Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/225

 Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. 213

LEE S EYES UPON THEM.

With the freedom of the volunteer, I said to those next me: Pass it down the line, boys; General Lee is looking at us. "Aye, and depending- upon us, too," and the silent line moved on . with long, swift strides. In a few moments we marched down into the bottom, then rising, parted the undergrowth, and were upon them, packed thick as blackbirds in our trenches. A fearful volley wrought havoc and started those in advance to get back to their line. Those behind, seeing these returning, became alarmed. Without pausing to reload, we rushed upon them, so quickly, in- deed, that we did not give them time to run. Many surrendered upon demand; some gave us the bayonet. With these we had a short, stern argument, using chifly our clubbed guns. My gun being too short for such use and quite handy to load, I gave my stubborn opponent, who refused to surrender, the leaden contents at short range, and passed on after finding that he was beyond the need of assistance from me. As we rushed on, hundreds threw up their hands and said: "I surrender," but we could not afford to send men back from the charging line with prisoners, and would say: "Throw down your guns and go the rear." Many did so-; many obliqued to the left and finally escaped and joined their com- rades, but we passed on, driving the ruck before u.

Presently I saw before our advancing line, to my left a fresh line of Yankees rise from the ground in perfect array. Our line, press- ing through the underbrush and also through a swampy place, was disorganized, every man pressing forward for himself after the flee- ing foe, and when it was confronted by this new force, my heart was in my mouth as I looked for their volley. But, strange to say, ours fired first, and it seemed to me that the enemy just laid down again, such tremendous slaughter was wrought. The force made no further fight and surrendered as we ran over them and finally established ourselves in the abattis, about two hundred yards in front of the enemy's trenches. This post we held until about 4 o'clock, being continually under fire, and firing ourselves until our ammunition was exhausted. My little gun became so foul that I could not press the breech lock into place. I had to stop in the midst of the battle and with my gun-screw take it to pieces and clean it. It was here that our loss was the heaviest. Late in the afternoon we could see the enemy forming a heavy line to retake the gap, and we were ordered to retire to the works we had recap-