Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/412

 412 Yankee corps had advanced and driven our cavalry from the works recently constructed near the Peebles House. We moved out on the Boydton Plank-road, then to the left on the Harman road, and formed line of battle on the road leading from the Harman road to the Jones farm. McGowan and I formed the advance; McGowan being on the left of the road supported by Archer, and I on the right supported by McRae. It was a beautiful sight to see my sharp-shooters deploying in my front at a double-quick and boldly pushing forward. They engaged the enemy, and were sending back prisoners before we had formed the main line of battle. Their performance was witnessed by a great many outside of our brigade, and it elicited numerous compliments. It was very gratifying to me to hear these brave men thus highly complimented. The whole Yankee force gave way before our general advance and were easily driven back to the breast-works thrown up by them at the Pegram House in advance of those at the Peebles. They left the ground strewed with their dead and wounded, while our loss was small. Their dead are now estimated at two hundred and fifty, which, according to the usual calculation, one dead to seven wounded, would make their wounded one thousand seven hundred and fifty. We captured five hundred, all counted and receipted for; and, strange to say, the killed and captured were greater on the right of the road, where the much laughed-at North Carolinians did the fighting. One of my regiments captured in Jones' cellar one "big dog" sixty privates and one officer. My right passed beyond some of the Yankees, and when we opened an oblique reverse fire upon them they all "skedaddled," and in attempting to get from us ran into the cavalry and were captured, many of them surrendering to McGregor's Horse Artillery, so he told me. Hampton got five hundred of this demoralized and panicstricken crowd. I have never seen Yankees make better time than they did. My entire loss in this engagement was one hundred and eleven.

That night McRae and Archer were withdrawn and joined their division. The plan was for Heth's whole division to move on the " Squirrel Level Road " next morning and attack them in flank, while McGowan and I were to make a feint in front. When Heth's guns were heard next morning, Brander's guns opened an enfilade artillery fire on the advanced works at the Pegram House, and threw the enemy into confusion. My sharp shooters seized upon this opportunity and dashed into their works at a double-quick and captured over two hundred prisoners, including some dozen officers,