Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/246

38 his regiment. A series of charges were made upon the works as the various regiments came up, but were gallantly repulsed. The Federal batteries joined in the attack, replied to with equal spirit from the Confederate guns. The battle raged without intermission four hours, until night put an end to the fighting. Both infantry and artillery of Wise's command behaved with great coolness and intrepidity, and General Floyd specially mentioned the excellent performance of Guy's battery, for the first time under fire. The Federals were repulsed in five separate assaults, and finally withdrew from the front of the works, intending to renew the attack in the morning. But Floyd, having observed that the Federals had gained during the fight a position from which his line could be enfiladed, determined to abandon his hazardous position during the night, which he accomplished in safety without the loss of a gun. He had great difficulty in getting his guns down from the cliffs in the darkness over a wretched road, but he made the movement without molestation, and gained a position on the opposite shore where he could command the ferry, a smooth bit of water in the otherwise impassable mountain torrent. Once over, the bridge and ferryboat were destroyed. The Confederate loss in this action was but 20 wounded, Floyd himself receiving a slight wound in the arm, while the Federal loss was 17 killed and 141 wounded. Floyd had abandoned his position, but held one stronger, and still commanded the road by which Rosecrans would march to attack Wise, and with very little loss had inflicted severe punishment upon the enemy. He should have been captured to give Rosecrans title to claim of a victory.

Floyd considered the battle of Carnifix Ferry decisive so far as the troops with him and Wise were concerned. He reported that he could have beaten the enemy if Wise had come up when ordered, and the North Carolina and Georgia regiments could have arrived before the