Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 02.djvu/284

274 upon the flank—a pealing volley, which roared along the whole front—a stream of wasting fire, under which the adverse left fell as one man—and the bronzed veterans swept forward, shrivelling up Barlow's division as lightning shrivels the dead leaves of autumn; then, cleaving a fiery path diagonally across the enemy's front, spreading dismay and destruction, rolled up Mott's division in its turn, and without check, the woods still reverberating with their fierce clamor, stormed and carried Gibbon's entrenchments and seized his guns.

When night came down the victors returned to the main lines, guarding 1,742 prisoners, and bearing as trophies a vast quantity of small arms, four light guns, and eight standards.

In this brilliant feat of arms, co-operation, it would appear, was expected from another quarter, but though, as Touchstone says, "There is much virtue in if," I am here to relate the actual events of the defence, rather than to speculate upon what might have been.

On the same day, Wilson with his cavalry struck the Weldon railroad at Reams' Station, destroyed the track for several miles, and then pushed westward to the Southside road. Here, while tearing up the rails at "Blacks-and-Whites," having dispatched Kautz, meanwhile, to destroy the junction of the Southside and Danville roads at Burkeville, he was sharply assailed by W. H. F. Lee, who had followed him with his division of cavalry, and who now wrested from him the road upon which the raiders were moving. Again and again did Wilson seek to wrest it back, but Lee could not be dislodged. The combat was renewed next day, lasting from midday till dark, but at daylight of the 24th the Federal cavalry withdrew, leaving their killed and wounded on the field. Wilson reached Meherrin Station on the Danville road the same day, and Kautz having rejoined him, the two columns pushed on rapidly to Staunton River Bridge. But the local militia, entrenched at that point, behaved with great firmness, and W. H. F. Lee boldly attacking, again drove the Federals before him until dark. Wilson now turned to regain the lines in front of Petersburg, but his officers and men were marauding in a fashion which no prudent officer, on