ree or
four of its number behind.

On reaching barracks dinner roll call and the march to and from dinner
followed. As ranks were broken on our return from dinner, one of our
number who had remained uptown came in breathless haste and announced
that House Mountain men had fallen on some of the cadets uptown and
killed them. House Mountain is situate some ten or a dozen miles from
Lexington, and at and in the vicinity of its base were homes of a good
class of people. They were understood at that time to be extremely
pro-Union. This information thus given was the needed match to set in
flame the pent-up feeling for war. Without a word every member of the
corps rushed to his room, seized his musket, cartridge box, bayonet
and scabbard and accoutered himself as he ran down the stoops to
the front of barracks, thence down the near way to the foot of Main
street near the Letcher residence. Colonel (afterwards General) Smith,
superintendent and ranking officer of the Institute, intercepted and
tried to turn us back, but his efforts were in vain. On we sped until
we reached Main street. Here Cadet Captain Galloway called out, "Form
battalion." This we proceeded to do. All had loaded their muskets and
fixed bayonets as they proceeded hither.

While battalion was forming Major John McCausland (then a
sub-professor and afterwards a brilliant Confederate brigadier general)
appeared in front of the battalion and said, "Young men, form and I
will lead you up." Col. Smith had now arrived and began to urge our
return to barracks. R. McCulloch, of the corps, called to McCausland to
lead us on. He replied that his superior officer (Colonel Smith) was in
command. Meanwhile the unionists who had realized the situation were
but a short distance up the street, preparing for the shock of battle
which seemed so imminent. The entreaties to return to barracks and the
formation into battalion went on. There stood one hundred and eighty
manly youths, armed and equipped and eager for the fray, awaiting the
command forward. They were of the v