April 12 — Went on picket. After we were at our picket a while, which is on the Valley pike a mile from Edenburg, Colonel Ashby came riding from some of his places of observation up the creek and said to Captain Chew: ” I want you to take a gun up the creek about half a mile,— I will show you where I mean,— and fire five shell in as little time as possible into an infantry camp of the enemy’s. Get your five shell ready, and as quick as you fire them, retire.”
We proceeded to the place indicated by Colonel Ashby. It was an open field from which we plainly saw, half a mile away, a Yankee camp of infantry that was to be stirred up. We did it effectively and in double-quick time. When we went in position there was a band playing in an old barn that stood in the camp. Our first greeting shell cruelly cut the music short off, to be concluded, I suppose, at a healthier and more convenient season. After we fired the five shell and started away a Yankee battery opened fire on us and gave us a few parting shell for spoiling their band music and making their infantry go through with the intricate evolutions of a sure enough war dance.
