Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/413

Rh right companies and poured in a destructive fire. These two regiments continued to fight until their ammunition was exhausted, and were then quickly and steadily retired from the field, refilled their boxes and rejoined the brigade. The three remaining regiments of Lane's brigade (Seventh, Eighteenth and Thirty-third North Carolina) steadily continued to battle against overwhelming numbers, and the attack was checked by well directed volleys from the Thirty-third regiment, Colonel Avery. General Thomas, responding to the call of General Lane, rapidly threw forward his brigade of Georgians by the flank, and deploying by successive formations, squarely met the enemy, charged them, and joined by the Seventh and part of the Eighteenth North Carolina, drove them back with tremendous loss to their original position. .  ..

The Federal troops, consisting of the main body of Franklin's grand division, supported by a portion of Hooker's grand division, continued to press forward. Advancing to within point-blank range of our infantry, and thus exposed to the murderous fire of musketry and artillery, the struggle became fierce and sanguinary. They continued, however, still to press forward, and before General A. P. Hill closed the interval which he had left between Archer and Lane, it was penetrated, and the enemy pressing forward in overwhelming numbers through that interval, turned Lane's right ind Archer's left. Thus attacked in front and rear, the Fourteenth Tennessee and Nineteenth Georgia of Archer's brigade and the entire brigade of Lane fell back, but not until after a brave and obstinate resistance. Notwithstanding the perilous situation in which Archer's brigade was placed, his right, changing front, continued to struggle with undaunted firmness, materially checking the advance of the enemy until reinforcements came to its support. The brigade of General Thomas, posted as before stated, moved gallantly forward, and joined by the Seventh and part of the Eighteenth North Carolina of Lane's brigade, gallantly drove back a Federal column which had broken through Lane's line. In the meantime, a large force of the enemy penetrated the wood in rear of the position occupied by the brigades of Lane and Archer, and came in contact with Gregg's brigade. Taken by surprise, Orr's rifles were thrown into confusion. It was in the act of rallying this regiment that Brigadier-General Gregg fell in front of the rifles mortally wounded. .  ..