Attempts to visit the enemy's camp--Learns the strength and
position of the enemy--Return intercepted--Perilous
situation--Loses his mule--Frightened by men of his own
regiment--The plan to capture the enemy--The negro's
report--The forces discovered--Disposes of a rebel
picket--Reports his discovery.
After the fight in the vicinity of Middleburg, a part of the enemy went
into camp between the battle-ground and Van Buren. Soon after, General
Leggett requested me to visit the enemy's camp and learn his force, and
whether he had any artillery. He gave me a pass to go out, in the
presence of the field-officer of the day, who said that no passes were
being given out at division head-quarters, and objected to my going out.
General Leggett told the officer that I was a privileged character, and
that he would take the responsibility of passing me out, but that he
would give passes to no others.
Dressed like a citizen, and mounted on a mule, I went out and made my
way to the rebel picket line, where I tried to pass in, but was informed
by the pickets that they had orders forbidding them to pass citizens in
or out. I passed along the line to other posts, but found that they all
had the same orders. I made myself quite familiar with the pickets, and
those not on duty did not hesitate to enter into conversation with me,
by means of which I learned that the force consisted of three regiments
of cavalry, and that there was no artillery.
Having gathered up what information I could, I went to visit the
battle-field, and while there I came across a young man who was on his
way from Saulsbury to Somerville, and had met with the same difficulty I
had encountered about getting through the lines, and, in order to
continue his journey, he had made a detour round the lines. My own
observations and his gave me a correct knowledge of the rebel lines on
three sides, and also the position of the rebel camp.
After completing my visit to the battle-ground, I returned toward
Bolivar. On my way out to the rebel lines, I had seen and conversed with
an old man, a Mr. Knight, who lives about three miles from Bolivar. As I
approached his house, on my return, and when within one hundred yards of
it, I saw in his front yard two persons dressed like rebel soldiers, who
had squirrel rifles. The moment they saw me, they brought their pieces
to a ready, as if preparing to fire. I remembered distinctly that
General Leggett had said that he would pass nobody else out; besides, I
was a little suspicious of the old man Knight's loyalty; so I very
naturally concluded that he, knowing that I had gone out, had went and
got two soldiers to watch for me as I returned.
I immediately wheeled my mule about and went back behind a rise of
ground, and then turned to my left into a corn-field. I dashed ahead
about three hundred yards, when I discovered a company of rebel cavalry
coming in a line toward me. I turned to my left again, and was dashing
ahead toward Bolivar, when I unexpectedly encountered a deep water-gulch
that was impassable to my mule. In my flight through the corn, I had
already lost my hat. There I was, surrounded, with the enemy to my
right, left, and rear, and a frightful ditch in front of me; it was no
time for hesitation. I jumped off from my mule and left it, and
clambered down into the ditch and then out on the other side, and ran
for Bolivar as hard as I could go, bare-headed.
I made my way into camp, and procured a detachment of men and returned,
hoping to find my mule, but did not succeed. I learned, however, that
the two men that had caused my fright were Daniel Harris and Columbus
Johnson, _of my own regiment_. They had been permitted to visit the
battle-ground without arms, but, contrary to their instructions, had
taken their arms with them.
On my return, I reported the force and position of the enemy, and also a
plan for its capture. So well pleased was General Leggett with my plan,
that he sent me with it to General Crocker, who was then commanding the
post, during a temporary absence of General Ross. The position of the
enemy was as follows:
Five miles from Bolivar, on the road leading south to Van Buren, the
road forks; the right-hand road leads to Middleburg, a distance of two
miles. On the left-hand road, at a distance of two miles from the fork,
is a cross-road, called "Wash. Newbern's road," leading into the
right-hand road at Middleburg. The three roads inclose a section of
country in shape like a regular triangle. We will call the Wash. Newbern
road the base, and the right- and left-hand roads the sides of the
triangle; Wash. Newbern's house stands on the south side of the road
constituting the base, and about three hundred yards from the left-hand
road. On a line parallel with the base, and three hundred yards south of
it, was the rebel camp. Two of the regiments were on the west side of
the left-hand road, and one on the east side; the regiment occupying the
left of the enemy's line was directly south of Newbern's house. In front
of Newbern's house, north of the road, is a pasture-field extending
north to the road leading from the fork to Middleburg; the fence along
the road in front of Newbern's was thrown down. The pasture-field is
narrow at each end, but in the center it is much wider, making the space
in the center diamond-shaped. At the corner of the cross-road, near the
rebel camp, was the reserve pickets, and about one hundred yards north
of the reserve was the advance post. On the west side of the
pasture-field was a large corn-field, and on the east side a piece of
woods.
My plan to capture the enemy was to take four regiments of infantry, and
place two regiments on each side of the diamond space in the field, in
the morning, before daylight, and have them lay down in the corn-field
and woods, so as to be out of sight. Then, at daylight, with what was
known as the "mule cavalry," (infantry mounted on mules,) numbering one
hundred men, make a dash on the reserve pickets and drive them in; then
turn down the Wash. Newbern road, and, when in front of Newbern's
house, break into confusion and disorder, and, with whoops and shouts of
defiance, start leisurely down through the pasture. The enemy would
naturally mount their horses and give chase, and, when once within the
lines of the infantry, they would suddenly rise up, raise a shout, and
close in each flank, and have them bagged.
