I dashed ahead at the top of my speed, when, within about one hundred yards of our pickets, "Bang! bang! bang!" went their pieces. "_For God's sake, don't shoot! It's me!_" I shouted. "Bang! bang!" went the carbines of my pursuers. The vedettes ran for the reserve. I fairly flew along, and the rebs after me, gaining rapidly. I kept straight after the vedettes till I had entered the field past the hedge fence; then I turned and followed it a few steps, and then plunged through it and crawled along on my hands and knees some distance in the weeds and grass by the side of it. My pursuers dashed on across the field, firing at the vedettes as they went. The reserve was immediately in saddle, and returned the fire of the enemy. The chase now turned the other way, and the rebs were pursued by our pickets. I kept on making a detour around to the rear of the reserve post before coming up, lest, from the confusion and excitement, I should again be fired at. Nearly all the reserve had joined in the chase, and but three or four men remained on the post. As I came up to the rear of them, without any challenge to halt, "Bang! bang!" went their pieces. "_What in hell and d--nation are you doing?_" I shouted. "You are determined to shoot me!" "That's Bunker!" said one. "No, by G--d, it a'n't!" said another, bringing his piece to a ready. "_For Christ's sake_," I shouted, "_don't shoot again! Are you determined to kill me?_" "Don't shoot! It _is_ Bunker!" said the others. By this time they were convinced who it was, and allowed me to come up. The alarm did not stop with the pickets, but extended across the river. An entire brigade turned out under arms, and orders were dispatched all along the lines to be in readiness to repel an attack from General Johnston. I requested to be immediately sent to General Osterhaus, under guard, agreeable to General Grant's instructions; but the Lieutenant refused to let me go until daylight, and then sent me in without guard. I reported to General Osterhaus, and explained to him where the rebel force was camped, and also its strength and what it was there for. "Vare you stshay they are? On the Baldwin's Ferry road?" inquired the General. "No; they are on the Fifteen-mile Creek road, near the crossing of the Edwards' Station and Baldwin's Ferry road." "Vell, dat ish vot I stshay! On the Baldwin's Ferry road!" I then marked out the position for him, and explained it, and still he insisted. "Vell, dat ish vot I _stshay!_ On the Baldwin's Ferry Road!" He then telegraphed to General Grant as he understood it, and received, in reply, orders for me to return immediately. I reported in person to General Grant, and told him the difficulty that I experienced in making General Osterhaus understand me. He replied, "I thought he did not understand you, so I ordered you back."