Diary of Private Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Thursday, April 2, 1863

Went out beyond Maj. Winn's, brought his family and negroes out, skirmished with the Yankees for some time, nothing serious.

SOURCE: Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 11

Diary of Dr. Alfred L. Castleman, October 24, 1861

A little skirmish to-day, amounting to almost nothing. A party of four or five hundred went out in the morning, came upon the enemy's pickets, and firing on them, drove them in. Then, on returning, our four or five hundred found five men in the field, drawing manure, and well armed with shovels and dung-forks. We took them all prisoners, without losing a man! Wonder, if by to-morrow, this cannot be magnified into another "Great Victory," to offset the terrible disaster at Edward's Ferry. This "Grand Army of the Potomac" is a great field in which to win glory. Victories make glory, and victories with us are very cheap.

SOURCE: Alfred L. Castleman, The Army of the Potomac. Behind the Scenes. A Diary of Unwritten History; From the Organization of the Army, by General George B. McClellan, to the close of the Campaign in Virginia about the First Day January, 1863, p. 48

Diary of Private Adam S. Johnston, September 19, 1862

Left Deaumont Knob camp and arrived at Bell's Knob the same day, and encamped for the night, making a march of 5 miles. Was rallied and fell into line of battle, and had a skirmish with the enemy, losing four men on our side, but we succeeded in routing them the same day.

SOURCE: Adam S. Johnston, The Soldier Boy's Diary Book, p. 21

Diary of Private Jenkin Lloyd Jones: Wednesday, September 3, 1862

Rienzi.  Woke by the bugle at 3:30 A. M.; went out to roll call and drill. The weather fine. Washed shirt and stockings for first time. Wrote home. Drilled by Syl. Sweet in the evening on the gun. The enemy skirmished our pickets, wounded three; our horses were harnessed ready. I felt a little flushed.

SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 3

Diary of Private William S. White, July 5, 1861

THE "DREUX SKIRMISH."

It pains me no litle to write the following account of this sad affair, but it was my intention when I first commenced this journal to give, as far as I was able, a just and truthful account of the scenes through which we passed during the war and if there seems to the general reader a small amount of egotism he must excuse it. Other and more elaborate histories of the war will be written by professed journalists but few of them will be real actors on the bloody stage.

Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Dreux, commanding the First Battalion of Louisiana Volunteers, and also commanding this expedition was as brave and gallant an officer as ever drew sword for Freedom.

Our attempt to capture a small marauding body of the enemy ended in miserable failure, and cost poor Dreux his life—cut down in the prime of life. Twenty picked men were selected from each of the five companies of the Louisiana Battalion, but instead of those being commanded by one ranking company officer, each squad of twenty took its full compliment of company officers, thus having at least four times as many commissioned officers as was necessary; there were also twenty cavalrymen belonging to the "Halifax (Va.) Catawba Troops," and eight picked men from my Company (Fourth Detachment, Third Company) with a Sergeant, Corporal and two Commissioned officers, Captain Stanard and Lieutenant Moseley; in all about one hundred and fifty men.

Unfortunately the driver to our howitzer was totally inexperienced and his horses were then being driven for the first time and were quite wild.

The plan was this:

