he is facing bentonville. he asks his commander, he says, i don't suppose you would have any objection to my making a little reconnaissance, to which blair replies, none whatsoever. there's a little bit of george patton in joe mauer. he sees this as a precursor. when he does for his little reconnaissance is he takes his two available brigades and decides to attack the confederate lines in bentonville. it just so happens that johnston's headquarters is right there. it takes mauer about an hour to get across the swamp, reach the confederate line. the only confederates he is facing -- poor excuse of a skirmish line. general johnston directs hardy to put together a counterattacking force to stop progress. it will take time for them to collect strength. and just before hardy can launches counterattack he punches a hole in the confederate line. their 16th shooter henrys, are able to get all the way to bentonville. they come within a few yards of cutting off johnston's only line of retreat. in the process, they send