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

[592] habit was to keep one regiment from each of his brigades resting in rear of the lines, and he sent such as happened to be there at the time. The regiments commenced arriving at the rendezvous, near the Lead-works, where Hagood was to meet them about 11.30 P. M., and by 3 A. M. Hagood had effected a brigade organization with them, appointing hap-hazard an acting staff, and learning their names and those of his regimental commanders, for it was too dark to see their faces. He reported to General Hill, who was asleep in his ambulance near by. When General Hill learned the heterogeneous character of the brigade sent him he, much to Hagood's relief, declined to receive it, and directed the regiments returned to their division. Nothing was done that day; the enemy were left to intrench undisturbed across the coveted road. In the afternoon Hagood's own brigade was withdrawn from the trenches, and, marching through Petersburg, bivouacked beyond its southern limits to the right of Battery 45. But 59 officers and 681 men marched out of the trenches. Sixty-seven days and nights in them without relief had shorn the brigade of two-thirds of its numerical strength, and so debilitated were the sickly and enfeebled remainder that they tired badly in the short evening's march. The brigade was itself only in the unconquerable spirit of the remnant which clung to its banner. When General Hagood again, in pursuance of his directions, reported to General Hill he felt that justice to his men required it, and he unhesitatingly asked and received the promise that he should not be used in the next day's work, if it could be avoided. The change from the cramped and noisome trench to the freedom of the bivouac, and the call upon the men for action instead of endurance, aroused their spirits wonderfully, and, although it rained all night, the fires of brushwood crackled merrily; and then was once more heard the light laugh, the ready joke, and the busy hum of voices, as the men prepared their suppers or smoked their pipes, stretched at length before the exhilarating blaze. At 2 A. M. of the 21st of August the brigade was aroused, and, moving out at half-past 3, followed the column destined for the day's engagement. It still rained; and after a toilsome march through mud and water, first down the Squirrel Level road, and then across towards the Poplar Spring church, more or less skirmishing going on all the time by the flankers on our left, the brigade was directed to halt by the road-side and remain in reserve while the column passed on. It had now ceased raining, and shortly afterwards, about a mile in front of us, the fire of skirmishers was heard, and a heavy fire of artillery was opened.

The men laid down and rested from the unwonted fatigue of the march. The firing became more earnest in front, and in about half an hour a courier from General Hill arrived, and directed us to hasten to the front and report to Major-General Mahone. Proceeding by a short cut into the Vaughan road, under the guidance of the courier, and up that towards Petersburg, until within six hundred yards of the Flowers House, we turned across the field to the right and proceeded towards the railroad, in the vicinity of the Globe Tavern. A number of pieces were in position in this field, shelling the railroad; and the enemy's batteries in that direction, though not visible from woods intervening, were replying vigorously. General Hagood, moving in column of fours, passed at double-quick across this field, suffering some casualties from exploding shells,