78 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

iels’ me
could be done until we reached Daniels’ school me so :
i E 7 i s thought pru-
y r es from town, when it wa ght
three or four miles acs
pcs 1 d and feel our way. cece g
dent to send videttes ahea Ries fo i
; i r the work and ordere
in J rer vas detailed for the wor
Captain J. B. Edgerton wa : be
i im as taking five men
ces ith him as he chose an
to take such men wit pee ee
i i 7 forward. He did not find t
with him, he went forv : . pee
ntil he arrived at the bridge. Their attention was padi
uv uo a D> ; : :
fi of his men firing at them contrary to Ms
soon as they could collect their
He reported at once
idge and were

to his posse by one
orders. They mounted as
scattered forces and started after him. sg
that their whole force had come nent Z r ee
i ir way § rere then two miles trom us.
feeling their way and wer spree
instrue -o back and make a show of fig
then instructed to go be es pers
could toll them on our way perhaps. This w aves Pes
to make arrangements to meet ee be rtp a rbot
i; 7 i an d
rth si “oad was a little fla ; 5
the north side of the 1 eee
i road and between
i red, : he south side of the road a
timbered, and on the s | a
and a field by which they were bound to fee :
ue our detachment, was another fla

Two hundred yards to our rear was
a nice old pine field where the horses could be — fr is
‘cht “hey P iedly carried around wl
sight. They were hurriedly :
eins the men dismounted and two Sra neee find
oO ssi 5 ; z
i 3. Wethen hurried bac (

oners left with the horses. .
house and the men were placed three paces ee on spades Fi
of the road and about fifteen paces (or ee I ae Ae

1 ri rith legs nearly the s gth.
forming a long triangle wi ¢ A
We calmly awaited the report of Captain Edgerton.

school house
they continued to purs
or pond wooded also.

DANIEL’S SCHOOL HOUSE.

ed at the crook in the road up at the field ;

ir fir il or-
then cautioning the men to be sure to ey pes fire ama a
i to ai the stirrups, Edg
and not to aim at any one above = ,
ae with his detachment, took their eee Z
i : e
the road, there being only six or a pints Aa tee
; '
vas 81, as follows: Cap ge
‘hole number engaged was 81, as =
hin 34; Captain Ellis, 28; Captain Thompson, 19. Pear
ine as on the south side of the road with his men
ide with his. This was

He soon appear

dered
and Major Kennedy

Edgerton w
Major Kennedy was on the north s

SeventTy-Firrn REGIMENT. 79

what we baited with, and the enemy very carelessly took the
bait.

When they came to the corner of the fence in full view
they unlimbered a small piece of cannon and give us a couple
of rounds, but did not move us. They then thought perhaps
it was the same little party that had been showing up before
them all the way from Tarboro, prepared for a charge and
made the movement handsomely until fired upon from the
right and left, and seventeen of their horses were shot down
at a single volley. The command to fire was not given until
it was believed by firing at that time we would succeed in cut-
ting off as much as we would be able to take care of, and this
so proved for being only a few of us mounted, many that
were dismounted ran off before us and we could not help our-
selves, our horses being two hundred yards from us back in
the old field. In making the charge they could see none of
the men in the woods and all whom they could see being
mounted it emboldened them not to surrender when asked ;
and when their column was cut in two and their rear had
gone tilting back for Tarboro these fellows in front kept
right on fighting, using their sabers after their pistols and
carbines had been discharged.

Captain Edgerton and the mounted men, as well as Major
Kennedy, had their hands full for a while in hand-to-hand en-
counters. Captain Edgerton had the Yankee Major (Clark-
son) on his side of the road, and right vigorously he gave him
the saber as he went by him in the road. The Yankee Cap-
tain (Church) was on the other side of the road, but did not
have as good luck as the Major—not that any did his duty
any better than Captain Edgerton, for he was just as good as
a true soldier ought to be—but Major Kennedy had shot out
all he had loaded and did not have time to draw saber before

the Captain and others were pressing him, and having his
rifle in his hand he raised himself in his stirrups and gave the
Captain such a blow as sent him reeling off his horse. Those
of us who were mounted then had some exciting races to catch

those of them who, seemingly, had gone completely wild since
the little fight commenced.

The dismounted men having done all they could in secur-