200 Nortu Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

vented most of the loss subsequently sustained. Shortly
after 3 o’clock the enemy opened heavily with their artillery
on us, and after an interval of perhaps three-quarters of an
hour, their infantry advanced. Just as they were getting
within good range, there was a heavy discharge of musketry
from Kershaw’s Brigade on my left, and then a cessation
of firing in that quarter. I then supposed that the enemy
had only made a feint in that direction, whereas, in fact,
as I have subsequently learned, this brigade fled precipitately
from the field after discharging their muskets.* Believing
that the point of greatest danger was on my left owing to the
cover which the thick woods there afforded the enemy in their
advance, I took my position in the line near the left of the
Fifty-first Regiment. When the enemy were first seen ad-
vancing through the trees at a distance of nearly one hundred
and fifty yards, supposing they were a portion of General Ha-
good’s Brigade, which was falling back, I ordered my men not
to fire. As soon as their true character was ascertained, we
opened on them. They were then in line of battle and about
one hundred yards distant. Though the places of those in
front were for a time supplied by fresh troops, they ulti-
mately gave way and were driven back out of sight. I or-
dered my men to stop firing to allow the smoke to be dissi-
pated. Immediately in my front for seventy or eighty yards
the ground slightly descended, then rose up into the slope of
the hill. But a little to the left where the branch came down
the ravine was continuous. Along this depression a large
column of the enemy following their lines of battle advanced
without being observed by us. As soon as they were drawn
in the bottom they changed their route somewhat, inclining
towards our right. They were in this manner brought up
directly in front of the left of the Fifty-first where I was
standing. After I had ordered the firing to cease and the
smoke had partially been dissipated, I directed there should
be no firing until the enemy should be seen again.

As the hill where the enemy’s line of battle had been, in

* Keitt’s ‘‘big regiment” broke first and Colonel Keitt was killed
while trying to rally them.—Eb.

Seconp Cotp Harsor. 201

our front, was much elevated above us, we did not from our
position behind our hastily made earthworks, observe the low
ground in front and to the left. On my repeating the order
tc. look out for the approach of the enemy, Captain Fred. R.
Blake, of my staff, who was just by my side on the right,
elevated himself so as to overlook the heads of our men, who
after loading their guns, were in a stooping position, sud-
denly exclaimed: ‘Here they are, as thick as they can be!”
Rising immediately as he had done, I saw there was within
eight or ten paces of us, a heavy column of the enemy. They
showed probably about thirty men in front and were closed in
mass very compactly. They had an apparently new blue
uniform, and were marching at a quick-step. Prisoners sub-
sequently taken stated that they were fresh troops that had
been in garrison and had not previously been engaged, and
had expressed great confidence that they would march into
Richmond. It was also stated that they had orders not to
fire a gun or to cheer until they had carried our works.
From the fact that the column displayed four flags, I took it
to consist of four regiments. The instant I saw them, as my
men had been firing at objects elevated on the hill, I was ap-
prehensive that they might fire too high, I therefore in a
loud voice, said: ‘Aim low and aim well!” As I did this
a tall and uncommonly fine looking officer in the front rank
of the enemy’s column, hearing the order and looking me
directly in the face, though he changed countenance for a
moment, took off his cap and waving it about his head,
cheered his men in words which I could not catch. Just as
he had placed his hat back on his head, and before he. had
time to lower his hand again to his side, a soldier immedi-
ately on my right discharged his musket and the ball entered
the upper part of his forehead, and he fell backward stagger-
ing the two men behind him.

The discharge from my line at once knocked down the
front ranks of the column, while the oblique fire along the
right and left cut down the men rapidly all along the column
towards the rear. Ina few moments the whole column either
acting under orders, or from panic, lay down. Nothing
could have been more unfortunate for them. While they