Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/218

 206 Southern Historical Society Papers.

unteers, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania \^olun- teers. The other brigades of the division were in successive Hnes in rear. The fire of the enemy was mainly directed to the One Hundred and Second and Ninety-third Pennsylvania ^'olunteers, as they were exposed through a large opening in the woods. At this point also the line was at right angles with an interior line of works, which had been vacated by the enemy and was untenable to us. The traverses and abatis in rear and front of these works and the severe artillery fire w^hich enfiladed them rendered it impossible to keep the line connected, and the Ninety-third Pennsylvania Volunteers was moved by a flank in rear of the Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers. As the Second Corps had been checked in its advance and its right had fallen back, leaving my flank exposed, and nothing as yet had formed on my right, I deemed it unsafe to advance farther, and the brigade was halted where the above separation occurred — the One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania Volun- teers on the left and the balance of the brigade on the right under cover of the woods. The enemy continued to shell both positions for an hour, the brigade and the lines in support los- ing many men and officers therefrom. At 8 o'clock the brigade of Colonel Smith, of the Third Division formed on the right. At 9 o'clock a staff officer of the division commander came for the first time to learn the situation of affairs, to whom I represented the impracticability of a farther advance. A short time after I received orders direct from the corps commander to withdraw, which was done successfully under cover of the woods."

General L. A. Grant, of Wright's Corps, page 696 of Record, says, "At daylight on the morning of the i8th, both corps charged the enemy's position. This brigade v/as formed in two lines of battle, the old regiments in front and the Eleventh Regiment constituting the second l;ne. Three brigades, each formed in one line of battle, were in our front. An advance of about half a mile was made under a heavy artillery fire. This brigade (constituting the fourth and fifth lines), came up