Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/391

 390 Southern Historical Society Papers.

displayed along the lines. The last of Hood's division engaged in my front had just retired, when I ordered the advance, directing Colonel Hennagan to extend to the right and engage the enemy in that direction until Humphreys' s arrival, who was then in motion. The distance across the field was about eight hundred yards, with a fence intervening about one-quarter of the distance. As soon as we crossed the fence I ordered bayonets fixed, and moved at a double- quick, sending Lieutenant-Colonel Gaillard's Second South Carolina regiment, my extreme left, to gain the enemy's right flank.

When within one hundred yards of the enemy they broke, and I opened fire upon them along the whole line, but pursued them rap- idly over the first line of hills to the foot of the second, when I halted under a heavy fire of artillery on the heights, sheltering the men as much as possible, and there awaited the coming of Humphreys on my right. The Seventh South Carolina, Lieutenant-Colonel Bland, my right centre regiment, and the Fifteenth South Carolina, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Joseph F. Gist, had obliqued to the right. Colonel Hennagan had pursued the enemy so far to the right that, when Humphreys got up, he occupied the interval between the Fifteenth and Eighth regiments. Colonel Gates, Fifteenth Alabama, Law's brigade, came up on the right of the Seventh and occupied the line between that and the Fifteenth, and with those regiments advanced without orders. I had sent to the right to direct that I should be informed when Humphreys arrived. Hearing the firing renewed on my right, I advanced the left wing, Third South Carolina, James's battalion and Second South Carolina, and gained, in some points, the crest of the hill within a few yards of the enemy's lines. After one of the most gallant struggles I have ever witnessed, especially on the part of the Third South Carolina and James's battalion, which occupied a position in front of the enemy's battery, I was compelled to fall back to a point about two hundred and fifty yards, where I determined to hold the enemy until reinforcements ai rived. The enemy soon advanced, but, by a cool, deliberate fire, were quickly repulsed.

General Humphreys reported that he could make no further ad- vance on account of the heavy force of the enemy to his right. I directed him to make such disposition of his troops as would cover my right flank. About three o'clock Brigadier-General Anderson's Mississippi brigade came to my support.

I described to him the situation, and suggested an attack on the right flank of the position of the enemy. He acquiesced in my view