the bank, some
of the fellows dug holes, and in them they built fires which, by one or
another, were kept up all the time. At these fires,--quite effectually
protected from shot and shell and bullets, though within forty yards of
the line of battle, a fellow could cook anything he happened, by
accident, to have, or slip back from the works, now and then, when not
engaged at the guns, warm himself and stand up straight, and stretch his
legs and back, without the imminent risk of being bored by a
sharp-shooter; which makes a stretch unsatisfactory.

Just at the point where we were posted, the line left the ridge, and
dipping a little, on the front face of the slope, ran along about
parallel with the ridge. My gun, "Number Four," stood exactly at the
point where the line declined in front of the ridge, and so, was exactly
in the infantry line. The "3d gun" was some ten yards to our left, on
the ridge seven or eight yards back of the line, and could fire over it
to the front. It had its own separate work.

It was about sunset when we got to our position. We unlimbered our guns,
and ran them up close to the bank of dirt, about two feet high, which we
found there, thinking that in case of a row, that would be some little
protection. However, things seemed quiet. We couldn't see any enemy from
where we stood, didn't know whether any force was near us. And after we
placed our guns, we strolled around, and looked about us, and were
disposing ourselves for a quiet night, and a good sleep, which we needed
badly.

Just then somebody, I think it was Lieutenant Anderson, who had walked
to the left, some distance, where he could see around the point of pine
woods to our right, up on the hill, came back with some news very
interesting to us, if not to our advantage. He said that, just beyond
these woods up on the hill, not over five or six hundred yards from us,
there was a lot of Federal artillery. He saw them plainly. They were in
position. He counted twelve guns, and was sure there were others,
farther around, which he could not see for the woods. At least six of
those, in sight, he was certain were twenty-pounder Parrotts. These
guns, he said, commanded our position, and while the enemy had not yet
seen us, for the treetops between, they soon would; and _anyhow_, the
moment we fired a shot, and disclosed our position, we would catch it.
There were enough heavy guns bearing down on us to sweep us off the face
of the earth, unless