Today in History:

958 Series I Volume XI-I Serial 12 - Peninsular Campaign Part I

Page 958 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.

brigade had been cut to pieces, urged me forward. I gave the word, and my gallant boys dashed into the abatis, pressing forward with every 1)OsSible dispatch. My men w~ere falling List from the fire of an unseen fteindeed, several had fallen in the timber through which we had just passed from the shell of the enemy, and yet they gallantly l)ressed torwar(l and had more than half perforated the abatishad passed the rifle pits and were under a galling fire from front and flank before I opened fire. Never did men behave more like veterans under such tryino circumstances. We were under heavy fire upon both of my flanks and direct in front of the enemy, and also front the rear by our friends, some of whom skulked behind the brick ruins some :300 or 400 yards iu my rear, an(i some from the bush, aiid galled its with their fire, until fiuially I had to~dash back to the fellows before I could be relieved of their annoyance. Nor was this all. The Twenty -eighth Georgia, by pressing to tIme right oblique, had entirely lost its plate in line of battle, cut through my hue and fell in on immy right, except about two conml)aiiies, which Ial)l)e(l my right, and was a source of great an- noyance an(l of sonic loss to inc. Through the activity of my adjutant and of one of the oflicers of the Georgia regiment, whose name I do not know, this emiibarrassinent was removed by ~)lacing it fully on my right. I (10 not h)articnl~irly know what become of this regiment afterward~ but, Loin what my adjutant imiforams mmmc, it advance(l from time rifle pits which it Imad oecul)ied, fell immto line with my commall(1, and gallantly for an hmommr performed its ditty umitil we fell back. Still pressimig br- ward, my regiment soon cleared time abatis amm(I emutem-ed time Ol)C1i field, my left hank sheltered somewhat by tIme woods and immy right hmlly cx- l)ose(l. As I have since learned, the Twemmty-sevent.h Georgia had fimlIen back, leavimig my left also entirely exh)ose(l. We had been lmmm(ler fire for three amid a halt hours, a l)ortioml of time time immider a combinatiomi of four opposite hines. Our bm-iga(le had rOmim~)tly mehieved Garlamids shattered colu nmns, yet duti ug my long m mud I)Lotracted struggle of three and a half hours I had received no succor amid into comminmnand as to mny progress or mnammagemnemit. My reommuent wlmich ~-cnt imito action 390 stromug omily, had been cut. dowim to a niere hamidful. My men were without amumiunimi tion, havimig exhausted their 60 rounds. We had no supports at Imamid or iii ~)Iospect., as Ln- as 1 saw or was mimforiuted. The emuemny was before mis imi loice an(1 immoved with a cheer to tmmm-n mmiy left. 1mm this state of things I regarded it as a mimilitary imecessity that we should Imave fallen back, and to the order which was dii-ccted by immy gallamint mimajor I tirumly believe I aiim iimdebtcd for the l)inescmw~itiomt of the m-emmmmmant of my regiment frommi cal)tmure amm(l destructmomm. I [mad miot recovered the (~-roimn(l I had lost when I wemut back to suppress the tire in my i-ear, whicim I met mimy comnunami(l fallimig back, I aiim liinoud to say, in l)erlect order. Fiuudimmg that mny mumemi were retiring ~vithm sullen re- luttammee, and ascertaummiumg that thmey were without amnmtumitioim, I ordered my adjutamut to l)romnl)th~ rel)ort to Gemieral lull, ascertaimi if lie could supply us, amid ask for orders. In reply I w~is imiforinmued that the gemi- cral could muot smL~)~)ly us, aimd that we must fall back ~1)01i mumy orduaumee wagon an(l there replenish my emupty boxes. This was domme in order most leisminrely order. The boxes ~vere filled, the l)ocket sup~)ly secured, amid tlmcmu I moved mny regiumemmt l)ack to tIme field, amid fimmally to the groulm(l )mm the edge of the battle-field ~vhich was selected for our cmi- campummemut after it was cleat. The fihmt was over fom the (lay. l3arhy omi the muormuing of the 1st instant youi brigade, immehmiding mimy reginment as a part of it, was moved and placed in line of battle on a


Page 958 TILE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA.Chapter XXIII.