Here is an interesting piece of a letter of Captain Henry Albert Potter of the 4th Michigan Cavalry written about Kilpatrick's Raid. In the letter he tells how to detect a coward. [not sure I agree with him - he is speaking of green recruits who hadn't seen the elephant yet and he is not indicating these men are running away but rather futilely trying to dodge the minié balls whistling around them] Here the general (1), who by the way is about a match for any body I ever seen in coolness and impudence, left colonel Murray with his division to fight and hold them back while he made another drive for the RR about ten miles below to Fayetteville -- our Brigade in advance -- we struck and charged their pickets killing some and drove them back -- when the 4th was ordered in the night to make a big show as possible and tear up a few rails while the attack was to be made by the 7th Penn and 4th Regulars. They advanced and charged the enemy’s line but were repulsed with loss and our boys were obliged to fall back hastily. We had struck two divisions of infantry, which had been sent there to take us-- you see we had struck a snag -- the 7th Penn lost about 40 and the Regulars 36 in that fight -- they charged dismounted. Well they drove us back so we had to leave one piece of Artillery in the ground but not so far but that our skirmishers covered it with their fire and with some loss we got it back. A number volunteered to retake it and they rushed down and pulled it off with their hands. Well shortly we begun to hear firing in our rear. It increased and soon we found we had their cavalry in our rear and Infantry in front -- in fact we were surrounded. They were forming to play Stoneman (2) on us ‘Yanks’too -- but Kilpatrick held a consultation with his officers and a decision was agreed at which we soon found out we were to charge! through their cavalry and cut our way out -- and here I must say -- there was no time to be lost either -- for their infantry were moving up and extending their line and every minute made the matter worse. Col. Minty volunteered to charge with his Brigade. The offer was accepted. We formed in column of regiments facing to the rear -- the 7th Penn on the Right, the 4th Mich in the center and the 4th Regs on the left. We held a hill yet in our rear which hid our movements from the enemy. The 2nd Brigade was to support us then was to come the command, Artillery, and Ambulances etc. with Pack mules and all. While we stood there waiting the order a man in the Regulars was shot dead by a bullet. He stood about 6 feet from me and although it misses even shot there by random shots, there is a certain feeling which I cannot tell you of -- when a man stands waiting the wind which perhaps will send him to Eternity in an instant. You never will know or feel it until you are there yourself (and I hope you will never be) there is a sort of instinctive bracing of the nerves and an air of sternness in a brave man’s looks which soon tells you his calibre. There is the place to detect a coward --I pity them -- they dodge at every sound and sight they see like a turkey looking for bugs. It is laughable as well as sober. Presently you hear the command Draw Saber! and then the command Charge! -- and away we went. As we raised that hill a shower of shot greeted us -- but with a yell enough to wake the dead -- we spurred on to their line. Their artillery belching forth grape and canister into our line. The regulars were directly in front of the battery and suffered badly. Capt. McCormick and Lt. Sullivan and a file of men in their van were mowed down by one shot. The ground grew rough and stony. On we pressed -- keeping up that deafening yell -- our Sabers flashing in the sun a thousand rays of light -- and as we got within 30 rods of their works they threw their arms down and run -- but on we go dashing over their works. The work commences -- they surrender by dozens -- but many of them were cut down without mercy. for my part I could not strike them after they had given up and but very few did hit them in our regiment -- but the Regulars (3) slashing right and left and many a poor devil’s brains lay scattered on the ground. NOTES: (1)The 'Kilpatrick raid', led by General Judson Kilpatrick (affectionately called "Kill-Cavalry" by his men), consisted of 4700 cavalry and 8 pieces of artillery with support. The 2nd Division was 2300 men with 4 pieces of artillery and the 3rd Division were 2400 with 4 pieces of artillery. The objective was to destroy the rail lines leading into Atlanta. They ran into Both Confederate infantry and Pat Claiborne's cavalry (Sul Ross's Texans) sent out by CSA General Hood, who learned of the expedition almost before it began. The expedition was lucky in that the CSA infantry got lost on the way to engage Kilpatrick. (2)Stoneman refers to an earlier raid where the Confederates captured most of a Union cavalry expedition. [Minty’s Cavalry by Vale page 526 (published 1886)] (3)Potter is referring to the 4th Regular US Cavalry which was brigaded with Minty's Brigade during the war. The whole letter is posted here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mruddy/letters5.htm