Our instructions were to leave everything in camp except our guns and cartridge-boxes.

These were to be carried, but, under no circumstances, to be used, except in case of death itself.

We were instructed to fall in in the rear of our relief guard, which would go out about sunset; not to attract their attention, but to drop out one or two at a time; to pass the Yankee picket as best we could, even if we had to crawl on our bellies to do so; to go over in the Yankee lines, and to find out all we could, without attracting attention, if possible.
These were our instructions.

You may be sure my heart beat like a muffled drum when I heard our orders.
I felt like making my will.

But, like the boy who was passing the graveyard, I tried to whistle to keep my spirits up.