We arrived at Centerville before noon of the third day and made our camp there. After dinner we were ordered to advance, in light marching order, toward Blackburn's Ford. When near the Run we were deployed to the left of the road in an open field on a hillside sloping down to the Run, which was concealed by a growth of bushes and trees. Here we were ordered to rest. While in this position we were startled by seeing a finely-mounted and uniformed Confederate Officer ride out from these bushes just at the right of our regiment. I presume every man in the regiment saw him. Some three or four of the boys, having the instinct of war in them, immediately raised their guns to shoot him. Seeing this, our Colonel raised his hand in a forbidding attitude and called out,--"Why, boys, you would not shoot a man in that way, would you? Don't shoot!!" The Confederate Officer, after inspecting our position, returned to his command unharmed. In about fifteen minutes, as soon as he could maneuver his regiment, he ordered it to fire. We saw the flash and smoke and heard the roar and the hissing of the bullets. This is the first time we were under fire. I am glad to say we were under it about 20 feet. Every bullet passed over us. Not a man in our regiment was hit. After this volley we were complimented with a few shots from a battery of six-pound field pieces, which also went wide of their mark--assuming that they were shooting at us. Having received these compliments, we were withdrawn from the field and returned to our camp at Centerville. This was our part in the skirmish of Blackburn's Ford, three days before the first battle of Bull Run. On the next day we were ordered to establish a picket line between Centerville and Bull Run. When marching out from our camp toward the Run, we could see cars loaded with Confederate soldiers as their train crossed the road we were on. When they disembarked and formed in line the glistening of their bright gun barrels gave the impression they were aiming at us. This excited one of our boys terribly. He jumped out into the centre of the road, swinging his hat and yelling as loudly as he possibly could--"Don't shoot this way!! There are folks in the road!!" These two stories illustrate what we knew at that time about war. On the night before the battle I was detailed to do guard duty before General Dick Richardson's headquarters. He was occupying a small house. About eleven o'clock he came out and asked me if I would be on duty there at three o'clock in the morning. I answered "Yes." Then he said pointing in the direction of the Stone Bridge, "About three o'clock in the morning a cannon will be fired over there. When you hear it, call me at once. A great battle will be fought here tomorrow." I needed nothing more to keep me awake that night, nor did the General. He was out two or three times before the alarm gun was fired.