ellent cover. Here most of the One Hundred and Ninetieth,
and some from other regiments, rallied and faced the enemy. We were not
much more than a heavy skirmish line; but the tide must be stayed here,
at any cost. The rebel lines came surging on, elated with victory; but
before our steady fire they wavered and came to a halt. Thus, with
scarcely the space of a hundred yards between us, we stood and poured at
each other showers of deadly missiles. Rebel shells from somewhere on
our right were grinding through the trees and bursting all around, while
the fire from their infantry was beating on our thin line with terrible
effect. A man close beside me was struck through the face with a rifle
ball, and walked back toward the rear, pale and bleeding. Casting my
eyes toward the left, I saw our color-bearer holding the flag, his face
deadly pale. Brave old Woo-haw had just been struck down by his side and
carried to the rear. Mike Coleman was in his glory. Miller's face wore
its accustomed smile as with grave deliberation he loaded and fired.

But this state of things could not long continue, and the most hopeful
were growing anxious. A few hundred were fighting the force that had
driven a division. But just now on the ridge behind us, a battery
wheeled into position, and sent charge after charge of grape and
canister whizzing across into the enemy's ranks. Still they did not give
way, and the battle raged more fiercely than ever. I had fired not less
than eighty rounds, and only a few cartridges remained. Others had
nearly exhausted their ammunition. At this point, to our great joy, we
saw a line of battle advancing to our support. Steadily, quietly, they
came on, their battle-flags gleaming through the trees, moving as
orderly as if on dress-parade. As they neared us they quickened their
pace, and charged forward with a tremendous cheer. It was a grand sight
as they swept on, every eye fixed on the smoking timber beyond. But the
little stream threw them into disorder, and they went rushing over the
field without waiting to re-form. As they went over the rising ground
which lay between them and the enemy, they received a terrible volley.
Half their number seemed to go down before it. Back they rolled in
confusion, leaving the ground strewn with their dead and wounded. They
came back to the narrow flat by the run. There, as by one impulse, they
rallied and proceeded to re-form their lines. Not a man shirked. While
they were fo