Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/404

 Battle of Chickamauga. 403

Gregg's brigade which had formed my second line, Johnson's bri- gade moving to the left at the same time, and again my line advanced rapidly on the enemy, driving them from the woods east of Dyer's house; McNair's brigade bearing to the right.

Our lines now emerged from the forest into open ground on the border of long open fields, over which the enemy was retreating under cover of several batteries, which were ranged along the crest of a ridge on our right and front, running up to the corner of a stubble-field, and of one battery on our left and front, posted on an elevation in the edge of the woods, just at the corner of a field near a peach orchard and southwest of Dyer's house. The scene now presented was unspeakably grand. The resolute and impetuous charge, the rush of our heavy columns sweeping out from the shadow and gloom of the forest into the open fields, flooded with sunlight, the glitter of arms, the onward dash of artillery and mounted men, the retreat of the foe, the shouts of the hosts of our army, the dust, the smoke, the noise of fire-arms, of whistling balls and grape-shot, and of bursting shell, made up a battle scene of unsurpassed grand- eur. Here General Hood gave me the last order I received from him on the field: "Go ahead and keep ahead of everything." How this order was obeyed will be best determined by those who investi- gate all the details of this battle.

The unusual depth of our columns of attack in this part of the field, and the force and power with which they were thrown upon the enemy's line, had now completely broken and routed then- centre, and cast the shattered fragments to the right and left. Everett's battery was here ordered into action on the right of Johnson's bri- gade, and opened upon the retreating foe while my line continued to advance.

There was now an interval of eight hundred yards between Hind- man's division, on my left, and my command. Johnson's brigade, on the left, bore but slightly to the right, its left regiment sti etching across the road from Dyer's house to Crawfish Spring, and passing on both sides of the house. Gregg's brigade, in the centre, moved a little to the right, so as to flank and capture nine pieces of artillery on its right, posted on the ascent to the eminence in the comer of the field north of Dyer's house. McNair's brigade, now somewhat in rear of the two left brigades, moved obliquely to the right and directly upon the eminence. My line was here uncovered by Hood's division, which must have changed its direction to the right.

The nine pieces captured by Gregg's brigade are reported by