Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/406

 400 Southern Historical Society Papers. ■

which had been advanced well up to the front with Cheatham's left brigade (Wright's), and could not be retired after the horses were killed.

Just at this time Stewart's division came to our aid. His right brigade covered the ground which had been occupied by Cheatham's left, and recapturing the lost battery, drove back the enemy vigor- ously. The fighting then extended along Stewart's whole front (after 2 P. M.) to Hood's troops on his left, and for awhile the hot- test of the fight was here. Thomas continued to press our right, under Cheatham and Walker, but our men held their ground on a slight eminence, repulsing the advance with artillery and musketry, and finally upon the arrival of Cleburne's division, after sunset, a general advance was ordered. The whole Federal force was swept from the ground over which we had fought during the day, and driven in confusion till dark. After Cheatham's troops were forced back, the writer, leaving the remnant of his company with the first lieutenant, rode towards the right of the division in search of Gen- eral Cheatham, to report the loss of his guns. Meeting first General Preston Smith, that officer on learning my mission, said I was just the man he wanted. That the captain of his battery, Scott, was sick at Lafayette, and the first Ifeutenant having been seriously wounded, he had only one junior-lieutenant with the battery. "So," said he, in his usual bluff way, "if you want work to do, young man, stop right here, and I'll give you plenty of it." Accepting the offer, I took command of Scott's battery, under General Smith, until that gallant general was shot after dark. Our command had halted in line in the forest after the last advance, and General Smith, with his staff, riding a short distance in front, discovered a small body of de- tached troops, whose answer to a challenge showed them to belong to the enemy. When called on to surrender they fired a straggling volley, which killed General Smith and an officer on his staff". Hav- ing safely passed through the dangers of the thickest fight he met his death, when least expected, after the battle had ceased. Now, as to the numbers engaged in this fighting on the 19th of September, the Confederates had in action, all told, not quite thirty-two thou- sand men, of which the five thousand of Cleburne's division came on the field near dark. The reports of the Federal generals show that they had in action nearly forty-six thousand men, of which num- ber thirty thousand were opposed to Walker, Cheatham and Forrest, and nearly sixteen thousand in front of Stewart and Hood. The Confederate loss in the day's engagement wa? estimated at six thou-