We left Young's Mill about midnight, and taking the road to Newport News reached our destination a short time before dawn of day, and Dreux's plan was to form his infantry on the left of the main road, his howitzer on the left of the infantry and in a small country road running into the main road, whilst the cavalry were in rear of the howitzer and acting as its especial guard. We were expressly ordered not to open fire until orders were given by Dreux in person, and it was understood that we were to allow the Yankees to pass the country road, our gun being concealed, and ready for action, when we were to run our gun into the main road "by hand to the front" and open upon them, whilst the infantry would uncover, and the cavalry charge" at the same time. The Yankees coming up rather slowly Colonel Dreux sent out a small scouting party to see what had become of them, and this party ran plump into the Yankees before they were aware of it. Several shots passed and there was no chance of an ambuscade then, and the first thing I knew we were all mixed up together, the Yankees having come through the woods right upon us, not confining themselves to the main road. A very deliberate looking “blue coat" took a cool aim at my head, fired, the ball grazing my cheek, and I think killed Dreux, who was standing a few paces behind me, though none of us saw him fall. This was the first shot fired and the Yankee was not more than fifteen paces from me. Here was a predicament—our gun charged with "canister," within. twenty yards of the enemy, and we ordered not to fire unless Dreux gave the order—and he dead, unknown to us, and the Yankees popping away at us at a fearful rate, their fire feebly returned by a portion of our infantry, they, like ourselves, being ordered not to fire unless Dreux gave the order. Stanard and Moseley, who were both absent, I never have known where, at the commencement of the fight, now rushed up to us, and Stanard, in a very excited manner ordered the gun to be "limbered up" and taken out of the road, as the Yankees were all around us (so he said). We begged him to let us give the enemy a shot, but no! "limber to the front, and get out of that road!" The cavalry, not knowing what "limber to the front" meant, I presume, concluded it was too hot for them and, after shooting one of our own scouts, dashed down the road in a complete panic—running against our horses, attached to our gun, who likewise took affright, and, by just a "leetle" help from the driver, scampered off and up the road in confusion—worse confounded. One of our detachment, W. Gordon McCabe, seeing this yelled out to the Louisiana troops: "Our gun is gone, but our men are all here!”

The Yankees hearing this extraordinary rumpus, concluded they had gotten into a "hornet's nest" and betook themselves down the road as fast as our cavalry and gun horses scampered up.

One of our scouts being mortally wounded, three of us went after him, put him in a "pressed" cart and brought him where our infantry was, but he, poor fellow, died whilst we were putting him in the cart. We then put Dreux's body in the same cart and mournfully wended our way back to Young's Mill, where the remainder of Dreux's Battalion met us, perfectly overwhelmed with grief, for he was Charley Dreux with the humblest private in the ranks and the idol of his command. In the afternoon it was reported the Yankees were advancing upon Young's Mill, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

SOURCE: William S. White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 104-7

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty: July 7, 1861

On the 5th instant a scouting party, under Captain Lawson, started for Middle Fork bridge, a point eighteen miles from camp. At eight o'clock last night, when I brought the battalion from the drill-ground, I found that a messenger had arrived with intelligence that Lawson had been surrounded by a force of probably four hundred, and that, in the engagement, one of his men had been killed and three wounded. The camp was alive with excitement. Each company of the Third had contributed five men to Captain Lawson's detachment, and each company, therefore, felt a special interest in it. The messenger stated that Captain Lawson was in great need of help, and General McClellan at once ordered four companies of infantry and twenty mounted men to move to his assistance. I had command of the detachment, and left camp about nine o'clock P. M., accompanied by a guide. The night was dark. My command moved on silently and rapidly. After proceeding about three miles, we left the turnpike and turned onto a narrow, broken, bad road, leading through the woods, which we followed about eight miles, when we met Captain Lawson's detachment on its way back. Here we removed the wounded from the farm wagon in which they had been conveyed thus far, to an ambulance brought with us for the purpose, countermarched, and reached our quarters about three o'clock this morning.

I will not undertake to give the details of Captain Lawson's skirmish. I may say, however, that the number of the enemy killed and wounded, lacerated and torn, by Corporal Casey, was beyond all computation. Had the rebels not succeeded in getting a covered bridge between themselves and the invincible Irishman, he would, if we may believe his own statement, have annihilated the whole force, and brought back the head of their commanding officer on the point of his bayonet.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 14-5

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty: July 8, 1861

This morning, at seven o'clock, our tents were struck, and, with General McClellan and staff in advance, we moved to Middle Fork bridge. It was here that Captain Lawson's skirmish on Saturday had occurred. The man killed had been buried by the Fourth Ohio before our arrival. Almost every house along the road is deserted by the men, the women sometimes remaining. The few Union men of this section have, for weeks past, been hiding away in the hills. Now the secessionists have taken to the woods. The utmost bitterness of feeling exists between the two. A man was found to-day, within a half mile of this camp, with his head cut off and entrails ripped out, probably a Union man who had been hounded down and killed. The Dutch regiment (McCook's), when it took possession of the bridge, had a slight skirmish with the enemy, and, I learn, killed two men. On the day after to-morrow I apprehend the first great battle will be fought in Western Virginia.

