Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/509

28 by my men." The loss of the Eighteenth, the largest of any command in action on the Confederate line, was 22 killed and 63 wounded.

Colonel Featherston, of the Seventeenth, in his report mentioned with praise the service of Lieut.-Col. John McQuirk, field officer of the day; Major Lyle, who acted as lieutenant-colonel; Capt. W. D. Holder, who acted as major; Adjutant Fiser, Capt. E. W. Upshaw, and the particularly gallant record of Captain Duff. "In the last charge which crowned our success and completed the discomfiture of the enemy, no troops could have behaved better," wrote Featherston of the Seventeenth. "The whole line marched forward in the most admirable order upon a vastly superior force, reserving their fire until within the most effective range; then pouring it in with deadly effect and rushing forward over ground broken into abrupt hills and ravines, and covered with thick woods, without a single halt or waver, until the enemy were literally driven into the river; and this, too, under a heavy fire and after having been under arms almost without intermission for more than thirty-six hours, and while wearied with several long and rapid movements made during the preceding day and night." The loss was remarkably small in this regiment, two killed and nine wounded.

The Thirteenth Mississippi during the battle had held in check the enemy at Edwards Ferry; the companies of Capts. S. J. Randall, D. R. McIntosh and Wm. H. Worthington watching the Federals, while the remainder of the regiment was posted near Fort Evans. The bold front of his command prevented Stone from advancing upon the Confederate flank, which he might easily have done, and given the battle an entirely different conclusion. On the following morning, Colonel Barksdale sent Captain Eckford, with his own and McElroy’s companies, against the enemy at Edwards Ferry, and presently the whole regiment joined in the action,