Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/405

 Hagood'a Brigade. 399

Its west fork crossed these defences near No. 15. The line now taken was, therefore, the chord of the arc of our captured or aban- doned works, and ran along the west bank of the main creek and its western fork, having very good command over the cleared and culti- vated valley in its front. The old line from Battery i to Battery 2 was held by Tabb's regiment, and it was relieved by the Twenty- seventh South Carolina. The brigade left thus Bested on the river, and its right extended to near the Prince George road. The Con- federates immediately and rapidly intrenched themselves.

The next morning, the i6th of June, was the anniversary of the battle of Secessionville, and the first shell fired by the enemy in the gloaming, and when it was yet entirely too dark to know more than the general direction in which to aim it, killed Captains Hopkins and Palmer and Lieutenant Gelling, of the Twenty-seventh regiment, who had all served with distinction in that battle, and the first of whom had been then severely wounded. The same shell also wounded several enlisted men of the Twenty-seventh. The brigade comman- der, wearied out, had fallen asleep some half hour before, and this shot awaked him. Its successors from the same battery showed that the position of the Twenty-seventh was completely enfiladed, and the morning light made evident a fact that had not been appreciated in the night this regiment was advanced beyond the general line. It was accordingly at once drawn back to the west side of the creek. Two field-pieces, abandoned by our troops the day before on the City Point road, beyond our present position, were also brought in. They were found to be spiked, and were, therefore, sent to the rear.

The enemy shelled Hagood furiously all day, and the skirmishers on his front were constantly engaged. The Federals several times appeared to be forming for battle beyond rifle range, there being no artillery on his portion of our line, and about dark assailed his centre. They were repulsed after keeping up the effort for an hour, never having got nearer than seventy-five yards to his entrenchments. On Hagood's right the enemy's assault was better sustained, and they suffered heavily, They met with no success. Lieutenant Allemong, of the Twenty-seventh regiment, was killed to-day.

On the 1 7th the same heavy shelling and skirmishing continued on our front. About half-past 6 the enemy again assaulted heavily the brigade on our right, and were repulsed with considerable slaughter. Still further to the right several assaults were made during the day, one of which met with some success, but the Confederates rallying drove them back. The loss in the Federal ranks to-day was ac-