The ammunition, accompanied by Lieutenant Baker, my wife, and
two servants, carrying double breechloading elephant rifles. The
rear-guard would consist of fifteen sniders. The few remaining sniders
would be distributed along the line.
Neither the advance; nor rear-guard would carry any loads beyond their
knapsacks and a small bag of flour. Five of the sniders with me would
also be exempted from carrying loads; but every other soldier, and every
woman and boy, would carry either one of the metal boxes or some other
package.
I explained to the men that they would be attacked throughout the route
at a great disadvantage, but that success would depend upon the strict
observance of orders for the march combined with the utmost coolness.
Each man was to keep just near enough to be able to touch with his
outstretched hand the knapsack of the man before him, and upon no
account to widen this distance, but to keep the line intact. Should it
be broken by the sudden rush of the enemy, we should at once be lost.
Should the attack be made simultaneously on both sides, alternate files
would face to right and left, place their loads upon the ground, and
fire low down in the grass, as the natives always crouched after
throwing a spear from covert.
A bugler would accompany the colonel commanding the advance-guard, in
addition to buglers with myself and the rear-guard; thus we should be
able to communicate along the line, which would be concealed from view
by the high grass.
On arrival at water, and in crossing either swamps or streams, no man or
woman was to stop to drink unless the bugle of the advance-guard sounded
halt.
No woman would be allowed to speak during the march, as profound silence
must be observed.
The officers and men received their instructions, merely declaring that
wherever I should lead them, they would follow and obey.
I at once divided the effects that could be carried, into the requisite
number of loads, which were carefully packed in metal boxes by my wife
and her black maids. It was hard and anxious work. The strongest men
were selected to carry the boxes of snider cartridges, which weighed 64
lbs. each.
All the rest of the baggage I arranged in piles, and distributed in the
government divan and the various houses. I spread my large tent over the
luggage in the divan, and poured over it a quantity of nitrous ether,
spirits of wine, lamp-oil, spirits of turpentine, and all the contents
of the large medicine-chest.
I filled up my small chest, and took a good roll of adhesive plaster, a
number of bandages, and a packet of lint.
Upon the tent-cloth, rendered highly inflammable by the saturation of
spirits and oil, I laid about sixty rockets.
