Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/189

 188 Southern Historical Society Papers.

front and where the enemy's artillery was stationed, where we re- mained until the close of the day and until two o'clock on Friday morning. During the evening of the 2d an incessant fire was kept up by this regiment, and the enemy were several times repulsed in their efforts to retake the hill. My position was such that I was enabled to pour a deadly enfilading fire into the enemy as they ad- vanced through a wheat field to attack the troops in position on my left, and I have not a doubt that this fire contributed greatly to the repulse of the forces of the enemy attacking our forces some three to five hundred yards on my left. Once during the evening the troops upon my left were driven back, and my left was exposed, when, directing Captain Hal Moss, company D, to take charge of the colors and retaining them there with a few men to hold the hill until the regiment could safely retire, I ordered the regiment to fall back to a stone fence about one hundred yards in rear. The major portion of the regiment and the Fifteenth Georgia fell back as ordered, but quite a large number having noticed that the colors were not moving to the rear, refused to withdraw, and, remaining upon the crest of the hill, succeeded in holding the enemy in check in their immediate ront and obliquely upon their right and left until the troops upon my left had been reformed and were again advanced, when I directed Major F. S. Bass to return to the crest of the hill with the body of the regiment; and with Captain D. K. Rice, of company C, proceeded myself to collect together all fugitives, slightly wounded and ex- hausted men, and placed them so as to protect my right and rear from an attack from that quarter (one of my advanced scouts in that direction having reported to me that a column of the enemy was moving down a ravine or hollow, and threatening me in that quarter.) Having made every disposition to guard my right and rear, I placed Captain D. K. Rice in charge of such defence, and proceeded to the Third Arkansas regiment, of which General Robertson had ordered me to take charge. After the loss of some half hour in searching for the Third Arkansas, I found Lieutenant- Colonel Taylor and Major Ready, of that regiment, both alive and uninjured and in charge of the regiment, which was doing its duty nobly and well. Late in the evening a terrific fire of artillery was concentrated against the hill occupied by this (the First regiment), and many were killed and wounded, some losing their heads and others so horribly mutilated and mangled that their identity could scarcely be estab- lished, but, notwithstanding this, all the men continued heroically and unflinchingly to maintain their position. Immediately, after