Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 06.djvu/242

232 for the purpose, as I suppose, of making arrangements to take the position occupied by the enemy's battery.

"At one point we were subjected to a severe fire from the battery but it slackened after awhile and we pursued our course; we soon passed our most advanced line, and were still riding down the road, when suddenly a musketry fire opened to our right in the wood. From whom this fire proceeded I have never learned, but it seemed to serve as a signal for the enemy's battery to resume its fire. In an instant the road was swept by a storm of grape and canister; the shells burst above us, around us and amongst us. General Hill and staff turned back towards our lines, and as we approached them we abandoned the road—which was, as I have said, enfiladed by the enemy's battery—and turned off to our right in the woods. Whether it was that our troops mistook us for a body of Federal cavalry, or for some other reason, I do not know, but as we approached within fifteen or twenty paces of our line we were received with a blaze of fire. This alone, without the fire from the enemy's battery, which still continued, would have rendered our situation a most perilous one. As it was, it seemed as if we were all doomed to destruction. General Hill's staff disappeared as if stricken by lightning. I perceived that my only hope of escape was in getting to the ground and lying down, that I might expose as little of myself as possible to the fire of our men. I accordingly endeavored to dismount, but my horse was rearing and plunging so violently that I could not do so. Just at this time he was shot—as I judged from his frantic leap—and whether he threw me or I managed to get off myself, I am unable to say, but I found myself lying on the ground. I received a smart blow on the side of my head, and put up my hand to see if I was wounded, but soon found I was unhurt. I laid on the ground for a short time—until our troops discontinued their fire—and then rose. I saw a number of dead and dying men and horses around me, and a horse standing near me; I mounted him and rode about in the woods to see if I could find General Hill; I soon found and rejoined him. We came out into the road together at the point at which we had left it, and he informed me—or I heard some one say—that he was going forward to see General Jackson who had been wounded. I perceived that almost all his staff had disappeared.

"We soon came up to where General Jackson was; we found