Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 36.djvu/38

24 a woods, our rifle pits concealed by underbrush, which also obscured our artillery above us. About 11 o'clock the enemy moved forward, and halted about one hundred yards from the cut where Cobb was concealed. The line was dressed, and every man stood in his place. It was a formidable column, out for a desperate encounter. Everything in readiness, they advanced about thirty yards when the artillery back of us opened, throwing grape and shell into their ranks. The Georgians, resting their guns on the bluff, fired a volley which almost destroyed the alignment. The enemy fell back, leaving their dead and wounded. The color bearers threw down their flags, and numbers of the men dropped their guns and fell, outstretched on the ground. Quickly another line advanced and met the same disaster. A third and fourth line rushed forward, and were driven back with equal slaughter. Charge followed charge until night relieved the scene. The enemy acted with great gallantry, and rushed into our works to meet defeat and death, but others took their places and suffered likewise. There was no occasion during the war when the Federal troops displayed such determination and behaved with greater credit. During that dreadful engagement, General Cobb was seriously wounded, and died soon afterwards. General Cobb was a distinguished man in peace, and could have won even greater fame in war had he lived. Soon after he was wounded, General McLaws observed the enemy massing for a final effort, ordered General Kershaw to move his brigade into the cut also. Hardly had he done so, when the enemy rushed at our line; then it was that hundreds of them fell almost in front of the cut, and numbers fought their way to our line, to be driven back in defeat. When the last charge was made the dead and wounded were lying so thick in our front that the enemy stumbled over them in their desperation. The enemy retired to the river and remained along the bank until the 15th then recrossed, leaving 15,000 dead and wounded behind. The Confederate loss did not exceed 5,000. Looking back on the scenes of Fredericksburg, and