Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 06.djvu/74

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From the above report it appears that the artillery battalion of Colonel S. D. Lee was on the ridge between Jackson and Longstreet, and that this ridge was over a quarter of a mile long; that from the left of this ridge (where Colonel Lee had nine howitzers) to the strip of woods from which the Federals moved across the open field on Jackson's right-flank (posted in the old railroad excavations) was thirteen hundred yards. Before the Federal column left the woods, the nine rifle pieces towards the right of the ridge and the four guns of Eubank's were playing on it. The howitzers shifted to Eubank's assistance only had to move about 150 yards to get in position, and these guns fired on the Federal front lines before they got across the open field and engaged Jackson's men in that terrible infantry struggle at the railroad excavation, and which lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes. Thus it will be seen eighteen guns of Lee's battalion, within easy range, were playing on the Federal masses during the entire assault. As these masses moved out of the woods on Jackson, they exposed their flanks directly to Colonel Lee's guns, as they moved to his left on Jackson. As they moved into the field every step brought them in closer range, exposing the more their flank. The railroad