Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 35.djvu/23

 Rh paper that the mare belonged to General Colston, who afterwards recovered it. It has been stated to me that the Federal trooper who killed Wales Hurt, possessed himself of the mare, and was himself afterwards killed, and the horse subsequently restored to its lawful owner.

The news considerably excited me, and I pushed on. It was now very near the middle of the day. On turning" into the main road and nearing our camp, which was immediately on the Plank Road, and a short distance in the rear of the breastworks, I saw our attenuated line of about one hundred and twenty-five men spread out along the trenches from the salient, or redoubt, in front of or near Timothy Rives' house on our left, across the Jerusalem Plank Road, to a short distance on our right, in front of a pine grove.

There was no artillery then in position, and I instinctively felt it was a forlorn hope. I found a Mr. Grigg, formerly of Danville, on guard at the camp, and ascertaining from him the position of my company, which was on the extreme left near the Rives' house, I joined it.

I found the men considerably elated at the result of the first attack, as they described with what beautiful precision the attacking party of cavalry had advanced in front of our works, wheeled and retreated on being fired into. However, the fiery ordeal had yet to come. It was apparent that our commandant, Major Fletcher H. Archer, had nevertheless, the utmost we could hope to accomplish was to hold our position until reinforcements arrived. At that moment we were the only barrier, feeble as it was, between the city and destruction. The enemy, now finding we were not be frightened off by the mere brandishing of the weapons of war, proceeded to invest our position according to the most approved military methods, and now opened upon our centre at the Jerusalem Road, shelling us vigorously. At this movement we had no gun in position wherewith to respond to the Rives' salient. Presently the commandant came over and asked for volunteers to help defend the centre of our position, as he expected a fresh dash of the enemy would be made there, which was cheerfully compiled with. A dozen or