I ate breakfast in Buckhannon at six o'clock A. M., and now, at six o'clock P. M. am awaiting my second meal.

The boys, I ascertain, searched one secession house on the road, and found three guns and a small amount of ammunition. The guns were hunting pieces, all loaded. The woman of the house was very indignant, and spoke in disrespectful terms of the Union men of the neighborhood, whom she suspected of instigating the search. She said she "had come from a higher sphere than they, and would not lay down with dogs." She was an Eastern Virginia woman, and, although poor as a church mouse, thought herself superior to West Virginia people. As an indication of this lady's refinement and loyalty, it is only necessary to say that a day or two before she had displayed a secession flag made, as she very frankly told the soldiers, of the tail of an old shirt, with J. D. and S. C. on it, the letters standing for Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy.

Four or five thousand men are encamped here, huddled together in a little circular valley, with high hills surrounding. A company of cavalry is just going by my tent on the road toward Beverly, probably to watch the front.

As we were leaving camp this morning, an officer of an Ohio regiment rode at break-neck speed along the line, inquiring for General McClellan, and yelling, as he passed, that four companies of the regiment to which he belongs had been surrounded at Glendale, by twelve hundred secessionists, under O. Jennings Wise. Our men, misapprehending the statement, thought Buckhannon had been attacked, and were in a great state of excitement.

The officers of General Schleich's staff were with me on to-day's march, and the younger members, Captains Hunter and Dubois, got off whatever poetry they had in them of a military cast. "On Linden when the sun was low," was recited to the hills of Western Virginia in a manner that must have touched even the stoniest of them. I could think of nothing but "There was a sound of revelry by night," and as this was not particularly applicable to the occasion, owing to the exceeding brightness of the sun, and the entire absence of all revelry, I thought best not to astonish my companions by exhibiting my knowledge of the poets.

West Virginia hogs are the longest, lankest, boniest animals in creation. I am reminded of this by that broth of an Irish lad, Conway, who says, in substance, and with a broad Celtic accent, that their noses have to be sharpened every morning to enable them to pick a living among the rocks.

Colonel Marrow informs me that an attack is apprehended to-night. We have sent out strong pickets. The cannon are so placed as to shoot up the road. Our regiment is to form on the left of the turnpike, and the Dutch regiment on the right, in case the secession forces should be bold enough to come down on us.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 16-8

 

Diary of Corporal John W. Dennett, October 16, 1862

First division, and one section of our battery and two sections of Hazlett's Battery, went across the Potomac as far as Kearneysville. We drove the rebels from the river to Charlestown, Va., having several skirmishes, with losses on our side small. In our battery we had one man, Charles Donahoe, slightly wounded, and one horse killed. Stopped at Kearneysville that night, and returned across the river the morning of the 17th, passing through Shepherdstown on the way. Gen. Humphreys commanded the Union forces.

SOURCE: John Lord Parker, Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters and the Third Light Battery, in the War of the Rebellion, p. 268

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Monday, September 16, 1861

In the evening, some of the Thirty-fourth New York Regiment crossed the river, had a skirmish with the rebels, and returned with the loss of four men. Capt. Reynolds being promoted to Major, left the battery. So did Lieut. Albert Munroe, promoted to Captain. Lieut. Tompkins, also promoted, took command of our battery.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 20-1

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Joseph Stockton, September 14, 1862

Was again made "officer of the day." Have ridden on horseback about twenty-five miles today and feel very tired. Had a scare in camp last night. The long roll beat and the regiment was in marching order in a very few moments. It turned out to be a false alarm but it proved that the men were ready if necessary. An amusing incident occurred: Michael Myers of Co. F, was in bathing at the time the long roll beat and without waiting to put on anything but his shirt, ran to his quarters, put on his accouterments, shouldered his gun and took his place in the ranks in his shirt tail. I will bet he is a brave soldier. The 11th Ill. returned from an expedition into the country having a skirmish with the Rebs. The 11th has a good name and is well liked.

