Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/409

 Chickamauga. 403

After being repulsed from every attack, our troops were withdrawn beyond the fire of the enemy, and for a considerable period after noon there was almost a cessation of fighting on our right. During this time our troops were being rearranged and put in shape for another general assault, and, while staff" officers were sent hither and thither with orders, Generals Polk and D. H. Hill held a consulta tion. This consultation lasted some time, and of the fact that it was not harmonious the writer happened to be a witness, in this way: Having been sent to General Cleburne for certain information desired b)'^ General Polk, I found the two Lieutenant- Generals still in con- sultation on my return, and, riding up to within a respectful distance, I dismounted and awaited General Polk's pleasure as to receiving my report. The General saw me waiting, and very soon he rose from the log on which they sat, and, as he turned towards me, I heard him say to General Hill, with considerable warmth of manner, "Well, sir, I am sorry that you do not agree with me, but my decision is made, and that is the way it shall be done," or words to that effect* I never heard what was the point at issue between them, but soon Polk's staff-officers were all busy with orders for carrying out the plan he had in mind. I remember that, when forming to renew the assault, a delay was made while Cleburne's division was moved so as to fill up a considerable gap in our line, nearly opposite the angle of the works, which gap had been left open as our reformed commands had closed in to the right. The order to General Cleburne was sent by me, and, as was often General Cleburne's habit, he chose to ride first over the ground to be occupied, unaccompanied by any of his staff, only directing me to go with him to point out the left of the line on which it was desired to form. On our return, as he was riding along in his usual slow, imperturbable fashion across the angle between our lines, I noticed that he was getting uncomfortably near the enemy's position, and as I, feeling constrained to follow, rode in his rear, ventured to suggest that he was within shot-range of their guns. He neither noticed my remark nor changed his course, till sud- denly he was startled by the " zip!" "zip!" of the minnie balls and the sharp rattle of infantry fire opened on us, when he turned to the left and dashed quickly out of range in the timber, but all too slowly for my impatient desire to lengthen the distance between the enemy and the party whom official courtesy forced to be the rear man in this re- treat. Major Richmond, of Polk's staff^, was missing early that after- noon, and we afterwards found that he had been shot while making a short cut across this very angle. While we had this cessation of fire