198 NorrH Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

Fifty-first should move forward and to the left about four or
five hundred yards, to support a portion of the cavalry who
were acting as infantry, and engaged with the enemy. I
therefore carried forward this regiment and placed it in posi-
tion, and as this was the most exposed and dangerous part of
my line, I remained with it. We, though subjected to a
heavy fire both of artillery and musketry, sustained little
loss. After we had been engaged for some time, the cavalry
on my left gave way,’and the enemy’s advance then enabled
them to annoy us a good deal by their fire on the left flank of
our position where I was stationed. Two companies de-
tached from the Fifty-first to the left, owing to the miscon-
duct of their commander, Captain —. —. , failed to
drive back the enemy there. Though he was three times or-
dered to open on them, yet he failed to do so, but kept his
men lying down in the road about one hundred and fifty
yards on my left.
A half hour, or perhaps an hour later, the cavalry on my
_ right all gave way, and passed to the rear in squads, alleging
that their ammunition had given out. Seeing the enemy
would soon pass me on both sides, I ordered Colonel Me-
Kethan, after a few minutes, to fall back to the fence, a few
hundred yards to the rear, and sent one of my couriers to the
other two regiments, who were only a hundred yards in ad-
vance of the fence, to occupy the same line. As I was retir-
ing to point out the several positions each regiment was to
occupy, a portion of a shell took away the front of my hat
and slightly wounded my forehead. Though somewhat
stunned for an instant, I was not disabled at all, but observ-
ing that all the cavalry in reserve on my right had likewise
retired, as my several regiments came back, they were
placed in position on the other side of the field to the rear
of the place I had intended them to occupy. A few of my
command were captured by that portion of the enemy who
came between the Fifty-first and Eighth Regiments. Our
loss in all was less than one hundred. My Adjutant-Gen-
eral, Captain Edward White, was severely wounded by a
shell while in line with the Eighth Regiment where I had
left him when I moved forward. We held this position

Seconp Cotp Harpor. 199

during the night, having been reinforced by the arrival,
about dark, of the Sixty-first Regiment of my brigade, un-
der Colonel J. D, Radcliffe, and also by General Colquitt’s
Brigade, which took position on my right.

At daylight in the morning of 1 June, 1864, to obtain a
better line, my left was drawn back about two hundred yards,
and took a position selected by General Hoke, while the right
of my brigade united with General Colquitt’s. My left
rested at the bank of a branch. Soon after sunrise, General
Kershaw’s Brigade took position on the hill on my left,
but with an interval of about seventy-five yards between their
right and my left. I rode over and expressed to the officer
in command of the nearest regiment, a wish that he would
extend his right to the branch, so as to unite with my com-
mand, but he declined to do so. I was about to extend my
line across the branch, though contrary to the orders I had
received, but soon after was informed by Major-General Hoke
that this was unnecessary, as General Hagood’s Brigade
would be stationed in front of my left and cover this inter-
val. About 9 o’elock General Hagood’s Brigade did -take
position about one hundred and fifty yards in front of my
line, so that his right regiment was in front of the left regi-
ment of my brigade, while the rest of his command was in
front of General Kershaw’s position.

The Sixty-first Regiment occupied the right of my line,
next it was the Thirty-first, then the Fifty-first, and my left
was held by the Eighth Regiment. The men all went vigor-
ously to work and with their hands and bayonets had made
with rails each a pretty good entrenchment as against mus-
ketry by midday. After 1 o’clock I passed along the line of
General Hagood’s Brigade in my front to be assured that
they were still in the position in which they had been placed
in the morning. About 3 o’clock, however, this brigade, in
obedience to Major-General Hoke’s orders, was moved away
to the right without my knowledge. General Hagood subse-
quently told me that he notified General Kershaw of his
movement, but he gave me no notice. Had I not felt sure of
his still being there, I should have sent companies of my com-
mand across the branch on my left, and might thus have pre-