CHAPTER XI.

FALMOUTH HEIGHTS.

General McDowell in Command of the Army of Virginia.-Advance to Bristoe and Falmouth.-Harris Light Leading the Advance.Sudden Fire on the Van-guard.-Furious Charge upon the Rebel Cavalry.-Death of Lieutenant Decker.-His Comrades Avenge His Death.-The Enemy Scattered Like Chaff Before the Whirlwind.-Outposts, Stores and Provisions Captured.-A Loyal Southern Citizen Greets the Old Flag.-Plan for a Night Attack on Falmouth.-Brilliant Capture of the Place by Kilpatrick.

WHEN the Army of the Spring of 1862, the troops

HEN the Army of the Potomac was transferred

left in front of Washington were denominated the Army of Virginia. General McDowell commanding this force advanced to Bristoe in the early part of April, and on the seventeenth of that month, detaching General Auger with a brigade of Infantry and two regiments of Cavalry, directed him to proceed to Falmouth, a small village on the Rappahannock, opposite the City of Fredericksburg, with instructions to occupy the latter place if possible.

The author's regiment, the Harris Light Cavalry, had the advance and was followed by the Fourteenth Brooklyn. As our Infantry comrades became footsore and fatigued, we exchanged positions with them for mutual relief until at last one-half of the two regiments were bearing each others' burdens. This inci

dent paved the way for a strong friendship between the Harris Light and Fourteenth Brooklyn. I cannot call to mind in the course of my military experience, a more novel sight than that of those gallant Brooklyn boys mounted upon our horses, while we marched by their side carrying their muskets; they amusing us with their knowledge of horsemanship and we essaying to show them that we were not wholly ignorant of the evolutions of infantry.

Seventeen miles were quietly traveled when a sudden fire on our advance-guard brought every cavalry man to his horse and infantry man to his musket. Everything 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 van-guard in command of Lieutenant George Decker made a furious charge upon Field's Cavalry which was doing outpost duty ten miles from Falmouth.

On the very first assult Lieutenant Decker fell from his horse, pierced through the heart with a fatal bullet. The fall of this gallant young officer was much lamented by his associates of the Harris Light. His death, however, shocking as it was to the command, only seemed to nerve the men for bold revenge. 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 nearly 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 suspicion. He was, however, brought to General Auger's headquarters, where he gave satisfactory proof of his kind intentions, and then gave the General a full description of the position and strength of the enemy.

A plan for a night attack was thereupon laid and committed to Bayard and Kilpatrick.

Our instructions were conveyed to us in a whisper. A beautiful moonlight fell upon the scene which was as still as death; and with a proud determination the two young cavalry chieftains moved forward to the night's fray. Bayard was to attack on the main road in front, but not until Kilpatrick had commenced operations on their right flank by a detour through a neglected and narrow wood-path. As the Heights