Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/222

 214 Southern Historical Society Papers.

men instead of at the barn. So moving the trail slightly to the left and giving the gun a very slight elevation, I was delighted to see, upon the explosion of the shrapnel, that both men had been knocked from their horses to the ground. One of them was evidently killed, the other badly 'wounded; but after about half an hour he succeeded in getting on his horse, with the assistance of the rail fence, and rode to the rear.

From what occurred afterwards, I am satisfied that these men came with orders for the men hidden in the barn, house and bed of the canal to charge across the river at a given signal; because just about that time a battery of 2O-pound Parrotts, which we had ob- served for an hour or two on the extreme left of the enemy's line, commenced firing; and though the distance was estimated to be about two miles and a half, their shots fell within a few feet of our guns, though none of them exploded where they struck, but rico- chetted over our heads to where General Pryor's infantry was lying in the woods. Our guns, being smooth bore, could not, of course, fight a battery of 2o-pound Parrotts, so we withdrew just below the brow of the hill and awaited further orders.

Upon the withdrawal of our guns the firing of this battery ceased, and. being very tired, to say nothing about being sleepy and hungry, I stretched myself on the ground and went to sleep. How long I slept I have no idea, but was awakened by a most tremendous fire of artillery all along the line of the hill on the north bank of the river, and noticed particularly that our friends of the 2o-pound Par- rotts had the range of the top of our hill in a most uncomfortable manner. As I rose to my feet I found the whole woods on the other side ablaze with the fire of heavy guns, ranging from 3-inch rifles to 24-pound Howitzers probably some twenty-five guns altogether. How many infantry were in the bed of the river and crossing the canal it would be hard to tell, but, from my frightened condition, I thought there were a million of them. The river was full of men over half way across, cheering and firing as they came on.

The men- of our battery, together with those belonging to other batteries on the bluff, were mixed in helter-skelter race for the road, the whole field and road being crowded with men, guns, horses, lim- ber chests without the guns, caissons, officers on horseback and on foot, all in a confused mass and all making the best time possible to where they expected to find the rear of General Lee's army. I had been so sound asleep that I was somewhat dazed by the noise of the guns and the rattling of muskets, the bursting of shells, and the