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[446] a while the only reply was from a section of Stuart's horse artillery under Lieutenant John Pelham, of Alabama, who approached close, upon the enemy's left flank with only two guns, and so punished his lines of battle that the advance was checked until Pelham could be driven off, an operation which it took four batteries an hour to accomplish. The whole army were spectators of the unequal combat, and General Lee's expression, “the Gallant Pelham,” was ever afterward accorded to him as a well earned soubriquet. On his withdrawal, at last, with empty ammunition chests, Meade again moved forward and soon joined battle along his whole line. A portion of his force struck a considerable interval in A. P. Hill's line (which was in front), where a swamp separated Lane's and Archer's brigades, and penetrating that, and turning the flanks of these two brigades, gained a temporary success. Gregg's brigade, posted in the second line in rear of this interval, was completely surprised by this force advancing through the dense forest and General Gregg himself was killed while beating down his men's muskets to stop the firing upon what he mistook for a Confederate brigade. The true state of affairs, however, was scarcely sooner discovered than it was set to rights. Colonel Hamilton succeeded to the command of Gregg's brigade. General Early who was in reserve a short distance in rear came “crashing through the woods” with three brigades of his division: Lawton's under Atkinson, Trimble's under Hoke, and Early's under Walker. The advance of the enemy was beaten back, and after some severe fighting in the woods they were driven out and back across the field to the shelter of the railroad embankment. Here Meade was reinforced by Gibbon's division, supported by Doubbleday's, a short distance in rear, and a determined stand was made. The three brigades, however, under Walker, Hoke and Atkinson, assisted by two regiments of Archer's brigade, and two of Brockenborough's-scarcely seven thousand men all told, promptly and gallantly charged this greatly superior force, and after a short but sharp action, in which some were even killed with the bayonet, Meade and Gibbons were utterly routed and Doubbleday was borne back under the protection of the batteries along the Bowling Green road. Four regiments of Atkinson's command1 continued the pursuit within fifty
1 These regiments were the Thirty-first Georgia, Colonel Evans, the Thirty-eighth Georgia, Captain McLeod; Sixtieth Georgia, Colonel Stiles, and Sixty-first Georgia, Colonel Lamar, and averaged 340 men each. They captured over 200 prisoners and inflicted great slaughter upon the enemy-losing themselves forty-eight killed, and 309 wounded. Colonel Atkinson was severely wounded and fell into the enemy's hands. Colonel Evans succeeding to the command. Captain Lawton, Brigade-Adjutant, also fell into the enemy's hands mortally wounded while leading a regiment with distinguished gallantry, though already partly disabled by the falling of his horse which had been killed under him.
Richmond, VA. 1882.
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