Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

[454] cylindrical shells, which flew a few feet above the heads of our men, and exploded in the crest of a hill immediately in rear.

As Bee advanced under a severe fire, he placed the 7th and 8th Georgia regiments, under the chivalrous Bartow, at about 11 A. M., in a wood of secondgrowth pines, to the right and front of, and nearly perpendicular to, Evans's line of battle, the 4th Alabama to the left of them, along a fence connecting the position of the Georgia regiments with the rectangular copse in which Sloan's South Carolina companies were engaged, and into which he also threw the 2d Mississippi. A fierce and destructive conflict now ensued; the fire was withering on both sides, while the enemy swept our short, thin lines with their numerous artillery, which, according to their official reports, at this time consisted of at least ten rifled guns and four howitzers. For an hour did these stout-hearted men of the blended commands of Bee, Evans, and Bartow breast an unintermitting battle-storm, animated, surely, by something more than the ordinary courage of even the bravest men under fire; it must have been, indeed, the inspiration of the cause and consciousness of the great stake in issue which thus nerved and animated one and all to stand unawed and unshrinking in such extremity.

The Federal brigades of Heintzelman's division were now brought into action, led by Pickett's superb light battery of six 10-pounder rifled guns, which, posted on an eminence to the right of the Sudley road, opened fire on Imboden's battery, about this time increased by two rifled pieces of the Washington Artillery, under Lieutenant Richardson, and already the mark of two batteries which divided their fire with Imboden and two guns, under Lieutenants Davidson and Leftwitch, of Latham's battery, posted as before mentioned.

At this time, confronting the enemy, we had still but Evans's eleven companies and two guns, Bee's and Bartow's four regiments, the two companies 11th Mississippi, under Lieutenant-Colonel Liddell, and the six pieces under Imboden and Richardson. The enemy had two divisions of four strong brigades, including seventeen companies of Regular infantry, cavalry, and artillery, four companies of marines, and twenty pieces of artillery.¹ Against this odds, scarcely credible, our advance position was still for a while maintained, and the enemy's ranks constantly broken and shattered by the scorching fire of our men; but fresh regiments of Federalists came upon the field. Sherman's and Keyes's brigades of Tyler's division, as is stated in their reports, numbered over six thousand bayonets, which had found a passage across the Run about eight hundred yards above the stone bridge, threatened our right.

Heavy losses had now been sustained on our side, both in numbers and in the personal worth of the slain. The 8th Georgia regiment had suffered heavily, being exposed, as it took and maintained its position, to a fire from the enemy, already posted within a hundred yards of their front and right, sheltered by fences and other cover. It was at this time that Lieutenant-Colonel Gardner was severely wounded, as also several other valuable officers; the Adjutant of the regiment, Lieutenant Branch, was killed, and the horse of the regretted Bartow was shot under him. The 4th Alabama also suffered severely from deadly