Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/120

 112 Southern Historical Society Papers.

through the carnage and destruction we had wrought, till a halt in the line was made.

It was now night, and dark, except the glimmer of the moon through the tangled woods. Being so ordered, I opened my guns down the road in the direction of Chancellorsville, which drew a rapid reply from a six gun battery. During this artillery duel, Rodes's and Colston's Divisions, which had become intermingled during the constant fighting, were ordered to withdraw and reform, and A. P. Hill's Division was sent to the front. General Lane, with the lead- ing brigade of Hill's Division, came up in rear of my guns and halted, withdrawing to the edge of the woods. General Hill seeing his brigades not moving, sent forward his Adjutant-General, Lieuten- ant-Colonel Palmer, to know the cause of the delay. General Lane, in a letter to me, says: " In reaching the advance guns of Moor- man's Battery, both sides opened their artillery and I ordered my command to lie down on the side of the road. General A. P. Hill sent his Adjutant-General, Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer, to know why I did not form my line of battle, and my reply was, because I do not wish to lose my command. I am unwilling to attempt to form my line in the dark, under such a fire and in such woods. Tell General Hill I believe the enemy is simply responding to our guns. If he will order our guns to cease firing the enemy will stop, and I will then form my line. The order was given through Colonel Palmer; your guns ceased firing and so did the enemy's, just as I expected, and I then formed my line. Two regiments on the right of the road, the Thirty-seventh and Seventh North Carolina, two on the left, the Eighteenth and Twenty-eighth North Carolina, with one, the Thirty- third North Carolina, thrown well forward to the Van Wort house as skirmishers. My brigade were the only troops in line of battle at the time. Pender's and McGowan's Brigades of A. P. Hill's Di- vision were in the road in rear of mine, and it was there, whilst being carried to the rear, that Jackson gave his order, so often quoted, to Pender: 'Hold your ground, General Pender!' Pender did not form on the left of the road until after Jackson and A. P. Hill had been wounded and I had withdrawn the Eighteenth and Twenty- eighth North Carolina Regiments and put them on my right, where they repulsed Sickles' s formidable midnight attack and captured the colors of the Third Maine Regiment."

Just as Lane had established his line and come up to the pike in search of General Hill for orders, up rode General Jackson, who said to Lane: " Push ahead, General Lane," and passed on. Col-