First, twenty-five or thirty men were stationed in front of the armory. The building, as has already been stated, stood facing the river, and the broad street before it was not less than one hundred and fifty feet in width. Next, behind an abutment of one of the railroad bridges fifteen or twenty more were placed, and still further down the stream thirty or forty more. A continuous double line of cavalry encircled the entire square, while up the river’s bank, near and above the scene of the encounter of the young men and the militia company on the 4th, stood some hundreds more in reserve. With all the consequential airs of an officer who knows himself for a great General about to win for his already honor-burdened brow fresh wreaths that shall be amaranthine General Baker proceeded to place squads of men here and there, on the corners of the streets and in other commanding positions, clear across the sub-level half-mile from the river to the hills, and even upon its slope, till all the streets were thoroughly picketed and guarded, and escape made presumably impossible. Seeing all this Captain Doc descended to his men, and distributed them between the windows, and in the front corners of the room, under protection of the walls. “Jes, see ’dem five men’s settin’ on deir hosses, ovah ’dar on de rivah-bank!” said corporal Free, rising upon his knees from his crouching position below one of the high windows, and peeping out. “Cap’n, I don’t like de looks of tings out dar!” “Well, then, don’t look out, but make yor’self easy, and stay right where I put yo’.” “That’s jest what we’re bound to do, Cap’n; we’ll make ourselves easy and peaceable.” “Dare comes Gen’l Baker from down street, on hossback, an’ he an’t more’n fifteen yards from ’dis building! Now he’s motioned his hand to dem five mens, an’ dey done rode right off down towards de road bridge! Oh, laws! I seed a mighty big crowd o’ Georgia white men coming up de street, wid guns in deir hands;” and he hurriedly crouched down to his former position, little knowing that the city police, stationed at the bridge in extra numbers, allowed no colored people to pass. “Harry Gaston and a posse is running all the women and children out of the streets, that was looking over this way!” said another militia man, who stood peeping out at the side of another window. “Boys, it do look like thar’ was gwoine to be a fight here, shor!” “The Intendant asked for time to get the women and children out o’ town, an’ General Baker said he’d give ‘half an hour,’” said another. “_Onus fifteen minutes_, it was,” roared Mansan Handle, “Onus fifteen minutes to get ’em all out, an’ he swore about _that_. I’m glad _my_ woman’s gone.” The sound of rapping at the door below was heard, and a voice called: “Doc, Captain Doc!” “Don’t none o’ yo’ go near the windows, but just yo’ keep still where yo’ be,” said the Captain, who then threw up a sash, and looking down, asked what was wanted.