Sickness, fatigue and casualties of battle had reduced the brigade to a mere skeleton. Placed in position near the town and north of the Boonsboro road, the brigade acted as support with various batteries, until the afternoon, when the attack in front pressing, General Evans ordered it deployed as skirmishers to meet the enemy. In this position we were forced back, until I again advanced, and with Boyce's battery broke the line in my front and drove them back. The force in our front having retired, and Colonel Walker, commanding Jenkins' South Carolina brigade, on our right, having sent to me for artillery, I ordered Captain Boyce with his battery to report to him. Night coming on, the brigade bivouacked on the field. . . . During the engagement at Sharpsburg my men behaved well, obeyed orders, and never gave back except at my command.Boyce lost 15 horses. Sergt. Thomas E. Dawkins and Private James Rogers were killed, Privates B. Miller and E. Shirley mortally wounded, and Lieut. H. F. Scaife and 15 of the battery more or less severely wounded.
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the brigade.
There were no troops near, except some rallied fragments of commands, to hold the center.
Hill was now back to the hill which commanded Sharpsburg and the rear.
Affairs looked critical.
A battery in a cornfield was ordered up, and proved to be Boyce's South Carolina battery, attached to Evans' brigade.
It moved out most gallantly, in full view, and exposed to a terrible direct and reverse fire from rifled guns beyond the Antietam.
A caisson was exploded, but the battery unlimbered and with grape and canister poured volley after volley so fast into the advancing troops that they halted, wavered, and then broke in retreat.
With such of his troops as he could call to his immediate command, Hill charged, was checked, repulsed and charged again, and at last the center was secure.
The part borne by Evans' brigade of South Carolinians in this defense of the center is described by Colonel Stevens, commanding:
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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