Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/204

 196 Southern Historical Society Papers.

but got off the field. Our loss in line officers and enlisted men was very severe. Lieutenant Peeler, acting Aid-de-Camp, acted very gallantly, and was wounded in this day's fight. This charge ended the fighting for the day, the enemy seemingly, in no humor for fol- lowing up his advantage.

"On the 3d, General Longstreet bringing sixty pieces of artillery up, and General Hill having fifty more in position, about 3.?. M., they opened a most terrific fire upon the enemy's strong-hold, with the intention of shelling them out. The enemy soon replied, and, for nearly three hours the most terrific cannonading I ever witnessed was kept up from both sides, until our ammunition was almost ex- hausted, when the fire slackened. Pickett's division renewed the assault made by us the previous evening. They advanced in beauti- ful order in three lines; but before they had gone far, the wounded and the frightened came running back in large numbers, and it was impossible to tell when the main body came back. During this, Wilcox's and our brigade had been lying under cover, supporting the batteries which were shelling the enemy's works. I had orders to connect with Wilcox's left, and move with him. As soon as Pickett's division had retired, we were thrown forward (as a forlorn hope, I suppose), notwithstanding the repulse of the day before, and the repulse of Pickett's whole division, not twenty minutes before. Our two brigades of about 1,400 men, advanced to the charge nobly. As we neared the point from which we had been repulsed the day before, heavy colums advanced upon both flanks, and our artillery, having exhausted their ammunition, did not fire a shot at them. Being unsupported by an advance upon any other part of the line, and having but one line, the enemy paid his undivided attention to us; and our only safety from utter annihilation was in retreat. The 2d Florida being on our left, and their color-bearer wounded, they lost their colors and the greater part of their men. In the retreat the day before, the color-bearer and the entire color-guard of the 8th were killed and wounded, and their colors were left on the field. Owing to the fact that several colors of other brigades fell back with us, the 8th did not miss their colors until after it was too late to secure them.

"In the last charge, and when almost off the field, Captain Mc- Caslan was killed. He was a noble and gallant man, and rendered me invaluable assistance in the battles.

"Since the battles, I have had no staff at all, except David Wil- son. The adjutant of the 8th has been acting adjutant-general for