a glorious young battalionc-ommander, whose name will be forever associated with the artillery corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, galloped to the front, followed by two light batteries, and having disposed these pieces along the
Plank Road, and opened
Flanner's light guns from the
Gee House, passed to his left to speak a word of cheery commendation to
Lampkin of his battalion, who was already annoying the swarming masses of the enemy with his Virginia battery of eight-inch mortars.
Passing through the covered-way,
Haskell sought
Elliott, and pointing out to him the defenceless position of the guns on the
Plank Road, urged him to make such dispositions as would afford them protection.
Essaying this,
Elliot sprang forward, followed by a mere handful of brave fellows, but almost on the instant fell stricken by a grievous hurt and was borne from his last field of battle.
The fire of the enemy's artillery was now very severe, owing to their superior weight of metal, and the guns on the
Plank Road, exposed in addition to the fire of sharp-shooters, were suffering such loss that it was determined to retire all but six pieces, and, as the situation seemed rather hopeless, to call for volunteers to man these.
To
Haskell's proud delight, every gun-detachment volunteered to remain.
Nor did the artillery to the right and left fail to bear themselves with the resolution of men conscious that, for the time, the hope of the army was centred in their steadiness, and that