Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/45

Rh On Sunday morning, the 6th instant, at daybreak, the three brigades comprising my division occupied the position in line of battle, in double column at half distance, which had been under the orders of the previous day indicated, extending from the Bark road on the right toward Owl creek on the left, a distance of some two miles. Major-General Hardee's advance, extending from the Bark road a short distance towards my left, constituted the first line.

About sunrise I sent orders to the commanders of brigades to advance with deploying intervals, taking the first as the brigade of direction.

Soon afterwards, receiving orders from Major-General Bragg, I directed Colonel R. L. Gibson's first brigade to march by the right flank across the Bark road and then advance in support of the first line as previously ordered. I then made dispositions as rapidly as possible to insure conformity on the part of the other brigades of my division with this change of plan.

The commander of the Third brigade, Colonel Preston Pond, had been already directed to throw one regiment of infantry and a section of Captain Ketchum's guns into position on the Owl Creek road, and prevent the enemy turning our left flank. Four companies of cavalry, under Captains J. F. Jenkins (commanding), A. Tomlinson, J. J. Cox and J. Robins, covered our right and left flanks.

Returning from a rapid supervision along the line, when approaching the Bark road, the enemy opened opened fire from point to point in rapid succession, driving back some troops of the first line.

The Washington artillery, under Captain Hodgson, was then brought forward, and two howitzers and two rifled guns, commanded by Lieutenant Slocomb, with two guns under Captain Skoop, were put in position on the crest of a ridge near an almost impenetrable boggy thicket ranging along our front, and opened a destructive fire in response to the enemy's batteries, then sweeping our lines at short range. I also sent orders to Brigadier-General Anderson to advance rapidly with his second brigade, and as soon as he came up, I directed a charge against the enemy, in which some of the Sixth Mississippi and Second Tennessee joined. At the same time, I directed other troops to move rapidly by the right to turn the enemy's position beyond the swamp, and that the field artillery follow as soon as masked by the movement of the infantry. Under these movements vigorously executed, after a spirited