Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/30

 between Battery Gregg and Hatchers' run, in the following order from right to left: Twenty-eighth, Thirty-seventh, Eighteenth, Thirty-third—the right of the Twenty-eighth resting near the brown house in front of General McRae's winterquarters, and the left of the thirty-third on the branch near Mrs. Banks'.

The enemy commenced shelling my line from several batteries about nine o'clock that night, and the picket lines in my front opened fire at a quarter to two o'clock the following morning. The skirmishers from McGowan's brigade, who covered the works held by my command, were driven in at a quarter to five o'clock, and my line was pierced by the enemy in strong force at the ravine in front of the right of the Thirty-seventh near General McGowan's headquarters. The Twenty-eighth, enfiladed on the left by this force, and on the right by the force that had previously broken the troops to our right, was forced to fall back to the Plank road. The enemy on its left took possession of this road and forced it to fall still further back to the Cox road, where it skirmished with the enemy and supported a battery of artillery, by order of Brigadier-General Pendleton. The other regiments fought the enemy between McGowan's winterquarters and these occupied by my brigade, and were driven back. They then made a stand in the winterquarters of the right regiment of my command, but were again broken, a part retreating along the works to the left, and the remainder going to the rear. These last, under Colonel Cowan, made a stand on the hill, to the right of Mrs. Banks', but were forced back to the Plank road, along which they skirmished for some time, and then fell back to the Cox road, where they supported a battery of artillery, by order of Lieutenant-General Longstreet. That portion of my command which retreated along the works to the left, made two more unsuccessful attempts to resist the enemy, the last stand being made in the Church road leading to the Jones House. It then fell back to Battery Gregg and the battery to its left; but udderunder [sic] Major Wooten, and assisted by a part of Thomas' brigade, it soon after charged the enemy, by order of Major-General Wilcox, and cleared the works as far as the branch on which the left of the Thirty-third rested the night previous. Here we were rejoined by Colonel Cowan, and we deployed as skirmishes to the left of the Church road and perpendicular to the works, but did not hold this position long, as we were attacked by a strong line of skirmishers, supported by two strong lines of battle. A part of us retreated to