Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/59

 Tin /;/t succeed. We lay between OUT batteries (30 pieces) and theirs during tin- artillery dud which opened the ball, and came in tin >ome pretty M-verc shelling. We then charged, driving in their pickets and an advanced line, and lay down under cover of a ravine quite close up to their works, awaiting the signal of Mahone' s sue- to rush in. Mahone' s attack failed, and we lay low till night enabled us to withdraw under cover of darkness. We lost some men killed and a number wounded, and if Warren had known how few we were in his front and had sent out an adequate force, he might have captured the most of these two brigades, isolated as we were.

On the afternoon of the 25th our brigade and Cooke's with Lane's attacked Hancock's Corps well entrenched at Ream's Station, a pre- vious charge by other troops having been repulsed. We carried their works handsomely, capturing 2,000 prisoners and nine pieces of artillery. Hancock retired during the night and we returned to Petersburg. Our loss was considerable, including Lieutenant-Colo- nel Bird killed, after which to the close of the war the regiment had but one field officer. The ranking Captains entitled to the positions of Lieutenant-Colonel and Major were prisoners at Johnson's Island. This law of succession by seniority, customary and perhaps the best under ordinary circumstances, worked very great injury to many regiments situated as ours was. As has been mentioned, the Elev- enth had most of the time from Gettysburg but one field officer, and from September 3Oth, 1864, to the fall of Petersburg, during which time I was off duty from a desperate wound, /'/ had none at all. That it maintained its efficiency under such adverse circumstances speaks volumes for the morale of its men, and for the training which it had in the earlier part of the war.

On the 3Oth of September a movement was made by the Fifth and Ninth Corps (Warren's and Parke's), two divisions each, to turn our right and incidentally to prevent troops being sent from our army to the north side of the James where Grant was projecting important operations. This was met by a counter movement of Heth's Division to the right, and in the afternoon he attacked Parke near the Pegram house, and forced him back to a considerable dis- tance until night put a stop to the fighting. During the course of this advance a considerable body of troops appeared on our right and bore down on our flank occupied by McRae's Brigade. The situation was critical; there was no time to ask for orders, and with-