Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/334

 o28 Southern Historical Society Papers.

From eleven o'clock that night until half-past two on the morning of the 14th, the mortar boats rained a perfect torrent of shells upon us, and as soon as they ceased fire the land batteries took up the work and poured forth their volleys of destructive missiles, rending the very air with their deafening roar.

Just before daylight they were observed to be massing their forces in front of the left of our centre, and shortly afterwards a vigorous aj^sault was made, under a heavy fire from their artillery, upon that portion of our lines. The attack was simultaneous upon the First Mississippi and Forty-ninth Alabama regiments, and the isolated position held by the Fifteenth Arkansas. Against the latter but one charge was made, and in it the enemy were completely routed and could not be rallied Four desperate efforts were made against the former, but with no better success. The ground immediately in front being very much broken, afforded facilities for the enemy to form their troops in line of battle protected from our fire, which they ac- cordingly did.

Their advanced line was composed of three picked regiments— the Fourth Wisconsin, Eighth New Ha.npshire and a New York regi- ment, preceded by two hundred and fifty select men, deployed as skirmishers, and carrying " hand grenades" to throw over our breast- works. These all fought gallantly, but the main body in the rear evidently could not be induced to come up to their support. The enemy at first pressed heavily upon the right, where the Forty-ninth Alabama was stationed, and it became necessary to close our men down in that direction, leaving a portion of the lines almost entirely unprotected, which movement came near proving highly disastrous to us — the smoke was so thick that nothing could be seen more than twenty steps in advance, and before our troops were aware of it the ■enemy were pouring into the ditches and scaling our breastworks on the left. A rapid counter-movement, however, frustrated their de- signs, and they were driven back with considerable slaughter.

Again and again they rallied, but were each time repulsed, and forced to seek shelter in the ravines behind them, and there reform their shattered ranks. In several instances their skirmishers suc- ceeded in gaining our ditches and hurling their grenades over the parapets, many of which failed to explode, and were thrown back at them by our boys. The engagement lasted from 4 o'clock until 8 o'clock, when the enemy being driven back for the last time, most of them sought shelter in the woods behind them, leaving a large num- ber of dead and wounded on the field. The ground in front of our