His words thrilled me, causing every nerve to quiver, and on the instant I seemed to see as if it were pictured before my eyes, the course which we should pursue. Without hesitating, and, I hope, speaking as if the thought had been in my mind before Jacob suggested it, I said sharply: “See to it that you have your weapons ready, and follow me in double file. We will go down this front staircase and out of the house by the back way, so that it will be possible to fall upon the enemy in the rear, and they be made to suppose that reinforcements have come up from the opposite direction.” Now every lad was on fire; the possibility of striking a blow after we had been penned up like rats in a trap was most welcome, and we gave no thought to the danger, or the chance that we might find ourselves in the midst of the redcoats instead of in their rear. I ran at full speed, regardless of encountering any one in the passageway, after making certain the Minute Boys were following, and when we had traversed the entire length of the building without meeting any one, and came out into the open on that side nearest the slave quarters, it appeared as if the attacking force was making its way up the lane leading from the road. The Britishers were wheeled about in that direction, and, save for a few skulkers here and there, nothing prevented our making such a demonstration as must be effective. I led the way round the building until we were at the westerly corner of the front, and there, where we might be screened in case a volley was suddenly poured upon us, said to my comrades: “Let us discharge our weapons at the same instant in order to make it appear that our force is very large, and that done, each lad is to step back within the shelter of the house while he reloads.” There was no delay in carrying such a plan into execution, nor was it possible for us to miscalculate the aim, since the Britishers were hardly more than twenty yards away, standing in so large a body that we would have fired wild indeed had any of our missiles failed of effect. Even though we were attacking the enemies of our country, it was not a pleasing thought to me that we were doing our best to take the lives of human beings. But surely it would be a survival of the fittest, and from our point of view the “fittest” were those who had nearest their hearts a love for the Carolinas. That which gave us greatest pleasure was a cry which came from the rear rank when our bullets took effect, for then we could hear half a dozen of the nearest shout: “They have outflanked us! The rebels are in the rear!” I fancied that those of our people who were in front also heard this cry, hoping they understood who was thus creating a diversion, for it seemed to me their fire was redoubled, and I believed I heard cries of encouragement and of joy.