[294] he had fixed on to the trail and pulled the gun down the hill perhaps one hundred yards, when the captain, seeing the Yankees were so close on us that we must have been killed or captured in a minute or two more, ordered us to leave the gun and save ourselves if we could.
The first glance at the situation seemed to show that this was an impossibility. We were surrounded. They were behind us, on our right, and in front, but we noticed that the line of battle which was now advancing rapidly on our left (it had been our front) had not reached our deserted breastworks by one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards. That gap afforded us the only chance to escape. There was nothing left for us but to surrender at once or ‘run the gauntlet.’ We chose the latter, so jumping over the breastworks we commenced the race. If we could make it before the gap was closed up there might be some chance for us. Fortunately the firing had ceased because of the danger of killing their own men.
