Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/641

Rh 14th, and on the next day, believing his position untenable, ordered an attack in the hope of cutting a path of retreat through the investing lines. A fierce and stubborn battle followed, in which Pillow was successful in gaining possession of the Charlotte road and Buckner was equally successful on the Wynn's Ferry road. Floyd then "started for the right of his command to see that all was secure there," his intention being to hold the positions gained and immediately move out the entire army. During his absence a change was made in the disposition of the troops by General Pillow, and the enemy pressed forward, and with the help of reinforcements regained so much of their lost ground that it became necessary to withdraw to the original Confederate position. A council of war followed, in which the generals were united that resistance was useless against the great investing force, but both Pillow and Floyd declared that they would not surrender, and General Buckner assumed that responsibility. Forrest took out his cavalry through the submerged river road, and General Floyd, with a large part of his brigade, embarked on the river transportation and reached Nashville in safety. He subsequently had command of the "Virginia State Line," operating in southwestern Virginia, finally retiring to his home at Abingdon, Va., where he died August 26, 1863.

 Brigadier-General Samuel Garland was born at Lynchburg, Va., December 16, 1830, of an old Virginia family, his great-grandmother having been a sister of President Madison. His father, Samuel Garland, Sr., a well-known lawyer, died when his son was five years old. He entered a classical school at the age of seven years, and was graduated at the Virginia military institute, where he was the founder and president of the first literary society of that institution. In 1851 he was graduated in law at the university of Virginia, and he at once entered upon the practice of the profession at Lynchburg. His career during the period before the war was one of worthy prominence, and he became widely esteemed as a skillful lawyer and polished gentleman. In 1859, after the affair at Harper's Ferry, he organized the Lynchburg Home Guard, of which he was the first captain. He was not by inclination a military man, entering the service both in 1859 and 1861 as a matter of duty; but when enlisted 