Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/54

 48 Southern Historical Society Papers.

occupy the picket line near the creek. Captain Pratt, from Der- rick's battalion, was on my left, and Captain Swann, from ours (Ed- gar's), was on my right. The men concealed themselves behind trees, stumps and logs, or constructed hasty rifle-pits, and the enemy's picket line being on the opposite side of the creek, only partially concealed among the scrubby pines and broom sedge, the opposing lines soon commenced a desultory fire upon each other, and it was not long before the artillery of the two forces engaged in the fight.

This cannonading soon grew heavy, and other batteries joining in from the opposite side, we found ourselves the centre of the most furious cannonading we had ever before experienced. There was no advance made by the infantry of either force during this heavy artillery duel, but it seemed as if all the gun and mortar batteries in Grant's army had been let loose on Breckenridge' s devoted divi- sion. His few batteries responded with spirit, and returned the fire until they were badly crippled, while the infantry not being brought into action and having nothing to do cowered for protec- tion from the death-dealing shot and shell in the piece of woods on our left, and behind every available defense. Many were killed and maimed, but the troops were not dislodged from their position.

We ascertained afterwards that General Breckenridge, having taken his position after dark, had by some mistake gotten nearly a mile beyond the alignment of Lee's line of battle and was drawn up within long rifle range of the enemy, who at that point consisted of Hancock's corps. So it was, that when daylight disclosed our posi- tion to the enemy he concentrated the fire of his heavy guns on Breckenridge, who found himself the centre of a long line of artillery practice, while the other batteries of Lee were not near enough to render their support of much assistance.

I do not know what our loss was in this artillery fight, only recol- lect that two men in my own company were killed. One of them while lying down was struck on the back by a large piece of descend- ing shell and cut in two, poor fellow. The other had gone to the rear a mile with a detail to cook and was on his way back to the line with a camp-kettle full of corn-bread and beef on his arm when the cannonading commenced. He ran towards the breastworks for pro- tection, while the hungry men in the trenches watched his race through the ploughing shot and shell, almost as solicitous for the safety of their breakfast, perhaps, as for that of their comrade. Just before the poor fellow reached us, however, a shell exploded directly in front of him, and when the smoke cleared away the bloody frag-