Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 04.djvu/23

Rh brigade was ordered to cover the retreat across the river after the works were carried, and was accordingly posted along the banks for that purpose, where it remained until relieved by Baldwin's brigade, Smith's division, which brought up the rear. By an error in the transmission of an order, the Twenty-third Alabama regiment, Col. F. K. Beck, remained at the bridge after Baldwin's brigade had been withdrawn, and gallantly engaged the enemy during the entire day, leaving its position about midnight and joining the brigade at Vicksburg. The city of Vicksburg was invested on the 18th of May—the enemy having regularly surrounded it, and commenced their parallel approaches. The position occupied by my brigade was immediately to the right of the railroad, with its left resting on that road. All the knolls in front of my line were at once seized by the enemy, and batteries erected thereon for their artillery, their sharpshooters in the meantime keeping up a continouscontinuous [sic] and annoying fire. On the 19th, 20th, and 21st of May, the enemy's forces were massed under cover of their artillery and sharpshooters' fire, in the ravines a few hundred yards in front of our lines. At about 10 A. M. on the 22d, a gallant assault was made upon our works from the right of my position to the extreme left of our line on the river. The assault upon my front was a determined one, but was handsomely repulsed, with considerable loss to the enemy. They succeeded, however, in carrying an angle of the work immediately to the right of the railroad, and in planting two colors upon the parapet, which remained there for several hours. The angle was finally assaulted and carried by a gallant band of Waul's Texas legion, under command of the intrepid Lt.-Col. E W. Pettus, Twentieth Alabama regiment. This brave officer, assisted by Major Steele and Capt. Bradly of the legion and the heroic Texans, captured the colors of the enemy and about fifty prisoners, including a lieutenant-colonel. A more daring feat has not been performed during the war, and too much praise cannot be awarded to everyone engaged in it. All the troops under my command behaved well during the