position. Here again our men fought the enemy at a few yards. General Branch, coming up at this time with a regiment of his brigade, took part in the contest; but unused to so terrible a fire, his men gave way for a while. This was a most critical moment, and in it I claim for Captain Haskell, Lieutenants Munro and [C. P.] Seabrook much of the credit of having saved the day. Seeing the North Carolina regiment break, they, with General Branch, rallied and led it, or a portion of it, back. Captain Parker, too, though suffering much from a painful, but fortunately not a severe, wound in his knee, assisted greatly in rallying our men. Nor did Captains Shooter and [T. P.] Alston, Lieutenants [E. D.] Brailsford, [George A.] McIntyre, Armstrong, and Hamilton spare themselves during this trying time, but gallantly brought our men back again and again to the depurate struggle. The enemy had by this time driven us back some 300 yards from the railroad cut and were possessors of most of the long-contested field, but still a portion of our regiment, with its colors, and the North Carolina regiment, rallied by General Branch and Captain Haskell, contended with them inch by inch for it. At this time, when all seemed lost, General Field, with a portion of his brigade, came up, and charging the enemy, they again broke and fled from the field.

I regret to have to report that in this later part of the day, particularly in the last attack of the enemy, we lost many of our most gallant officers and men. Captain Barksdale fell mortally wounded, and Sergeant Smith, after distinguishing himself by his gallantry during the whole day, at last fell in a hand-to-hand encounter with the enemy.

It was now about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Our regiment had lost half of its officers carried into action and nearly half the men; our ammunition, too, was exhausted, and with the rest of the brigade we were thoroughly worn-out. Fresh troops had, however, come to our relief, and by General Gregg's direction I reformed the regiment in the rear of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, awaiting to take part again if necessary, at least with our bayonets, in the coming renewal of the struggle. This was soon made with still greater force by the enemy, but our re-enforcements were sufficiently strong to resist their onset, and we remained inactive but anxious listeners to the conflict. The shout of our men at length told us that the enemy were finally repulsed, but we were not allowed to rest in safety. The enemy, having obtained our range, commenced vigorously to shell our position.

At this time, after having gone through the whole day, conducting himself, I do not hesitate to say, with a gallantry unsurpassed, Lieutenant John Munro was killed by the explosion of a shell. He was sitting at the time with Sergeant Kelly and Private Heyward, of his company (L), when a shell fell just by the group, instantly killing Private Heyward and himself. In him the regiment has lost one of its most excellent officers. Modest and faithful in the irksome and unobserved duties of camp, we expected much of him in the field. Our expectations, however, had not done him justice, for on that day, when so many deserved names for gallantry, few equaled his courage and daring.

Night closed upon the scene, and amid the dead of the enemy and our own we rested until morning.

The following officers went into action with the regiment: Company A, Lieutenant [G. S.] Newman commanding; Company B, Lieutenant [John C.] McLemore commanding, wounded (since dead), and Lieutenant Lyles wounded; Company C, Lieutenant Hewetson commanding; Company E, Captain Shooter and Lieutenant McIntyre; Company F, Captain Alson and Lieutenant Congdon, wounded; Company G, Lieu