Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/528

520 remainder of Company G, under Lieutenant Morrow, was held as a support to our two pieces. Captain Montgomery soon informed me that the enemy were throwing a large force through a wooded ravine on our right, to surround us. He was immediately recalled and ordered to follow the head of their line along a fence running parallel to the road, and the other companies of the regiment, except those named above, were directed to follow. After prolonging our line in this new direction, and finding the enemy still going on and throwing at the same time sharpshooters between our infantry and artillery up the hollow that Captain Montgomery was first ordered to defend, while their artillery was pouring a hot fire upon us (they having got our range), and as we could see a strong infantry reserve in rear of their batteries, it was deemed advisable to retire. I was not able to recall Captain Johnston from the left, and was forced to leave the dead and badly wounded on the field, together with an old ambulance, a two-horse wagon and our knapsacks. The twelve-pound brass howitzer also had to be left, as one of the horses was killed and three others badly wounded. We know the names of seven killed and fifteen wounded, as we retreated across the field to the road, under the enemy's fire, and a few in the woods where the engagement first commenced. Exposed all the previous nights to a drenching rain, without tents, deprived of food, having marched over a horribly muddy road with unusually heavy knapsacks, and having fought bravely and willingly for three hours in anticipation of being reinforced, we were not in a condition to retreat. Many of my brave men fell from exhaustion on the road side, and I am sorry to inform you that many of them are still missing, but trust that in a few days the number will be greatly reduced as some are finding their way back to camp daily.

We were pursued by infantry, artillery and a regiment of cavalry beyond Hanover Courthouse, where I received a dispatch from you stating that you had yourself engaged another portion of the enemy.

Guns were placed on the railroad hill formerly occupied by the Twenty-eighth regiment as a camping ground, which prevented our retreating by the Ashland road, as we had anticipated, and forced us to take the right-hand road to Taylorsville, along which we were shelled a short distance. The cavalry pursued us beyond Colonel Wickham's farm, and were only prevented from making a charge by our throwing the regiment into a field and making it