SOURCE: Joseph Stockton, War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Stockton, p. 2

Dr. Seth Rogers to his daughter Dolly, November 24, 1863

BEAUFORT, S. C. November 24.

Today our companies E and K have proved themselves worthy, in a skirmish over the river, of all the praises that have been showered upon them. The facts which I am not strong enough to write out, will appear in the Northern journals. Fancy the rebel cavalry sending their pack of blood-hounds in advance and our men receiving them on their bayonets and then repulsing the cavalry with buck and ball. Two of our men drowned, several wounded.

A cheerful letter from our Chaplain, dated Columbia Jail, S. C. October 23rd. He was treated the same as other officers, and we infer that our colored soldiers were not subjected to any peculiar hardships. Of course he was not permitted to criticize. We will give him a big reception if ever he comes back to the regiment.¹

_______________

¹ "In spite of an agreement at Washington to the contrary, our chaplain was held as prisoner of war, the only spiritual adviser in uniform, so far as I know, who had that honor."

—Higginson, Army Life in a Black Regiment, 231.

SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 396

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Saturday, November 30, 1861

According to orders from our General, Colonel McNairy, setting out from his camp, five miles south of Albany, with about seventy-five of his battalion, went to the Cumberland above Burkesville. When our advance guard got in sight of the river a boat was crossing to the north bank with seven men and five horses. As a portion of the men were Federal soldiers, a skirmish ensued, in which the ferryman and one soldier were wounded. None of our boys were hurt. The ferryman, who lived on the south side of the river, brought his boat back to our side. We destroyed two ferry-boats and two canoes at that ferry, and one boat at another. McNairy allowed his men to scatter in order to hunt quarters for the night. The writer and about twenty-four others put up with our wounded ferryman, who lived half a mile from the river.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 87-8

Official Reports: Skirmish near Greenwich, Va., March 9, 1864— Report of Major George F. McCabe, Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Report of Maj. George F. McCabe, Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

HDQRS. DETACHMENT 13TH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY,        

March 10, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that the party who made the attack on the detachment Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry yesterday, 9th March, 1864, consisted of 40 men, under command of Mosby in person. I came up to him at Buckland Mills about 3.30 p.m. yesterday, and at once charged him. His command broke when I was a pistol-shot from him. I continued after him and ran his party through Thoroughfare Gap and on to his camp at Plains Station on the Manassas Gap road. I found his command encamped at that place in Sibley and shelter tents. He got his whole command in line, dismounted, behind a stone fence at that place, and I did not have men enough to attack him in his camp. I drove him so hard yesterday as to compel him to release 2 men he had captured, and they cut off their overcoats and blankets from their saddles so as to be lighter mounted, that they could get away. I do not think that there are more than 100 men in the camp at Plains Station, but I believe he can raise 500 men in a very short time. There would be no trouble to hem his camp in by parties going from Warrenton and this place.

Your obedient servant,

G. F. McCABE,        

Major Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Lieutenant SWAN,
        Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Second Div., Fifth Army Corps.

[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, FIFTH CORPS,        

March 10, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded.

This party was sent out to re-enforce one sent from Bristoe, which was being roughly handled.

R. B. AYRES,        

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Second indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH ARMY CORPS,        

March 11, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded for the information of the major-general commanding Army of the Potomac.

GEO. SYKES,        

Major-General, Commanding.

ADDENDA.¹

March 9, a scout of 40 men, under the command of Lieutenant White, was attacked by the enemy in the vicinity of Greenwich. The party making the attack was composed of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, Chincapin Rangers, and a detachment of Mosby's command. The casualties numbered 9, all taken prisoners; 4 wounded, now in hospital at Washington, D.C.

