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

[94] of the brigade, though injured during the advance by the fall of his horse, continued to press forward on foot, heroically encouraging the brigade, until he fell mortally wounded.

During the day, some of the guns under Colonel Walker, becoming short of men and ammunition, and otherwise disabled from further service, were relieved by Captain Poague's battery with two twenty-pound Parrotts. These two pieces actively engaged the enemy's artillery, and afterward opened on the infantry. The exact range of the hill having been accurately obtained by much previous firing, the loss at this point was heavy. It is due to Captain Poague here to state, that when, late on the evening previous, he received orders to move his battery, he was distant some sixteen miles from the battle-field, and the promptitude with which he responded to the order, by a fatiguing night's march, is worthy of notice. Some guns of Major-General D. H. Hill's division were put in at this time on our right, under the direction of his chief of artillery, Major T. H. Carter, which were all well served. Later in the evening, Lieutenant-Colonel Coleman brought up two howitzers, from Captain Dance's battery, and placed them on the left of Captain Poague's guns. About this time Lieutenant-Colonel Coleman was severely wounded. On the extreme right, beyond the Massaponax, was a Whitworth gun, under the command of Captain Hardaway, of Major-General D. H. Hill's division, which was well served.

On the extreme left, the day did not pass without some incidents worthy of notice. Early in the day, the enemy opened upon the left with sixteen guns, afterward increased to twenty-four. The officers in command obeyed their orders, and, reserving their fire, the enemy advanced his skirmishers in heavy line upon the points occupied by the commands of Captains Davidson and Brockenbrough. They were soon driven off by canister; but the position of these batteries being thus disclosed to the enemy, a heavy artillery fire was directed upon them, which was replied to with animation and spirit. The ammunition of Captain Raine's battery proving defective, it was withdrawn, and Captain Latimer (acting chief of artillery of Ewell's division) was ordered to take a position still farther to the front and left. These last pieces were admirably served, and though suffering severely from skirmishers and sharp-shooters, drove them back, and, by the accuracy and rapidity of their fire, inflicted a severe loss upon the enemy. As the Federal infantry pressed forward upon our front, it was deemed advisable to withdraw the batteries of Captain Brockenbrough, placed in advance of the railroad, before the enemy should seize the point of woods to their right and rear, which they a short time afterward penetrated — the withdrawal of the batteries being covered by Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, of the Seventh North Carolina. The brigade of General Pender was immediately in rear of the batteries of Captains Davidson and Latimer, and was without any protection from the enemy's artillery; and thus, notwithstanding the efficacy of the batteries acting in conjunction with Major Cole, of the Twenty-second North Carolina, in dispersing the cloud of skirmishers and sharpshooters that hung all day upon that part of the line, that brigade received much of the fire that was directed at these guns, and suffered severely. General Pender was himself wounded. The Sixteenth North Carolina, Colonel McElroy, which had been thrown out as a support to Latimer's battery, became warmly engaged with a brigade of the enemy, which had advanced up Deep Run, under cover, and, acting with two other North Carolina regiments, (the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-seventh,) of Law's brigade, Hood's division drove them back. Repulsed on the right, left, and centre, the enemy soon after reformed his lines, and gave some indications of a purpose to renew the attack. I waited some time to receive it, but he making no forward movement, I determined, if prudent, to do so myself. The artillery of the enemy was so judiciously posted as to make an advance of our troops across the plain very hazardous; yet it was so promising of good results, if successfully executed, as to induce me to make preparations for the attempt. In order to guard against disaster, the infantry was to be preceded by artillery, and the movement postponed until late in the evening, so that if compelled to retire, it would be under the cover of night. Owing to unexpected delay, the movement could not be, gotten ready until late in the evening. The first gun had hardly moved forward from the wood a hundred yards, when the enemy's artillery re-opened, and so completely swept our front, as to satisfy me that the proposed movement should be abandoned.

The next day (fourteenth) the divisions under the command of Brigadier-Generals Early and Taliaferro formed the first line, that of Major-General D. H. Hill the second, and the division of Major-General A. P. Hill the reserve. The enemy continued in our front all day, apparently awaiting an attack from us. During the night, our lines were again changed so as to place the division of Major-General D. H. Hill in the front line, Major-General A. P. Hill in the second, and the divisions commanded by Brigadier-Generals Early and Taliaferro in the reserve.

On the fifteenth the enemy still remained in our front, and, in the evening of that day, sent in a flag of truce requesting a cessation of hostilities between his left and our right wing, for the purpose of removing his wounded from the field, which, under previous instructions from the commanding General, was granted. Our troops patiently retained in position on that, as they had done the previous day, eagerly awaiting another attack from the enemy; and such was the desire to occupy the front line, when such an attack should be made, that the division of Major-General D. H. Hill sent in a written request to be permitted to remain in the front line until next day. But our brave troops were disappointed in the expectation of another attack. For whilst they patiently waited during the night of the