J. B. Fairchilds was very seriously wounded
by an accidental discharge of his own pistol before starting.

On Thursday, April 6, several officers and men of the fleet were
ashore, but did not go into the town. In the afternoon many of our men
approached near the city, where the rebel cavalry could be seen
plainly. Paymaster J. W. Sands and I had walked about one-half the
distance from the river towards the town, when we saw the rebel
cavalry. We then returned nearer the river, to a cabin in which two
very old colored people lived, in the rear of a large log on which
Captain J. A. J. Brooks was standing, we both went into the cabin.
After a few minutes' stay there in conversation with the colored
people, I happened to look out of the window and saw the officers and
men of the fleet running. I immediately said to Paymaster Sands, "The
rebels are coming!" Then we ran out of the cabin under fire down toward
the fleet. The bullets fell all around me as I was running, and just as
I came to a path which led down the cliff, on which a lot of scrub oak
was growing, the fleet opened fire, and the branches of the trees over
my head were cut by the flying shells. I immediately fell out of range
_of the shells_, and took an unfrequented path which led to the mouth
of the ravine. I soon arrived at the mouth of the ravine, near by the
river. Meantime the fleet was keeping up a rapid fire. The remainder of
the officers and men came down, but soon learned our supposed enemy was
the 3d New York cavalry, who also thought we were Confederates. This
cavalry force had made a raid from Weldon, and had approached the town
from the opposite side from where the fleet was laying, and in so doing
captured the rebel cavalry in the town of Murfreesborough. There was
fortunately nobody injured. The horses of the cavalry were covered with
foam and very much heated--so much so that the saddles were taken from
their backs, and they were led around for an hour before they cooled
off.

The same afternoon, after the third New York cavalry had arrived, many
of the officers of the fleet, feeling they might visit the town with
impunity, did so. Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Lieutenant Joseph P. Fyffe
of the Hunchback, James M. Battin, chief engineer of the Valley City,
Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself, by invitation, took tea with a Mr.
C---- of the place.

The next morning, Thursday, April 6, the third New York cavalry marched
through the main street and left