360 THE GREAT CHARGE AND

but the fight was longer and hotter than I expected. So accurate was theenemy’s fire, that two of my guns were fairly dismounted, and the loss of menwas so great that I had to ask General Barksdale, whose brigade was lyingdown close behind in the wood, for help to handle the heavy 24 -pounderhowitzers of Moody’s battery. He gave me permission to call for volunteers,and in a minute I had eight good fellows, of whom, alas ! we buried two thatnight, and sent to the hospital three others mortally or severely wounded.At last I sent for my other two batteries, but before they arrived McLaws ’sdivision charged past our guns, and the enemy deserted their line in confusion.Then I believed that Providence was indeed “ taking the proper view,” andthat the war was very nearly over. Every battery was limbered to the front,and the two batteries from the rear coming up, all six charged in line acrossthe plain and went into action again at the position the enemy had deserted.I can recall no more splendid sight, on a small scale,— and certainly no moreinspiriting moment during the war,— than that of the charge of these six bat-teries. An artillerist’s heaven is to follow the routed enemy, after a toughresistance, and throw shells and canister into his disorganized and fleeingmasses. Then the explosions of the guns sound louder and more powerful,and the very shouts of the gunners, ordering “ Fire ! ” in rapid succession, thrillone’s very soul. There is no excitement on earth like it. It is far prettiershooting than at a compact, narrow line of battle, or at another batteiy. Nowwe saw our heaven just in front, and were already breathing the very air ofvictory. Now we would have our revenge, and make them sorry they hadstaid so long. Everything was in a rush. The ground was generally good,and pieces and caissons went at a gallop, some cannoneers mounted, andsome running by the sides — not in regular line, but a general race andscramble to get there first.

But we only had a moderately good time with Sickles’s retreating corpsafter all. They fell back upon fresh troops in what seemed a strong positionextending along the ridge north of Round Top. Hood’s troops under Lawgained the slope of Little Round Top, but were driven back to its base. Ourinfantry lines had become disjointed in the advance, and the fighting becamea number of isolated combats between brigades. The artillery took partwherever it could, firing at everything in sight, and a- sort of pell-mell fightinglasted until darkness covered the field and the fuses of the flying' shells lookedlike little meteors in the air. But then both musketry and artillery slackenedoff, and by 9 o’clock the field was silent. It was evident that we had notfinished the job, and would have to make a fresh effort in the morning. Thefiring had hardly ceased when my faithful little darkey, Charlie, came uphunting for me, with a fresh horse, affectionate congratulations on my safety,and, what was equally acceptable, something to eat. Negro servants huntingfor their masters were a feature of the landscape that night. I then foundGeneral Longstreet, learned what I could of the fortunes of the day on otherparts of the field, and got orders for the morning. They were, in brief, thatour present position was to be held and the attack renewed as soon as Pickettarrived, and he was expected early.