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

[98] as far down as one fourth of a mile below Deep Run Creek. Two regiments from General Anderson's division picketed the river bank above the town, reporting to the Brigadier-General in charge of the brigade on duty in the city. The orders were, that two guns should be fired from one of my batteries in a central position, which would be the signal that the enemy was attempting to cross. These were the positions of my command and the orders governing them up to the tenth instant. On that day, the brigade of General Barksdale, composed of Mississippi troops, was on duty in the city. About two o'clock A. M., on the eleventh, General Barksdale sent me word that the movements of the enemy indicated they were preparing to lay down their pontoon bridges, and his men were getting into position to defend the crossing. About half past 4 he notified me that the bridges were being placed, and he would open fire so soon as the working parties came in good range of his rifles. I gave the order, and the signal guns were fired about five o'clock A. M. I had been notified from your headquarters the evening previous (the tenth instant) to have all the batteries harnessed up at daylight on the eleventh instant, and I had given orders that my whole command should be under arms at the same time. General Barksdale kept his men quiet and concealed until the bridges were so advanced that the working parties were in easy range, when he opened fire with such effect that the bridges were abandoned at once. Nine separate and desperate attempts were made to complete the bridges, under fire of their sharpshooters and guns on the opposite banks; but every attempt being attended with such severe loss, from our men posted in rifle-pits, in the cellars of houses along the banks, and from behind whatever offered concealment, that the enemy abandoned his attempts for the time, and opened a terrific fire from their numerous batteries constructed along the hills just above the river. The fire was so severe that the men could not use their rifles, and the different places occupied by them becoming untenable, the troops were withdrawn from the river bank back to Caroline Street, at half past 4 o'clock P. M. The enemy then crossed in boats, and, completing their bridges, passed over in force and advanced into the town. The Seventeenth Mississippi (Colonel Fizer) and ten sharpshooters from Colonel Carter's regiment, (the Thirteenth,) and three companies of the Eighteenth Mississippi regiment, (Lieutenant-Colonel Luse,) under Lieutenant Radliff, were all the troops that were actually engaged in defending the crossings in front of the city. More troops were offered; but the positions were such that but the number already there could be employed. As the enemy advanced into the town our troops fell back to Princess Ann Street, and, as the enemy came up, they were driven back with loss. This street fighting continued until seven P. M., when I ordered General Barksdale to fall back and take position along and behind the stone wall below Marye's Hill, where it was relieved by the brigade of Brigadier-General Thomas R. R. Cobb, and retired to their position on the right of my line of defence in the woods of Mr. Barnard. Lieutenant-Colonel Luse, with his regiment, (the Eighteenth Mississippi,) who occupied the river bank below the town, drove back the enemy in their first attempt to cross the river, and kept them in check until about half past 3 o'clock P. M., when two regiments, the Sixteenth Georgia (Colonel Bryan) and Fifteenth South Carolina, (Colonel DeSaussure,) were sent to his support; and it being then deemed advisable the whole force was withdrawn to the river road, where they remained until daylight the next day, when they rejoined their brigades, excepting the Sixteenth Georgia, which retook its position in the general line of defence. These regiments performed their duties under a severe and destructive fire from the enemy's guns, posted along the hills just above the river on the opposite side. Early on the morning of the eleventh, a battalion of the Eighth Florida regiment, numbering about one hundred and fifty men, was put in position to the left of Colonel Fizer, and in easy range of the enemy above the upper bridge, then being rapidly constructed by them. This battalion was commanded by Captain Long, and, while under his direction, it acted gallantly and did good service--Captain Long proving himself a gallant and efficient officer; but he was severely wounded about eleven o'clock A. M., and the battalion then rendered but little assistance. I call your attention to the special report of Lieutenant-Colonel Fizer on the subject, and to Captain Govan, in relation to the conduct of three companies of the same regiment, which were on duty with the right of Colonel Fizer's regiment, and also to the indorsement of Colonel Humphries, on the special report of Captain Govan. The brigade of General Barksdale, I consider, did their whole duty, and in a manner highly creditable to every officer and man engaged in the fight. An examination of the positions they held shows that no troops could have behaved more gallantly.

On the night of the eleventh instant, the Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth Georgia regiments, and Philips's Georgia Legion, of Cobb's brigade, relieved General Barksdale's command behind the stone wall at the foot of Marye's Hill, Philips's Legion on the left, the Twenty-fourth Georgia in the centre, and Eighteenth Georgia regiment on the right, occupying the entire front under the hill. During that night, the scouts took fifteen prisoners. On the twelfth inst., close and heavy skirmishing was kept up, but no real attack was made. On the thirteenth, skirmishing commenced at early dawn, the enemy shelling in that direction until about eleven o'clock, when the advance of the enemy drove in our pickets, and his column approached the left of the line by the Telegraph road, and deployed to our right, planting three stands of colors along our front; before their deployment was completed, our fire had so thinned their ranks that the survivors retreated, leaving their colors planted in the first position. Soon another column, heavier than the first, advanced to the colors, but were driven back with great slaughter. They were met, on retiring, by