Sam is caricaturing Lt. Col Charles May. Like most soldiers, Sam never forgave May for taking credit for the capture of General De La Vega at the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, when the actual captor was a bugler, Private Winchell. Chamberlain implies that May was headed away from the battle when, at 9:00 A.M., Taylor appeared on the field with May's Second Dragoons and Jefferson Davis's Mississippi Rifles to save the day on the left flank.