Emilio, Luis F., History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , 1863-1865

[161] Massachusetts (mounted) and the Massachusetts Cavalry Battalion, held the flanks. Opposed to a superior force and murderous fire, the Seventh Connecticut and Eighth United States Colored Troops were, after excessive losses, forced to give ground. Hamilton, who was wounded, bravely supported the line with his guns, but was finally obliged to abandon two pieces for want of horses to bring them off. Col. Charles W. Fribley, of the Eighth United States Colored Troops, after displaying the utmost gallantry, was mortally wounded.

But fresh troops were at hand, for Barton's brigade was coming up, supported by Elder's battery of four pieces on the right, and Langdon's battery of six guns, with a section (two guns) of Battery C, Third Rhode Island Artillery, under Lieut. Henry Metcalf, on the left. Barton formed on the right of the road at the new position taken up by Hawley. Colquitt, however, had received reinforcements, putting the Sixth Florida Battalion and Twenty-third Georgia into line, and the First Georgia (regulars) and the Thirtysec-ond Georgia, which arrived shortly after, to prolong his left. He then advanced with the Chatham Artillery in rear of his centre, opening a destructive fire along the whole front. Finding feeble opposition on his right, he threw the Sixth Florida Battalion forward to enfilade our line. Barton now only maintained his position at a terrible cost of officers and men, and all his regimental commanders—Col. Henry Moore, Forty-seventh, Major W. B. Coan, Forty-eighth, and Colonel Sammon, One Hundred and Fifteenth New York—wounded. Colquitt's men were out of cartridges for a time; but supplies came, and fresh troops also, composed of a section of Guerard's Battery, Bonaud's Battalion, the Twenty-seventh Georgia, and Second Florida Battalion.