Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[107] stood in the way. Taken somewhat by surprise, Orr's rifles were thrown into confusion, mistaking the advancing enemy for our own troops falling back. It was at this moment that Brigadier-General Maxcy Gregg--himself fearful of harming our friends-fell, in front of the rifles, mortally wounded. A more chivalrous gentleman and gallant soldier never adorned the service which he so loved. One company of the rifles, Lieutenant Charles, and the four remaining regiments, the First, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth, stood firm as on parade. Colonel Hamilton, now in command of the brigade, threw back the right wing of his regiment and opened a destructive fire, the Twelfth faced about, and the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, under the direction of Colonel McGowan, faced by the rear rank, changed front forward, and stood prepared to resist any attempt to sweep down my rear. The combat was short, sharp, and decisive. The rattling musketry and charging yell of the Fifth Alabama battalion, the Forty-seventh Virginia regiment, and Twenty-second Virginia battalion, and the withering fire from Hamilton's regiment, right in their faces, was more than Yankee firmness could stand. In addition to this, that gallant old warrior, General Early, to whom I had sent, requesting that he would move down to my support, came crashing through the woods at the double-quick.

The enemy, completely broken, fled in confusion. The two regiments of Brockenbrough's brigade, Archer, with the First Tennessee and Fifth Alabama battalion, and Early's troops, chased them across the railroad and back to their reserves. In this backward movement of theirs, my artillery again inflicted heavy loss upon them. On the extreme left of my line, held by the North Carolina brigade of General Pender, (Thirteenth, Sixteenth, Twenty-second, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-eighth,) the enemy made several threatening attempts to advance, but were invariably repulsed by the well-directed fire from Davidson's and Latimer's guns. From the nature of the ground occupied by Pender's brigade, and the entire absence of all protection against artillery, his brigade received the greater part of the terrible fire directed at Davidson and Latimer, and suffered severely. General Pender was himself wounded, and his. Aid, Lieutenant Sheppard, killed, whilst gallantly rallying a portion of the Eighteenth regiment of Lane's brigade. During the temporary absence. of General Pender, the command of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Scales, of the Thirteenth. The two batteries suffered much by the fire of a heavy line of skirmishers. Colonel Scales directed Major Cole, of the Twenty-second North Carolina, to dislodge them, which was handsomely done. The Sixteenth, Colonel McElroy, which had been thrown out as a support to Latimer's battery, became pretty hotly engaged with a brigade of the enemy which had advanced up Deep Run under cover, and, assisted by two North Carolina regiments of Law's brigade, Hood's division, drove them back. The enemy having thus been repulsed at all points, my brigades remained in their original positions, save General Thomas's, (Fourteenth, Thirty-fifth, Forty-fifth, and Forty-ninth Georgia,) which was not recalled from the position it had so gallantly won in the front line, and General Archer, who, being out of ammunition, was relieved by Colonel Hoke, of Early's division. About dusk I received an order from the Lieutenant-General to advance my whole line and drive the enemy. This order was, however, countermanded while preparations were being made to carry it out. During the night my division was relieved from the front by the divisions of Generals Early and Taliaferro. When the fight was hottest, General Taliaferro very promptly responded to my call, and moved down his division to within easy supporting distance of my left. I cannot close this report without calling the attention of the Lieutenant-General to the admirable manner in which the troops of this division behaved under that most trying of all things to the soldier, viz., inaction under a heavy fire of artillery. The absence of all straggling was remarkable, and is entitled to high commendation. The conscripts showed themselves desirous of being thought worthy comrades of our veteran soldiers. In this, as in all previous battles, my thanks are eminently due to the brigade commanders for their hearty cooperation, the coolness and skill with which they have handled their troops. General Pender, though wounded, resumed the command of his brigade as soon as his wound was dressed.

Amongst the field officers wounded are Colonels Turney, Barber, Purdie Lieutenant-Colonel George, First Tennessee; Majors Vandegraff, Norton, Lee, Neill, and Buchanan. The three field officers and senior captain (Turney) of the First Tennessee were struck down. General Pender mentions especially First Lieutenant S. S. Kirkland and Mr. John Young, Volunteer Aid-de-camp. General Archer was efficiently served by Lieutenants Lemmon and Thomas. General Lane speaks of the good conduct of Captain Hawks and Lieutenant Lane, A. D. C. And General Thomas, that when all did so well he cannot say more. Captain Alexander Haskell, Assistant Adjutant-General to the lamented Gregg, was severely wounded, but refused to leave the field, until, fainting from exhaustion and loss of blood, he was carried off. Captain Alston, of the First South Carolina volunteers, also deserves special mention; he, having been severely wounded, after being dressed at the hospital, returned to the field in spite of the remonstrance of the surgeon. Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, assisted by Lieutenant Chamberlaine, directed the fire from his guns with admirable coolness and precision. Pegram, as usual, with McIntosh to help him, managed to find the hottest place, though perhaps Davidson might have been willing to exchange positions with them.

I had forgotten to mention that at half past 3 o'clock my batteries on the right, except one section of Pegram's, were relieved by the corps of Colonel Brown.