Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 5.djvu/64

52 and Fifth South Carolina, tinder Major Mattison and Colonel Giles, on the right of Jenkins and on the immediate left of Hill’s attacking troops, formed his line in the same wood facing with Jenkins line, but some distance from it, and, supported by artillery fire from Hill’s line, attacked in his front a portion of General Naglee s troops. Both attacks were successful and Couch s and Naglee’s troops were beaten. Reaching the railroad, Jenkins halted and dressed his line, the Twenty-seventh Georgia being now recalled. Meeting General Anderson at the railroad, Colonel Jenkins was directed by him to move on. The sharpshooters and the Sixth marched ahead, fighting, and penetrated the Federal line, cutting off a part of those troops from Seven Pines. Changing front forward on his right, Colonel Jenkins, with his two regiments, now facing southwest, attacked the right of the position at Seven Pines on Hill s extreme left. &quot;At this point,&quot; he reports, &quot;the enemy, heavily reinforced, made a desperate stand and the fighting was within 75 yards.&quot; Pushing on, the Federals slowly gave ground, and the two regiments kept in close support and perfect order. Fighting forward and to his right, Jenkins reached the Williamsburg road, the Federal forces in his front falling back and taking position in the woods south of it, while the two South Carolina regiments formed in line in the road, facing south. The little brigade was now in a most critical position, in advance of Hill’s line, with the foe in front, and troops coming up the Williamsburg road to attack his left.

Colonel Jenkins determined, as he says in his report, &quot;to break the enemy in front before I could be reached by this new advance [coming up the Williamsburg road on his left], and then by a change of front to meet them.&quot; This was handsomely done, and sending two companies of the Sharpshooters, Kilpatrick s and Martin’s, under Maj. William Anderson, to attack and check the Federal advance, the two regiments were formed across