Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 5.djvu/126

114 an exact right angle to its first position. The pivot had gained forward a half mile, but Rosecrans had held fast with his left on the river. In the wheeling fight, on Hardee’s right, and in the struggle to move the pivot forward as it turned, Withers division made its battle. That general reported the operations of his division with great accuracy and distinctness, and we shall follow his report for an account of Manigault’s brigade.

As Withers placed his brigades from right to left, Chalmers brigade was on the right touching the river, and formed the pivot of the great wheel; then came Patton Anderson s brigade, then Manigault’s, and lastly Deas’. Manigault moved out in due time, and his left swinging around met the enemy on a wooded ridge, and stormed and carried it. In his wheel through an open field, and before the brigade could touch Anderson s, on its right, it was taken in flank by artillery and the fire of the force it had driven. Here fell the gallant Col. A. J. Lythgoe, of the Nineteenth South Carolina, at the head of his regiment. His major-general well said of him: &quot;He dies well who dies nobly.&quot; The flank fire on Manigault broke his line and repelled his advance in some confusion. Rallying, the brigade continued its battle, now with more success charging and gaining ground. But it had gone beyond its right and left supports, and was again fired upon by artillery on the right flank; the brigade on his immediate left was repulsed and again Manigault had to retire. Maney’s brigade, from Cheatham’s division, was ordered to support Manigault’s left, and again he advanced and with Maney’s gallant aid the brigade swung forward and round in victorious advance.

This third advance brought the two South Carolina regiments directly on the battery that had done their brigade so much harm, and the Tenth and Nineteenth were ordered to charge and take it. The Tenth, led by Lieut.-Col. J. F. Pressley, and the Nineteenth, by Lieut.-Col. T. P. Shaw, moved as one man to take the guns. A