A march of three days more brought us to Decatur, Miss. The 16th Army Corps passed on beyond the place to encamp for the night. As the rear of their supply train was passing out of the place it was attacked, and one man and twenty-six mules were killed. The 17th Corps encamped for the night at Decatur. The next morning General Leggett sent me out on a road running south from the place, to ascertain whether there was a rebel force near. I had only gone half a mile before I discovered, a short distance ahead of me, a squad of rebs. I returned to report the fact to General Leggett, and as I was passing the first line of our troops, Major Fry, of the 20th Ohio, said to me, "Bunker, what is there out there?" "There are rebs out there." "How far?" "Not more than half a mile." "Pshaw! Bunker, you are mistaken; there can't be rebs that near." "Perhaps you had better go and see, if you don't believe it." The Major mounted his black stallion and went out. The road was crooked, and lined on both sides with a heavy growth of pine underbrush, so that it was impossible to see far. He hadn't been gone long enough to have rode half a mile, when he was seen coming back with his horse under full spur, and at its utmost speed, with hat in hand, shouting at the top of his voice, "Fall in! Fall in! Fall in!" From the Major's actions, we all supposed that a large force of rebs were about to attack us. The troops instantly fell in, when a company was sent out to find the cause of alarm, and discovered seven men that had given chase to the Major. Officers sometimes get frightened as well as enlisted men. General Leggett then gave me a squad of twenty-six men and sent me out on a road to the south-east of town. Two miles out I saw a citizen fleeing from his house to the woods, as if alarmed at our approach. I gave chase and soon caught up with him. Brandishing my revolver, I said to him, "Daddy, you have got to tell me one thing or I will kill you right here; now tell me the truth." "Well, what is it?" "Where were you going, and what were you going for?" "There are six hundred State militia down in the woods, about three quarters of a mile from here; I was afraid of you all, and I was going down there for protection." "You belong to them, I suppose?" "No, sir." "What are the militia doing there?" "They are going to attack your supply train." "That's a fact, is it?" "Yes, and they are going to do it right quick." "It was the militia that killed the mules last night, I suppose." "No, it was the citizens of the town." "Did you have a hand in it?"