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21 my narrative. The second time I went on picket I thought it behooved me to secure a prize from some "Secesh" (?) accordingly after watching a round for some time, I managed to sieze a goose. I immediately made for a place where the canal crosses a creek just at this archway my retreat came near being cutoff by a man, a dog, and an old woman. I had to drop my prize lest I should be reported to head quarters and orders were strict in those days. Some of the boys got hold of my failure and enlarged on it and finally had quite a rig on me for a few weeks, but some of the worst ones getting caught fairly stealing molasses, thier batteries were fairly silenced, and when they named goose, all I had to do was mention molasses. On the 20th of Oct. a little after noon the Long roll was sounded and we were soon under arms and marched down to Edwards Ferry. A few shell were thrown across the river and Co. E of our Regt. crossed in a flat boat to the other side of the river. After remaining a short time they came back and we returned to camp. (About 2 miles distant). We had orders to be ready to mark by daylight the next morning. and accordingly we left camp at an early hour on the morning of the 21st and were soon at the river. after some delay we began crossing over to Virginia, scarcely two companies had crossed when word came that Col. Baker's column which was crossing at Balls Bluff five miles up the river were within one mile of Leesburg and we were therefore hurried forward as fast as the crossing in two little flat boats and a skiff could be affected. We had not got more than two Regt. across when we heard the Battle open at Balls Bluff. We could distinctly see the shells bursting, but no orders came for us to move. We might easily have attacked the enemy in the flank, but for some gross mismanagement. As it was, the little force at Balls Bluff was nearly annihilated while we laying within five miles and did nothing. That night we commenced recrossing. this was continued until about midnight when the order was countermanded and the troops that had crossed back to Md. were soon return-