General Crocker thought my plan would work, but, being only temporarily
in command, did not like to assume the responsibility of executing it,
and so it was abandoned.
The "mule cavalry" above alluded to was organized to facilitate
scouting, and watch more closely the movements of the enemy, and to
check the depredations of guerrillas that infested the country. It was
composed of men from the infantry, selected for their daring and
gallantry. On account of the thorough knowledge that I had obtained of
the country, I was generally sent out with them, to guide them in their
scouts.
Not a great while after the foregoing adventure, as the "mule cavalry"
was going out on the road leading south from Bolivar, I accompanied them
on my own responsibility. After we had got outside of the lines a short
distance, I left the mule cavalry and took across the fields to the
left, to Mr. Bill's plantation. I had got into a cotton-field on his
plantation, and was riding leisurely along, when one of the niggers, who
was picking cotton a short distance to my right, called out:
"Hallo, dar, Mr. Bunker! you come dis way."
I obeyed, and rode out to see what the nigger wanted.
"Mr. Bunker, hab we got forces down dar in de bottom?"
"No, we haven't got any forces there."
"Wal, dar's forces down in dar; for de horn souns down in dar reg'lar
ebery mornin', ebery noon, an' ebery night, an' dar mus' be forces down
dar."
"It must be rebel forces, then; probably rebel cavalry."
"Oh, Lord! Mr. Bunker, don't talk dat ar way, for dey will be up here
for sure some night, an' dey will kill all de niggers Massa Bill hab
got!"
"Well, I must go and see who is down there. Can you tell me of any path
that leads down there?"
"Thar's heaps o' hog-paths dat leads down in dat ar way as yer go
through de gate in de fur en' de field," said the nigger, pointing to
the fence.
I rode on through the field in the direction pointed out, and following
one of the hog-paths, I descended a hill, and was just rising to the top
of another, when I discovered, on a ridge in advance of me, fourteen
mounted rebels. They evidently had not seen me. I immediately backed my
mule down the hill so far as to be out of sight, and then turned to the
left and went down into a hollow, and then up a narrow ridge, or hog's
back, leading in the direction of Bolivar. When I had rode along about
four hundred yards through the scattering timber, I saw a fellow dressed
like a rebel soldier, about fifty yards ahead, approaching me, with a
double-barreled shotgun, which he carried, lying across the back of his
neck, resting on both shoulders, with both his arms up over the gun. As
he came along he was whistling a very lively tune, apparently perfectly
unconcerned at my approach.
The moment I saw him, and before he discovered my movements, I drew my
revolver, and held it down by my side out of sight, and when within
about six feet of him, I presented my revolver and ordered him to halt.
He did so, looking perfectly astonished. "Lay that gun right down on the
ground," I continued. He did so, by raising it right up over his head
with both hands and laying it down in front of him; then, straightening
himself up in the position of a soldier, said:
"Well, sir; what will you have?"
"Step right back, away from that gun!" He did so. "That will do," said
I, when about six feet away, at the same time riding up to the gun.
"What were you doing here?"
"I've just been relieved from the look-out post, out thar."
"Look-out post! What's that?"
"Don't you belong to that ar mule cavalry?"
"No, I don't belong to it, but I sometimes go with it. What command do
you belong to?"
"Armstrong's 2d Battalion of Cavalry."
"How many are there of you here?"
"There are one hundred and sixty of us."
"What are you doing here?"
"We are sent out here to watch the mule cavalry."
"Where is your look-out post?"
"Well, sir, are you acquainted about here?"
"I am acquainted with all the roads, but not with your look-out post."
"Well, sir, our look-out post is in old 'Squire Knight's wheat-field.
There is a big black stump there, with a plank across the top of it; we
stand on that. From there we can see your mule cavalry at Joe Knight's,
and we can see you at John Ursury's blacksmith-shop, and tell whether
you take the Middleburg or Van Buren road; and the next place that we
can see you is at Wash. Newbern's lane, and we can tell whether you go
to Van Buren or to Wash. Newbern's. If ever you get down past Beaver's
lane, going to Van Buren, it will be the last of you and your mule
cavalry."
I then dismounted and picked up the shotgun. What to do with the soldier
was hard for me to decide. If I undertook to take him to Bolivar, it was
quite probable that I would lose my prisoner, and perhaps my life. To
let him go would endanger my life and that of others; particularly my
own, in case he should ever recognize me within their lines. I reflected
a moment, and then disposed of him in the only way that I thought my own
safety and the good of the service would admit; then shouldered the gun
and started for Bolivar. I did not feel safe in carrying the gun, lest
it should betray me in case I should be captured by a squad of the rebel
cavalry; so, at the first stump I came to, I dismounted and broke it,
and then went on. If I had had a gun of long range, I should have tried
a pull at the man on the look-out post, but as it was, I did not think
it advisable to molest him.
On reaching camp, I concluded that it was my duty to report to some
body; but not having been officially sent out, I reported to Colonel
Force. He listened to my report, and when I had finished, told me to
report to General Ross. I did so, and he told me to have myself in
readiness the next morning to guide a force of cavalry around to the
rear of the rebel force, and that he would send a regiment of infantry
in front, and try to capture the whole of them. Morning came, and I was
ready to go, but received no orders. I have since learned that the plan
fell through because the Colonel wanted his regiment to go, and the
General wanted his old regiment to go, and finally did not send any.