Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/35

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since it happened that I cannot remember all of the particulars con- cerning the Howlett-house affair, but in regard to yourself I am cer- tain that I saw you during our advance through the woods and after we got into the works." (And if I am not mistaken, I slept with him or some of his company that night.)

I have other letters to a like effect, but these are enough, I sup- pose, to prove my statement. Comrades Lumsden and Lacy seem to be mystified that they both should have been sent to the rear with practically the same message.

After posting a few pickets in our front and learning from the left, where we were, I sent two men Lieutenant Arthur Lumsden and Sergeant-Major Lacy, I think at intervals of an hour and a half, to General Corse with just such information as they say in their letters to me they received. By the first messenger General Corse informed me I must be mistaken as to the works being those of the Howlett- house line. I sent the second messenger with positive assurance that the works were the Hewlett line, and asked him as soon as possible get more men into them, and also to arrange about getting the rations to the men, which was not done until quite late next morning.

TIRED AND SLEEPY.

The men were very tired and sleepy. Night came on in a hurry with very little twilight, and I found it impossible to keep them awake, although they, as well as myself, appreciated the met that we would be in a precarious situation if the Yankees attacked us that night or early next morning.

I have not written thus at length for my own laudation, nor do I take to myself any particular credit, save the fact of trying to do my whole duty as soon as I met up with the command, for the men, as soon as they confronted the works partially occupied by the enemy, seemed, intuitively, to know what to do and did it.

Had the result been otherwise, and 40 or 50 men been killed and the works not been captured, the responsibility would have fallen on my shoulders, in this, that being present, I, at least, authorized the attack.

I have written this to disabuse the minds of the men deployed on the left wing of the regiment, several hundred yards from the ex- treme right, where I joined them, of the idea that I was not present at all, because they did not see me riding, as usual, through the woods, attending to the deployment of skirmishers.