Page:Journal history of the Twenty-ninth Ohio veteran volunteers, 1861-1865.djvu/97

 by our officers, when we retired a few paces to reform our line, the fallen trees only separating us from the enemy.

Here we made a determined and bloody fight, but having no support to cover our flank we were subjected to a deadly cross-fire from the left, yet the regiment stubbornly stood its ground, returning shot for shot until its ammunition was exhausted. More was secured from the cartridge-boxes of the dead and wounded, and with this we fought on, determined to hold the position until reinforcements should reach us. Just before dusk an order came from the commanding general for the Twenty-ninth regiment to retire, all the other regiments having done so some time previous. To cover our retreat a line of skirmishers was thrown out, composed of men from each company who volunteered for this dangerous duty, and right nobly did they perform this work, firing with deadly precision as they retired from the field into the valley below, where the Twenty-ninth were already in bivouac, and comrades cheered lustily as the skirmishers came in, happy to know they had not met the fate of others.

John Davis, of company B, a Scotchman by birth and one of the best shots in the regiment, fired the last shot in this day's action, and was the last to leave the field.

The Twenty-ninth regiment in this fight distinguished itself by brave conduct, though at last compelled to retire from lack of support. Our losses in killed and wounded was more than double that of any other regiment engaged: Killed, 26; wounded, 67; captured 1; total 94.

General Geary highly complimented the regiment for its gallantry, remarking that he never saw men advance under such murderous fire, especially when unsupported