Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/54

 4:i Southern Historical Society Papers.

this whole day ; the lire from the mountain top down into the valley appeared to have little effect, while the heavy batteries of the Federals on the north side of the pike at the foot of the mountain, and from the mountain top at Fox's Gap, threw their shells wdth great accuracy and effect into our troops as they came to the top of the mountain on the pike, and marched to the right and left to take position on the field of battle. The report of General Wilcox, however, shows that the artillery fire of some of the batteries did more execution than we at the time observed. As the sun was going down the fight became general along the whole line.

General Reno being killed on the mountain near Fox's Gap about this time, the pressure there was not so strong, but the divisions of Wilcox and Sturgis continued to move forward through the wood on the north slope of this mountain. Everv advance, however, was met and repulsed by Hood's troops and the part of Colquitt's brigade on the south of the pike. On the top of the mountain on pur right the fight raged more fiercely. Kemper, and Garnett, and Evans held their ground stubbornly, but were finally driven back a short distance by Hatch's di- vision, where they made a" last stand until after dark, while Rodes on the left fought the whole of Meade's division and a part of Rickett's with unfaltering courage, and though forced back by the overwhelming numbers almost surrounding him, yet yielded so slowly and orderly that when night closed the battle, he still held a position not far from the top of the mountain he and his brave men having covered themselves with glory.

At the same time that these attacks were made on the right and left of our lines. Gibbon's brigade again and again rushed upon the 23rd and 28th Georgia Regiments in the fiercest as- saults, hoping to break through our center and continuing the assaults sometimes after the firing had ceased on other parts of the field. General Burnside, who was personally command- ing the attack on the center, in his report, says that General Gibbon supported by Campbell's battery "had a most brilliant engagement after nightfall, pushing the enemy to the crest of