could advance close enough to the Confederate positions to open the attack, they heard gunfire behind them. Colonel Bendix's 7th New York Volunteer Infantry had opened fire on Colonel Frederick Townsend's 3rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, who were coming up the narrow road from the direction of Hampton to the south. The 3rd New York Infantry was being led down the road by General Peirce and his staff on horseback without an advance guard. Bendix knew that no cavalry was with the Union force and mistook the 3rd New York for a Confederate cavalry regiment. More importantly, the 3rd New York Infantry wore gray uniforms, with white bands on their arms such as had been seen previously on the hats, at least, of Confederates. Bendix, who had not been given the watchword or the instructions on armbands, thought the Confederates were behind his regiment as well as in front and ordered his men to fire upon Townsend's men. After the attack by Bendix's men, Peirce pulled his force back to south of the New Market Bridge, a counter-march of about to assess the situation and to await an expected further Confederate attack in a more advantageous position. To the dismay of all, it was soon discovered that Bendix had opened fire with muskets and an artillery piece on the 3rd New York Infantry and the commanding general's party, wounding 21 men (two mortally) and causing dozens of other men to flee the field. At this time, the colonels of various regiments, in particular Duryea and Washburn, advised Peirce to call off the operation. However, Butler's aides, Major Winthrop and Captain Haggerty, urged Peirce to move forward, and he chose to continue with the attack. At least forty men of the 3rd New York Infantry had fled back to the fort at Hampton where they reported that their regiment was being cut to pieces by a large Confederate force. Before waiting for a request for reinforcement, Colonel William H. Allen then headed north with the 1st New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment to help Townsend's regiment. Peirce also soon sent a message back to Hampton for the 2d New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment under Colonel Joseph B. Carr to come up to the area. They were ordered to stop at the New Market Bridge and ultimately acted as a rear guard. Thinking they had been cut off when they heard the