Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/532

 .526 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Texans did not pick their phrases. "We won't go on unless you go back ! " A sergeant seized his bridle rein. The gallant General Gregg (who laid down his life on the 9th October, almost in General Lee's presence, in a desperate charge of his brigade on the enemy's lines in the rear of Fort Harrison), turning his horse towards Gen- eral Lee remonstrated with him. Just then I called his attention to General Longstreet, whom he had been seeking, and who sat on his horse on a knoll to the right of the Texans, directing the attack of his divisions. He yielded with evident reluctance to the entreaties of his men and rode up to Longstreet' s position. With the first op- portunity I informed General Longstreet of what had just happened, and he, with affectionate bluntness, urged General Lee to go farther back. I need not say the Texans went forward in their charge and did well their duty. They were eight hundred strong, and lost half their number kilLd and wounded on that bloody day. The battle was soon restored, and the enemy driven back to their position of the night before. Wilcox's and Heth's divisions were placed in line a short distance to the left of the plank road. General Lee's imme- diate presence had done much to restore confidence to these brave men and to inspire the troops who came up with the determination to win at all hazards. A short time afterwards General Anderson's division arrived from Orange Courthouse. The well known flank attack was then planned and put into execution, by which Long- street put in, from his own and Anderson's divisions, three brigades on the right flank of the enemy, rolled it up in the usual manner, uncovering his own front, thus completely defeating Han- c.'jck's force and sending it reeling back on the Brock road. The story of this and of Longstreet' s unfortunate wounding is familiar to all. His glorious success and splendid action on the field had chal- lenged the admiration of all. As an evidence of the spirit of the men on this occasion, the Mississippi brigade of Heth's division, commanded by the gallant Colonel Stone, though the division was placed further to the left, out of the heat of battle, preferred to re- main on the right, under heavy fire, and fought gallantly throughout the day under Longstreet.

When General Grant commenced his change ot base and turning operation on the evening of the 7th, General Lee, with firm reliance on the ability of a small body of his troops to hold heavy odds in check until he could bring a.ssistance, sent Anderson, who had been promoted to the command of Longstreet' s two divisions, to confront his columns at Spotsylvania Courthouse. Stuart, too, threw his cav-