeting a "reserve," I found only the horses of our officers, who had not attempted to get them over the barricades on the causeway and through the creek, where the bridge had been removed. They had already been gone long enough to get two miles in advance and it looked to me as if there must be ample time for our party to capture or be captured, long before the 8th Maine could reinforce them. So, for once, I disobeyed orders and gave my Rebel the reins. I found he could leap like a panther and run like a deer. Except in the circus, I have never seen a horse leap so high. The marsh each side of the causeway made it impossible to go round. Once out on the plain, among the tall, handsome pines, we went gaily in pursuit of our party. The scene was so solemn and so beautiful that I had no fear of possible guerilla shots. At length our men were in sight, on the right of the road, and hats were waying me out of the way as likely to be seen by the enemy. Knowing but little of strategy, I suppose I should have made a straightforward push for the enemy. Major Strong, with two companies, had gone around another way to cut off retreat, and I soon perceived, by the silence and ominous motions, that we were in the immediate vicinity of the camp. Finally the trap was handsomely and strategically set, the Major was on the left spring and the Colonel on the right, and when the two jaws snapped together they found between their teeth quite a lot of drying sheets and shirts and other articles, resembling, through a thickly wooded ravine, a rebel camp. Chickens were frightened, and an old mare confiscated by the Major to ride back to town. I have not seen the 8th Maine Captain who made the blunder, but everybody else seems to enjoy it. Our boys could not have had a better skirmish drill. I was not censured for disobeying orders.
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