Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/209

 208 Southern Historical Society Papers.

and upon the sides of a mountain range, and at four o'clock our regi- ment, with others, was ordered forwards to the attack across an open plain fifteen hundred yards in width. Our orders from General Kershaw were to gradually swing round to the left until nearly facing an orchard, from which the enemy was pouring a deadly fire of artillery. The wheel was accomplished in gallant style by the regi- ment, when we moved forward under a galling fire of grape, shell and canister; when within three or four hundred yards of the bat- teries the order was passed along the line from the right to move "by the right flank, double-quick." The regiment moved in obe- dience to this order to the cover of a piece of woods, and formed upon the left of the Seventh South Carolina regiment, which was the battalion of direction. In making this move we lost several men from the enemy's artillery fire. Sheltering ourselves behind some rocks and trees, the left was directed to open fire upon the artillery of the enemy whilst the right was instructed to open fire upon their infantry in our front. After being thus engaged for some time, we found that the right flank was very much exposed and subject to an enfilade fire, although fighting gallantly, they were gradually being pressed back. To get our right flank out of this cross-fire, and pre- vent its flank from being too much cut up it was ordered back, hold- ing the left at the same time firmly in its place, this made the line to be at nearly acute angles to the first line. In this position the enemy advanced to within thirty yards of us, and for more than one hour we held him in check, notwithstanding the repeated reinforcements brought up by him. Whilst thus engaged, about forty men of the Fiftieth Georgia regiment, under command of its Major, came in on our left and engaged the enemy. We remained in this position under a heavy fire of musketry, at short range in front, and an enfiladed fire of grape and shrapnel from the batteries that the left had failed in entirely silencing until about dusk, when we were ordered, by General Kershaw, back to another line a short distance in our rear. Thus ended the fight for the day. In this position we remained until the heavy cannonading of the 3d, when, acting under orders from the General, we moved to the right about three or four hundred yards and formed behind a stone wall, where we remained until or- dered back to the first line of battle formed on the afternoon of July 2d. It is proper to state that Captain Richardson's company, A, was thrown out early in' the day as sharpshooters, and were not in the main engagement, but did good service as sharpshooters, and (with other companies from the brigade) engaging a column of the enemy's