185
an d my confidence and self-respect came back as* Counted Mm, for I was no longer a fugitive, but
a soldier.
The fighting now began in earnest. Tlio splen-did divisions of Birney, Berry, and Whipple had to6 met and vanquished before a farther advance;;«dd he made, and before Jackson could attainae great object of hisdiarch to our rear. Thefathering darkness wasadorable to the Con-federates, for they
e°uld get near the gunsefore being seen; but
11 also added to the ter-
fei'_ of the batteries,
'deli were dischargedouble-shotted at the.gallants, and lit upt> 6 heavens with firea t seemed supernat-
The slope was so steep that a line of battle couldbe formed in front of the guns and a double skir-mish line in front of that.
Our regiment now moved up to the guns, enablingus to see better the slopes and the woods when litup by the flashes. Sometimes darkness and still-ness would reign for a few minutes, and we would
T* it
III §
itiqj ^‘e dusky lines fell back into the woodsauq *!? r £anizod masses as often as they advanced,t r eat^ lp ers of our troops rang out at each re-the q' ^T°m the boldness and the frequeucy of, hov 6 0 ! 1 / e< ^ el ’ a l e charges it was found necessary tolid'antry in front of the guns, lest they should seize them before being discovered.
Vo h m. 13
GENERAL HOWARD STRIVING TO RALLY HIS TROOPS.
think the long’day’s fighting was over, but it wouldpresently break out again. The stealthy rush fromtlio woods could bo heard first, then the sharpcrack of the skirmisher’s rifle, then a yell and alouder rushing of their lines met by the loud rollof tlio line of battle’s fire. As the cheer of ourmen announced that the enemy’s line was againin retreat, the blaze of forty or fifty cannons fromtlio right to the left would light up the scene andcarry death over the heads of our men into thewoods beyond.