HISTORY OF THE ORPHAN BRIGADE.

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now considerably advanced, and tried to retrace his steps. For three days and nights he had scarcely slept; had been engaged in all the active movements of the Ninth Regiment, which began the day before Bragg's defeat; had been subjected to much tension of mind by the dangerous and responsible position of commander of the special detachment in the rear; and riding alone at this time, without sentry challenge, with no noise of battle near or far, now and again fell asleep, but kept his saddle. Once he was saved by the instinct of his mare from riding into a Federal camp. At length he found the Ninth Kentucky, and gave-Col. Breckinridge information as to the position of the interposing Federal force. This officer directed him to push on in his search for Gist. He was soon overpowered again, and fell into the unconsciousness of that slumber which ensues when the powers of endurance are well-nigh exhausted; but from this sleep he was awakened by the cold muzzle of a gun against his face. A short colloquy ensued, and a demand for surrender was made; but this was answered by a death-shot from Rudy' rifle. He had carried it resting on the saddle before him, and his enemy was now on the left, with his head nearly touching it. When startled by the challenge he had cocked it without noise, and now a touch of the trigger saved him from capture and possibly averted disaster from his regiment, which took up the march as soon as he reported the cause of the shot. By quiet and circumspect movement during the remainder of the night the entire rearguard avoided the strong Federal columns that had then so nearly surrounded it and reached Ringgold early on the morning of November 27.

After Gen. Wheeler's attack on the Federal force at Charleston, Tenn., Dec. 28, 1863, in which Rudy participated, he received a commission as cadet in the Confederate States Army and was ordered to report to Gen. Morgan. He was now promoted to be first lieutenant and assigned to Co. B, Second Battalion (Maj. Jacob Cassell commanding). This battalion was held in reserve when Morgan engaged Averill at Wytheville, Va. (May, 1864), but rendered signal service just before dark by charging the enemy in its front, completely routing him, and contributing largely to decide the action in favor of the Confederate arms.

The battalion played a conspicous part also during Morgan's last raid in Kentucky, and the subject of this sketch, acting not only with valor but good military judgment at all times, especially distinguished himself in the second day's fight at Cynthiana (June 12, 1S64). In command of three companies of the Second Battalion, he received from Gen. Morgan, at a critical juncture, an order to bring his men as quickly as possible and accompany him. They rode out on the Paris pike, where they found the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry (Col. Giltner),