Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/555

 Campaign of 1864 and 1865. 549

and Gregg's Texans) I went to his assistance, and relieving two of his brigades, I laid out and made a new breastwork in rear of-the one taken from Kershaw or some one, and connected it with the old one. We had hardly gotten it tenable when at early daylight, June 3d, the enemy in heavy columns appeared directly in the front of Law and Anderson and partly of Gregg. They came on in heavy masses, and with great spirit, but only to be mowed down. No im- pression was made upon my line, and our losses were slight (Briga- dier-General Law being wounded just above the eye), but the slaughter of the enemy was appalling. My men of Law's brigade (against whom the most determined attack was made) stated that they could see the dust knocked from the enemy's clothes by our balls, and that our fire was so rapid and effective that a second death- wound was frequently given a Yankee before he had time to fall from the first. The enemy's repulse was signal and disastrous, and his slaughter so great that he never made another efTort on the north side of the James.

I think it was on the i6th of June, late in the evening, that my division, after crossing James river, found itself near Walthall Station on the Richmond and Petersburg railroad. During the day Butler's troops had been engaged in tearing up the railroad, and had also taken possession of a line of works fronting Bermuda Hundreds, which Beauregard had been compelled to vacate in order to go to the defence of Petersburg. As the enemy only held these works by a strong picket line, Pickett's and my divison next day (the 17th) charged and drove them out, and Pickett continued to occupy this line during the rest of the campaign, I going on to Petersburg on the i8th. I took position in the trenches at Petersburg, my left resting at the battery afterwards blown up and known as the " Mine." I remained in these trenches without relief from this time till two days before the explosion, when I was was withdrawn and sent to the Richmond side of the James to resist an advance there. On the left of my line at Petersburg the picket firing was continuous; my losses being daily from five to fifty. I should have stated that once during this time I left the trenches for the purpose of assisting in an attack upon the enemy's right. This was, I think, about the middle of July, and was as follows: General Lee, believing that the enemy had grown careless and was weak on his right (resting on the Appomattox), de- termined to assault him there. The plan was written out in detail; was as follows: Hoke's division, which occupied our trenches at that point (our extreme left), was (after a severe artillery fire of half