"And my family--where are they?"

"In Heaven, I hope. All were killed by the shell."



A BAFFLED AMBUSCADE



Connecting Readyville and Woodbury was a good, hard turnpike nine or
ten miles long. Readyville was an outpost of the Federal army at
Murfreesboro; Woodbury had the same relation to the Confederate army
at Tullahoma. For months after the big battle at Stone River these
outposts were in constant quarrel, most of the trouble occurring,
naturally, on the turnpike mentioned, between detachments of
cavalry. Sometimes the infantry and artillery took a hand in the
game by way of showing their good-will.

One night a squadron of Federal horse commanded by Major Seidel, a
gallant and skillful officer, moved out from Readyville on an
uncommonly hazardous enterprise requiring secrecy, caution and
silence.

Passing the infantry pickets, the detachment soon afterward
approached two cavalry videttes staring hard into the darkness
ahead. There should have been three.

"Where is your other man?" said the major. "I ordered Dunning to be
here to-night."