Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/131

Rh ing line, and Genral Chalmers himself was gallantly riding among the troop. I was impressed that this was a persistent effort on the part of the enemy to penetrate our line, and I determined to resist and prevent it at all haxards. I advanced my entire brigade, fully 1,600 strong, in one handsome, regular line. General Chalmers and his battle-worn troops passed to my rear, and I took up the fight with all possible determination.

General Chalmers' Report, vol. 10, page 550, says:

" After a severe firing of some duration, finding the enemy stub- bornly resisting, I rode back for General Jackson's Brigade. I did not see General Jackson, but, finding Colonel Wheeler, called upon him to take up the right, which he did with promptness and vigor. I sent a staff officer to command my brigade to lie down and rest until they received further orders."

The Nineteenth Alabama was the earliest to meet and check the enemy, but the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Alabama soon came upon my left. The Second Texas was on the right of the brigade, and as my movement had been something in the nature of a swing to the left, that regiment had further to march and met with some delay in getting into action.

The enemy's advance was checked, and for a time he held a strong position, partly protected by the slope of a ridge and a part of his line being also protected by the fence and the buildings and out- houses of a settlement. We finally dislodged him from this position, and the enemy, retreating a short distance, both lines fought at close range as severely as is ever experienced in a battle.

I do not know the losses sustained by the other regiment, but the Ninteteenth Alabama lost about twenty killed, and 140 wounded in about fifty minutes.

About an hour after taking up the fight from General Chalmers, the firing ceased in front of the Second Texas, and Major Runnels, of that regiment, rode up and directed my attention to a white flag on the enemy's line.

In a moment firing ceased in my immediate front, and by my direction Major Runnels galloped up to the officers who were dis- playing the flag, and in a moment returned with an exclamation that " the entire army had surrendered."

I moved the brigade up in good order directly in front of the sur- rendering enemy', and, by great efforts, succeeded in keeping the men in rank and the brigade in line. I saw the necessity for this, as