rear guard. A little before the firing commenced
the rear guard halted, and the waggon in which I rode was brought up
to the rear of the main body. After the firing commenced the rear guard
passed us, and the waggon was then halted. Rev. Mr. Burwash and myself
left the waggon and hastened to the rear of the Thirteenth. A cry was
raised that one of the Queen's Own was wounded. "Where is the doctor?"
We hurried on and met Dr. May with several men of the Queen's Own
bearing Ensign McEachren from the field. They took him into a log house
on the left side of the road, and Dr. May desired me to inform him that
his wound was mortal. I told him so, and spent some time with him
in religious service. I then left him with Rev. Mr. Burwash, whose
parishioner he had been for some time previously, and went out to see if
I could be useful elsewhere. It afterwards took up a position on a
pile of stones on the road which gave me a view of the position of
the troops. I think it was now about twenty minutes since the firing
commenced that killed Ensign McEachren up to the time of my getting upon
the pile of stones. At this time I observed a part of the Thirteenth out
as skirmishers, and other portions of the same regiment in more compact
bodies behind them. I think I saw a company of green coats out on the
right of those companies of the Thirteenth that were skirmishing. At
this time, on the main road near me, were formed up a body of men in
green coats, composed, I should say, of three or four companies, and
with these men were the colors of the Thirteenth Regiment, surrounded by
a few men of that corps. The firing at this time from the enemy was very
rapid. I left this place and went back to the hospital, and returned
again in about half an hour. On my return I noticed that the firing of
the enemy on our left had very materially slackened, but was kept up
regularly, although not so rapidly as on the right. A bugle sounded near
the colors of the Thirteenth produced an obvious commotion among the
men. They were looking about them, very much as though they knew not
what to do. After a short interval another bugle call sounded from near
the centre of the reserve, where the colors were. The men in the reserve
by command formed a square after this bugle sounded. It was not a
perfect square. This was succeeded by another bugle call and words of
command. The result of that was that these men who had "formed square"
were getting back to their for