in other words I have never to this day understood how

one of those sultry debilitating days that had caused the suspending

of all military exercises; and as most of the men were lounging or

sleeping in their tents, we were literally caught napping. The alarm

spread instantly through the camp, and in a moment the command turned

out for action, somewhat in deshabille it is true, but none the less

effective, for every man had grabbed his rifle and cartridge-box at

the first alarm. Aided by a few shots from Captain Henry Hescock's

battery, we soon drove the intruders from our camp in about the same