art's
dismounted troops had been encountered, and no other opposition was
anticipated; but when half way across the field, and on the point of
rising the crest, the troops were met by a savage musketry fire from
infantry. Owing to their severe experience in the Wilderness, and the
night march, without rest, the men were in an excited, and almost
frightened, condition, and the tendency to _stampede_ was so great that
General Warren had been compelled to go in front of the leading Brigade.
When, therefore, they received a fire in front, from the redoubtable foe
they had left in the Wilderness, the line wavered, and fell back in some
confusion. General Robinson was at the same time severely wounded,
which left the troops without their commander at a critical moment, and
they were with some difficulty rallied and reformed in the woods back of
the open plain. Griffin's Division, which advanced on the right of
Robinson, soon afterward received the same fire with a like result."

It seems then, that it was Robinson's Division that the little
Mississippi Brigade sent to the right about, and it was Griffin's
Division, who scared themselves nearly into fits, by flushing Kershaw's
"rice-birds," in the pines. It was a little hard on these "excited and
almost frightened" men of Warren's. The memory of the fearful shaking up
they had got, day before yesterday, was so fresh in their minds that
"General Warren himself, the _Corps Commander_, had to go in front of
the leading Brigade" to quiet their nerves, even when they thought they
were advancing upon a few dismounted troops. They thought,--a little
comfort in this,--that, at least, all those terrible fellows of the Army
of Northern Virginia were far behind them. And--to meet them _here_,
still, in front! It must be confessed it was hard! It was a very sad
surprise.

It is said that General Grant's strained relations with General Warren
came of Warren's conduct of this move, to seize the Spottsylvania line.
He found great fault with his failure. But, perhaps he was a little hard
on Warren. What could Warren do? His men were demoralized, "excited,
almost frightened, tending to stampede, needing the Corps General to go
in front," and stopping to dine, instead of pushing on to seize the
line. They had to meet men who were not _particularly excited_, were not
_at all frightened_ and had not _the least tendency to stampede_; in
fact, were in the best of spirits, perfectly confident of vi