Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/410

 404 Southern Historical Society Papers.

(about five hundred and fifty men) in a second deployed line at close supporting distance. Lieutenant-Colonel Nelson, Seventh battalion, commanded the skirmishers. I took direction of the second line. The attack was make. The enemy were driven from their rifle-pits without resistance of moment ; their first line was gained, and a por- tion of it captured ; some thirty prisoners were taken and sent to the rear, and the enemy's whole line was seriously shaken, his men in numbers running from the works.

" Discovering our small force, and the attack not being followed up, his first line rallied, reinforcements were rapidly pushed up from his rear, and we were compelled to fall back. This was done slowly, and the enemy endeavoring to follow us, was driven back. My men, tinder orders, laid down amid the oats about half-way between the two hostile entrenchments to await Anderson's advance, and then go with him. Numbers of them, however, got back to our rifle-pits, and were permitted to remain there with the same orders as the more advanced line. None of them came back to our entrenchments, except a few skulkers, whom every attack develops, and in this case I am happy to say they were very few.

" How much time was occupied in these movements I am unable to say, as I did not look at my watch again. When the vigor of my attack was broken and my men had begun to fall back, the left of Benning's brigade, moving by a flank and coming from across the City Point road, reached the right of the entrenchments I had left in advancing, and then stopped. A discussion between Major-Gen- erals Hoke and Fields ensued, and after some delay this brigade moved in and was ready to advance. The report of Colonel DuBose, commanding Benning's brigade, will show the time of his arrival and the then condition of affairs. General Anderson's report will explain the delay in his arrival. Major-General Hoke was on the ground during the whole morning, and can speak of his personal knowledge.

"The order of attack being countermanded, I kept out all day as many of my men as the rifle-pits would hold, withdrawing the re- mainder by squads. At night all were withdrawn. My loss was about a third of the force engaged, twenty-five being killed, seventy- three wounded and two hundred and eight missing, making an aggre- gate of three hundred and six. The gallant Lieutenant-Colonel Nelson, of the Seventh, Captains Buist and Mulvaney and Lieutenant White, of the Twenty-seventh, Captain Rayser and Lieutenant Riley, of the Eleventh, and Lieutenant Clements, of the Twenty- first, are missing. Lieutenants Huguenin and Trim, of the Twenty-