After staying there some months, certain transfers of officers were made, which reconciled the difficulty, and I returned to my post, Fort Moultrie.

During that winter, 1844-'45, I was visiting at the plantation of Mr.Poyas, on the east branch of the Cooper, about fifty miles from Fort Moultrie, hunting deer with his son James, and Lieutenant John F.Reynolds, Third Artillery.

We had taken our stands, and a deer came out of the swamp near that of Mr.James Poyas, who fired, broke the leg of the deer, which turned back into the swamp and came out again above mine.

I could follow his course by the cry of the hounds, which were in close pursuit.
Hastily mounting my horse, I struck across the pine-woods to head the deer off, and when at full career my horse leaped a fallen log and his fore-foot caught one of those hard, unyielding pineknots that brought him with violence to the ground.

I got up as quick as possible, and found my right arm out of place at the shoulder, caused by the weight of the double-barrelled gun.
Seeing Reynolds at some distance, I called out lustily and brought him to me.