_______________

¹ From the return of Second Brigade, Second Division, Cavalry Corps, for March, 1864

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 33(Serial No. 60), p. 236-7

Official Reports: Skirmishes near Charlestown and at Kabletown, W. Va., March 10, 1864 No. 3.—Report of Lieut. Col. John S. Mosby, Forty-third Virginia Cavalry Battalion, including operations to May 1.

No. 3.

Report of Lieut. Col. John S. Mosby, Forty-third Virginia Cavalry Battalion,

including operations to May 1.

SEPTEMBER 11, 1864.

COLONEL; I have the honor to submit, for the information of the commanding general, the following brief report of the operations of this command since the 1st day March last.

On March 10,¹ with a detachment of about 40 men, I defeated a superior force of the enemy's cavalry near Greenwich, severely wounding 3, and capturing 9 prisoners, 10 horses, arms, &c. On the same day Lieut. A. E. Richards, with another detachment of about 30 men, surprised an outpost of the enemy near Charlestown, killed the major commanding and a lieutenant, several privates, and brought off 21 prisoners with their horses, arms, &c. In neither engagement did my command sustain any loss.

During the months of March and April but few opportunities were offered for making any successful attacks on the enemy, the continual annoyances to which they had been subjected during the winter causing them to exert great vigilance in guarding against surprises and interruptions of their communications. During most of these months I was myself engaged in scouting in the enemy's rear for Major-General Stuart and collecting information, which was regularly transmitted to his headquarters, concerning the movements, numbers, and distribution of the enemy's forces both east and west of the Blue Ridge. During this time my men were mostly employed in collecting forage from the country bordering on the Potomac.

About April 15 Captain Richards routed a marauding party of the enemy's cavalry at Waterford, killing and wounding 5 or 6, and bringing off 6 or 8 prisoners, 15 horses, arms, &c.

About April 25 I attacked an outpost near Hunter's Mills, in Fairfax, capturing 5 prisoners and 18 horses. The prisoners and horses were sent back under charge of Lieutenant Hunter, while I went off on a scout in another direction. The enemy pursued and captured the lieutenant and 6 of the horses.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. S. MOSBY,        

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

Lieutenant-Colonel TAYLOR,
        Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,        

September 19, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant and Inspector General, for the information of the Department.

Attention is invited to the activity and skill of Colonel Mosby, and the intelligence and courage of the officers and men of his command, as displayed in this report. With the loss of little more than 20 men, he has killed, wounded, and captured during the period embraced in the report about 1,200 of the enemy, and taken more than 1,600 horses and mules, 230 beef-cattle, and 85 wagons and ambulances, without counting many smaller operations. The services rendered by Colonel Mosby and his command in watching and reporting the enemy's movements have also been of great value. His operations have been highly creditable to himself and his command.

R. E. LEE,        

General.

_______________

* March 9, See p. 236.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 33(Serial No. 60), p. 248-9

Major-General Francis J. Herron to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, June 24, 1863

HERRON'S HEADQUARTERS, June 24, 1863.

We had a sharp little skirmish this evening while moving farther, but succeeded in gaining the desired position, and captured a lieutenant and 9 men. Our loss, 1 killed and 1 wounded. Several of the enemy were killed and wounded, in addition to those captured The enemy used light artillery and musketry from their first line of works.

F. J. HERRON,        

Major-General.

Major-General GRANT.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 24, Part 2 (Serial No. 37), p. 318

Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Friday, May 23, 1862

To-day our regiment is detailed to advance with the picket line and protect a fatigue party while building roads and bridges for the advance of our division. We have a brisk skirmish with the heavy rebel pickets.

This evening the Paymaster visits the Seventh, and before it is midnight the Seventh is flush with the “bonus."

SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 73

Diary of Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Monday, August 15, 1864

Rebels attacked our picket line and drove it after a brisk skirmish. (The) Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth supporting soon check the Rebels. Our loss two killed, ten wounded. I had some narrow escapes

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 494

Captain Charles Wright Wills: December 6, 1864

Eden Ferry, Ogeechee river, 

December 6, 1864. 

We lay in camp until 1 p. m. when we suddenly pulled out and made this point, and had works up by dark. There was a good wagon bridge over the river at this point, which the Rebels partially destroyed. But a portion of our 3d Brigade, which had the advance, got across on the remains and stirred up a little skirmish. Killed four Rebels without any loss to us.

Our ad Division got across three miles below. The 3d, I guess is with them. Hear nothing of the other corps. In the swamps to-day I saw more of the “barren lemon tree.” We were talking over last night what this army had cost the Confederacy since the 4th of October last, when we started from Eastpoint after Hood. We all agree that the following estimate is not too high in any particular: 100,000 hogs, 20,000 head of cattle, 15,000 horses and mules, 500,000 bushels of corn, 100,000 of sweet potatoes. We are driving with us many thousand of the cattle. The destruction of railroad property has been complete whenever within our reach. I can learn nothing of the prospect of a fight at Savannah, or whether we are going there. All think, though, that we will see tide-water this week. People here say they often hear the firing both at Savannah and Charleston. 

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 332

Diary of Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Monday, August 15, 1864

Rebels attacked our picket line and drove it after a brisk skirmish. (The) Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth supporting soon check the Rebels. Our loss two killed, ten wounded. I had some narrow escapes.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 494

Diary of Corporal David L. Day: May 16, 1862

WE GO OUT MAKING CALLS. 

For some time past the pickets of the 17th Massachusetts have been a good deal troubled by being fired on in the night. The enemy's cavalry would come down, a few of them dismount and creeping up would fire on them. They would sometimes have cow bells with them, in order to divert attention and get nearer. But the boys soon learned that dodge, and when, they heard a cow bell, would draw their straightest bead on it and let fly. In this state of affairs it was thought best to make those fellows a call, and if they wanted anything of us to give them an opportunity to take it. So, yesterday morning, we marched out to the Trent road, where we joined the 17th Massachusetts, with five companies of the 3d New York cavalry and a section of a battery, the whole under command of Col. Amory, of the 17th. The cavalry taking the advance, we marched up the road a couple of miles, coming to a deep gully or ravine; crossing this, the advance cavalry guard soon came upon the enemy's pickets, driving them in and beyond their station into a swamp, where they formed an ambuscade, thinking there was only a small cavalry force and that they might capture them. By this time the infantry had come up to their rendezvous, which was a large, nice house, with ample barn room for their horses. Thinking this was too good accommodation for them and too near our line, it was set on fire and burned. We now heard firing ahead and hurried on. They had closed around the advance cavalry guard, and commenced the fight. The other companies being close by soon took a hand in it and were giving them about all they wanted when the infantry came up. When they saw the infantry and artillery they took to their heels towards Trenton, a small village a few miles distant. 

Col. Upton wanted to follow them up and give them some more, but Col. Amory being in command, thought we had accomplished our purpose and had better return. In this skirmish the enemy lost eight killed and two prisoners, one of them wounded. Our cavalry had two wounded. The wounded men were brought out and loaded into an ambulance. When they brought out the wounded rebel they put down the stretcher on which he was lying near where I was standing. He was a smooth-faced, fair-haired boy, and was moaning piteously with pain from a bullet wound in his head, and asking himself what his mother would say when she heard of it. His thoughts turned on his home and of his mother. I pitied the boy, but could not help thinking, as a cavalryman told him, he should have thought of that before being caught here... We arrived back in camp late in the afternoon, tired, hungry and covered with mud. I reckon they will not disturb our pickets any more at present in the way they have done. Creeping up in the dark and firing on a lone picket is mean and cowardly. If they want anything of us let them come in force and get it; that is proper and honorable. 

SOURCE: David L. Day, My Diary of Rambles with the 25th Mass. Volunteer Infantry, p. 58-9