und. I suppose the
engineers had it done as a guide to the troops, in taking position.

The position our guns now took, grew to be very familiar ground to us,
and remains very memorable. On this spot we stayed, and fought our part
in the Spottsylvania battles. On this spot we saw many bloody sights,
and witnessed many heroic scenes, and had many thrilling experiences.
The incidents of those days spent there, in nearly all their details,
are indelibly impressed on my memory, and are as fresh as if they
happened yesterday.

We stood on a low ridge which rose gradually to the right. To the left,
after running level for fifty yards, the ground fell rapidly away, until
it sank down into the valley of a little brook, one hundred and fifty
yards from us. Off to the left, in front, stretched a large body of
woods. To the right, in front, stood a body of thick pines coming up to
within two or three hundred yards of us, its edge running along to the
right about that distance parallel with our line. Directly in front of
us, the ground,--cleared fields about three or four hundred yards
wide,--sloped gently away down to a stream, and beyond, sloped gently
upward to the top of the hill, on which stood a farmhouse, and
buildings. That hill was considerably higher than our position, and
commanded it. That hill-top was about one-half to three-quarters of a
mile from us.

All along our front, in the bottom, ran a little stream; the ground, on
either side, in our immediate front, was swampy, and thickly covered
with low swamp growth. That soft ground saved us a good many hard knocks
we had plenty as it was! Behind us, our cleared ground ran back, very
gently sloping, almost level, some thirty or forty yards, and then, the
hill fell sharply down, some twenty yards to the little brook, which ran
along the hollow! This sharp bank, facing away from the enemy, and this
stream, protected by it, and so near us, proved a great comfort to us.
It also was of great service as a covered way, by which troops and
supplies (_ammunition_, while there, it did not seem to be considered
necessary for us to have any other supplies) were able to approach the
line. Once it proved of vital use as a cover behind which a broken
Brigade was able to rally, and save the line.

Exactly back of us, forty yards off, and covering that steep bank at
this one point, stood a body of large, tall trees,--pines and
others,--occupying half an acre. And in that wood, under