120 WHIP AND SPUR. 



of the opening of the short engagement ; it was 

 ended by the only legitimate cavalry charge made 

 by the " Vierte Missouri " during the whole of its 

 four years' history. 



We had withdrawn from the line where we had 

 been fighting on foot, had mounted, formed, and 

 drawn sabre ; the road about one hundred yards 

 in front of us was swarming with Rebels, who 

 crept along the fence-lines and in the edge of 

 the bordering woods, and kept up a steady rain 

 of fire well over our heads, where we heard that 

 pfwit — pfivit — pfwit of flying bullets which, 

 happily, has no relative in the whole chorus of 

 sounds, and which is heard above all the din of 

 battle, and is felt through every remotest nerve. 



At the command "Forward," excitement ran 

 down the line, and there was a disposition for an 

 immediate rush. But "Steady — right dress — 

 trot !" in a measured tone, taken up in turn by 

 the company officers, brought back all the effect 

 of our three years' discipline of the drill-ground. 

 Later, " Steady — gallop — right dress ! " accel- 

 erated the speed without disturbing the align- 



