170 The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War

Sheridan the advancing rebels encountered anofficer of very different mettle from those they haddisposed of that morning. When he found hisSheridan’s flank uncovered by Davis’s retreat, hemagnificent withdrew his right and ordered his leftto push back the enemy at point of bay-onet ; and while this charge, superbly conductedby Colonel Roberts, drove off the enemy in dis-order, he used the precious moments in forming anew front at right angles to his old one and facingsouthward. In this new position he met the re-turning shock of the rebel infantry, and held themat bay for two hours. Then finding them againoutflanking him, he faced his two right brigades towestward, so that his division and Negley’s togetherformed something like a semicircle convex towardthe south, and for another two hours the enemy’sefforts to break this line were fruitless. The fight-ing was now terrific. Maddened by this obstinateresistance, Bragg massed the entire left and centreof his army against these two divisions, but wasthrice driven back with frightful slaughter. Atlength, with his cartridge-boxes empty, his brigade-commanders all killed, and 1800 men laid low, thenoble Sheridan saw that he must retreat. Onemore desperate charge with cold steel, and beforethe enemy had recovered he withdrew his men tothe rolling plain west of the Nashville road where