Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 5.djvu/75

Rh after A. P. Hill had been fighting for two hours. With Hood was the Hampton legion infantry, under Lieut.-Col. M. W. Gary, and with Longstreet was R. H. Anderson’s South Carolina brigade. These troops had the honor of taking part in Longstreet’s and Whiting’s final charge along the front and flank of the Federal left, and were among the first to gain the coveted crest and pierce and turn his flank, capture his artillery and decide the day.

Hood moved to the final assault with Hampton s legion on his left. On the left of the legion was Law s splendid brigade. Immediately on Hood s right was Pickett’s brigade, and in support of Pickett the brigades of Wilcox, Pryor and Featherston. Thus, in the decisive charge, ordered by General Lee all along the battle line, they were hurled against and around the &quot;wooded bluff&quot; on the Federal left. In this grand assault, R. H. Anderson’s brigade was divided, part of it supporting Pickett and part Wilcox. The writer regrets that neither General Anderson nor any one of his regimental commanders has a report of the battle on file. The same is true of the Hampton legion, Colonel Gary.

General Hood reports that he ordered the legion &quot;to gain the crest of the hill in the woods and hold it, which they did.&quot; General Longstreet, reporting the action of his brigade, refers specially to the gallantry of General Anderson and Colonel Jenkins, these officers commanding the separated parts of the brigade of Anderson. In the official returns, the loss of Anderson at Games Mill and Glendale (Frayser’s Farm) is given in total at 787. The losses of the Fourth, Fifth and Palmetto sharpshooters at Gaines’ Mill are reported as 173. The losses of the Second Rifles and Sixth South Carolina at this battle are not given separately from Glendale. Hood reports the legion’s —