to Fort Monroe to advise him of the plan. Foreshadowing the further difficulties which would arise during the operation, Peirce was too ill to ride his horse and went to the fort by boat. Peirce was ordered to first send Col. Abram Duryee's 5th New York Volunteer Infantry (Duryée's Zouaves) from Camp Hamilton at Hampton to a point between Little Bethel and Big Bethel and then, after having cut the road to Big Bethel, to attack the Confederates at Little Bethel. Col. Frederick Townsend's 3rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, with two howitzers, was to march from Hampton after the 5th New York Infantry had departed and provide support at Little Bethel. Meanwhile, Col. John W. Phelps, commanding at Newport News, would send detachments from his own 1st Vermont Infantry and Col. David W. Wardrop's 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment (90–day Militia) under the command of Lt. Col. Peter T. Washburn to approach Little Bethel from the opposite side. Washburn would be followed by Col. Bendix's German–speaking 7th New York Infantry Regiment and two artillery pieces manned by regulars from the 2d U.S. Artillery Regiment, commanded by Lt. John T. Greble. The plan was for this force to meet the 3rd New York Infantry under Townsend at a road junction about from Little Bethel and form a combined reserve. Peirce and his staff headed for Little Bethel with Townsend's 3rd New York Infantry Regiment. The column from Camp Hamilton was to start at midnight, and that from Newport News a little later, as its line of march would be shorter. Anticipating possible confusion during a night march by inexperienced troops, Butler ordered the watchword, "Boston," to be given to each column and further ordered that all the troops should wear a white rag or handkerchief on their left arms so they would recognize each other. Any attacking regiment was supposed to first shout the watchword. Butler's aide and messenger to the Newport News command, Capt. Haggerty, forgot to advise Col. Phelps and the Newport News contingent of these precautions. Friendly fire incident Colonel Abram Duryée led the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry from their positions at Camp Hamilton and despite some delays arrived near Little Bethel at about 4:00 a.m. Part of this regiment under Captain (later Brigadier General) Judson Kilpatrick captured three Confederate pickets before dawn and were in position to continue the advance as planned. Before Duryée's men