a baffled ambuscade

by Ambrose Bierce

Connecting Readyville and Woodbury was a good, hard turnpike nine or ten miles long .Readyville was an outpost of_the federal army at Murfreesboro; Woodbury had the same relation_to_the confederate army at Tullahoma . for months after_the big battle at stone river these outposts were in constant quarrel, most of_the trouble occurring, naturally, on_the turnpike mentioned, between detachments of cavalry .Sometimes the infantry and artillery took a hand in_the game by way of showing their good- will .

one night a squadron of federal horse commanded by major Seidel, a gallant and skillful officer, moved out from Readyville on an uncommonly hazardous enterprise requiring secrecy, caution and silence .

Passing the infantry pickets, the detachment soon afterward approached two cavalry videttes staring hard into_the darkness ahead . there should_have_been three .

" where is your other man ? " said the major ."I ordered Dunning to_be here to- night ."

" he rode forward, sir," the man replied ." there_was a little firing afterward, but it_was a long way to_the front ."

" it_was against orders and against sense for Dunning to do_that," said the officer, obviously vexed ." why did he ride forward ? "

"Don't know, sir; he_seemed mighty restless . guess he_was skeered ."

when_this remarkable reasoner and_his companion had_been absorbed into_the expeditionary force, it resumed its advance . conversation was forbidden; arms and accouterments were denied the right to rattle . the horses' tramping was all that could_be heard and_the movement was slow in_order to_have as little as possible of_that . it_was after midnight and pretty dark, although there_was a bit of moon somewhere behind the masses of cloud .

two_or_three miles along, the head of_the column approached a dense forest of cedars bordering the road on both sides . the major commanded a halt by merely halting, and, evidently himself a bit "skeered," rode on alone to reconnoiter . he_was followed, however, by his adjutant and three troopers, who remained a little distance behind and, unseen by him, saw all that occurred .

after riding about a hundred yards toward the forest, the major suddenly and sharply reined in_his horse and sat motionless in_the saddle . near the side of_the road, in a little open space and hardly ten paces away, stood the figure of a man, dimly visible and as motionless as he . the major's first feeling was_that of satisfaction in having left his cavalcade behind; if_this were an enemy and should escape he_would_have little to report . the expedition was as_yet undetected .

some dark object was dimly discernible at_the man's feet; the officer could_not make it out . with_the instinct of_the true cavalryman and a particular indisposition to_the discharge of firearms, he drew his saber . the man on foot made no movement in answer to_the challenge . the situation was tense and a bit dramatic . suddenly the moon burst through a rift in_the clouds and, himself in_the shadow of a group of great oaks, the horseman saw the footman clearly, in a patch of white light . it_was trooper Dunning, unarmed and bareheaded . the object at his feet resolved itself into a dead horse, and at a right angle across the animal's neck lay a dead man, face upward in_the moonlight .

"Dunning has had the fight of_his life," thought the major, and was about to ride forward .Dunning raised his hand, motioning him back with a gesture of warning; then, lowering the arm, he pointed to_the place where the road lost itself in_the blackness of_the cedar forest .

the major understood, and turning his horse rode back to_the little group that had followed him and was already moving to_the rear in fear of_his displeasure, and so returned to_the head of_his command .

"Dunning is just ahead there," he_said to_the captain of_his leading company ." he has killed his man and will_have something to report ."

right patiently they waited, sabers drawn, but Dunning did_not come . in an hour the day broke and_the whole force moved cautiously forward, its commander not altogether satisfied with_his faith in private Dunning . the expedition had failed, but something remained to_be_done .

in_the little open space off the road they found the fallen horse . at a right angle across the animal's neck face upward, a bullet in_the brain, lay the body of trooper Dunning, stiff as a statue, hours dead .

examination disclosed abundant evidence that within a half- hour the cedar forest had_been occupied by a strong force of confederate infantry-- an ambuscade .