Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[276] to restore the bridge, while the Confederates are not slow to interrupt this work. A deadly fusillade commences between the two shores. Walthall brings all his reserves to the threatened point. During this time, Stevenson, discovering from afar the movements of Geary, believes that the latter wishes to attack him by Smith's Trail, and makes a disposition of his two brigades so as to defend the crest of the mountain.

Toward ten o'clock, while Grose is still struggling in vain to force the passage of the bridge, Geary, having found a passable ford, has cleared the creek and captured a post of forty men. Wood has also been fortunate near the railway-bridge: some soldiers have effected a landing on the right bank, and as the stream is very narrow he has improvised with the trunks of trees a footbridge for his infantry. Hooker, being promptly informed of this success, immediately orders Grose to leave in front of the road-bridge, so as to deceive the enemy, the two regiments already moving over, and with the rest of his brigade to cross Lookout Creek after Wood. These troops suddenly debouch upon Walthall's flank, for he had not perceived their crossing in time to guard against the attack: they throw his command into utter disorder. The detachment which had remained in front of the bridge at once clears it and finishes the rout of the Confederates, who flee toward the Craven house works. But Geary and Whitaker have headed them off. After having passed the stream, Whitaker gained the foot of the palisades under the harmless fire of Stevenson's soldiers; Geary formed in line of battle on Whitaker's left, and then the entire line advanced toward the north through a chaos of piled logs of wood. All the officers have dismounted and the ranks are broken. Nevertheless, the Federals, forming a serried line of sharpshooters and skirmishers, rapidly gain ground. In fact, they see a portion of the enemy's forces below them on the banks of the stream, another portion above their heads, and feel that they must be the first to reach the top of the fortified crest, the profile of which appears before them on a background of clouds. They thus fall upon the main body of Walthall's soldiers, who, ascending the slope, already fancied themselves in safety. The latter are finally dispersed. Out of fifteen hundred combatants, about one hundred are placed hors de