Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 21.djvu/261

 Tin-

or more fortunate, and that their muskets were in good order, and that the enemy was repulsed in front of that portion of our line," &c. Now, I insist that Jones' entire brigade was beyond the salient from General Walker's standpoint, and hence beyond the range of his vision, according to his statement, and I will take the responsibility to say that what was true of the right of that brigade was true of the whole of that portion that was in the lines that morning three regi- ments being absent, the Twenty first, under Colonel Witcher, already alluded to, and the Forty-second and Forty-eighth, on picket, as I suppose, stated by Lieutenant Archer.

Deploring, as I did, the absence of the artillery, I asked General Johnson why it was. This was his reply: " I knew that the artillery had been removed, and ascertaining that the enemy was very active in my front, I sent a messenger to General Ewell during the night, telling him of the removal of the artillery, but by whose orders I did not know, and requesting him to order it back, as the enemy was very active in front, and that we would be sure to have an attack early next morning." General Ewell sent the reply: " The artillery has been ordered back, and will be in position by 2 o'clock." Then he added: " If the artillery had been in position we would have de- stroyed that army." That did not indicate a surprise on Johnson's part, I am sure. I had supposed it possible, at least, that the Louis- iana Brigade had been ''caught napping" that morning, and did not know otherwise till I read General Walker's article, for the rea- son that the left flank of my own (Jones') Brigade was turned, and I was told by members of the Stonewall (Walker's) Brigade that the enemy turned their right. I am glad the General explains "wet powder " but what a pity ! After surrendering we sat down in the trenches a few minutes, then the enemy began pouring over our works in heavy columns, and we were ordered to go to the rear.

I hesitated to take such a leap into the dark blue mass of human beings then before me, a closed column of about four hundred yards front and half a mile deep, thick as men could walk, pressing forward with rapid strides to support those more advanced. Such was the sight that met my gaze when I mounted the works for my " on to Fort Delaware march." I could but exclaim, " Oh, for a few rounds from Colonel Nelson's guns ! What a target from the position they held on yesterday! "

All Yankeedom concentrated with a big " on to Richmond move."