.NDY.NDM0

66 Cable guard

up the river some two hundred rods and comensed fireing whereupon our picket had returned the fire, and our cavelry picket further out had fired at them and they had returned the fire. I could see the men at a distence, but could not believe (judging from their movement) that they wer our enemy, so I got a small stick and hoisted a white hankerchief in the air and proceeeded to advance toward them. They soon disovered me and proceeded the same as I had, and we soon came together. On inquery I found that the men aluded to belong to a gunboat that lay off in the river, to asist us in case of an atack and they had come ashore to kill some beef and had fired the first shot at a fast steer. They just came of the beef and I returned to camp well paid for my trouble. When we got short of meat we could get a plenty by strolling from camp a hundred rods or so.