Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 2

[492] the man who had borne it was killed, and McGonigle, of Sheridan's staff, was severely wounded; but the fiery enthusiasm of the leader, his disregard of danger, his evident belief in victory, were contagious. The bands were ordered to play, and the division burst on the enemy's left like a tornado. The breastwork in front was a hundred yards in length, and screened by a dense undergrowth of pines, but Ayres's troops swept everything before them, overrunning the works at the bayonet-point, breaking the rebel flank past mending, and capturing fifteen hundred prisoners.

At this juncture Sheridan again sent word to Warren that Griffin and Crawford were too far to the right, and directed him to close them in to the left. Both divisions had by this time advanced a considerable distance north of the White Oak road and beyond the refusal of the enemy's left. In Griffin's front a line of rebel skirmishers extended from the work to Hatcher's run, but Crawford was in reality moving away from battle, and had even crowded Mackenzie to the other side of the run. Griffin, however, had discovered his position before he received his orders, and, changing direction to the left, he moved against the enemy at the double-quick step, coming in on the right of Ayres and capturing fifteen hundred prisoners. Crawford also was finally brought to the Ford road, and then, facing directly south, he took the flying enemy in rear, and captured two guns and a number of prisoners endeavoring to escape from their pursuers on the other side. In the meantime, Mackenzie, finding no force in his front on the further side of Hatcher's run, almost immediately recrossed, and, as the fighting