Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/332

 326 Southern Historical Society Papers.

total number of men in these regiments on this day make a loss of one man out of every four.

The loss in the negro regiments above exceeded our whole loss Steedman).

Two- small, breech-loading (Whitfield) guns, under charge of detachment of Wingfield's battalion.

At various times since the beginning of the siege other regiments had been stationed on this line but for a day or two at a time.

"A battalion of Miles's Legion, under command of Major Cole- man, relieved the First Alabama for a few days, and rendered good service by adding very greatly to the works. They worked almost incessantly while the)'- occupied this line." (Steedman).

OUR LINE PENETRATED.

On the loth of June a furious bombardment all day and night indi- cated to us an approaching attack, and at three o'clock on the morn- ing of the nth, a show of an assault was made near the centre of our line of fortifications, while, at the same time, the real attack was made on our left in the woods.

During the fighting two regiments of the enemy, favored by the extreme darkness, crept up through a gorge among the abattis, pene- trating within our lines of defence. Had they known the ground and been strongly reinforced, this movement might have proved dis- astrous to us. As it was, they captured a courier going to Colonel Steedman from one of his regimental commanders, calling for rein- forcements.

On the night of June nth, the enemy threw up a battery, pierced for eleven guns, in the centre of Slaughter's field, and within four hundred yards of our works, connected by a line of breastworks with the woods, both on the right and left. They succeeded in placing their pieces in position during the next night.

Along our whole line, at eleven o'clock A. M., the mortar boats having been moved up nearer to us, they joined the land batteries in a terrific bombardment of two hours' duration, during which a line of battle was formed in Slaughter's field and moved forward, as if to charge, but fell back to the woods as soon as we opened upon it with artillery. Atone o'clock P.M., General Banks sent in a demand for the surrender of the post and its garrison, as follows :