ed back, with his head on one side,
"sighting" the gun. "I've got sight on that column, now. Ain't it time
to shoot?" This instant Anderson sung out, "Section commence firing! and
get in as many shots as you can before they get away." "Yes," shouted
Dan, "Fire!" "Eh?" said Ned, putting his hand up to his ear, "What did
you say?" "I said Fire! you deaf old fool--Fire!" the last, in a tone
calculated for a mile and a half. This fetched him. Ned threw up his
hands (the gunner's signal to fire) and we let drive. All Ned wanted was
a start, he was only slow in hearing. He jumped in now, and we kept that
gun blazing almost continuously. It was the first time Stine had acted
gunner, and he did splendidly here, and until Dibbrell, our gunner, got
back.

Our first shot struck right in the nearest column, and burst, and we
instantly saw a line opened through all three columns, and a great deal
of confusion. The shot from the "Third Piece" struck at another point,
and burst, just right for effect. I am sure not a single shot missed in
that crowd, and we drove them in just as fast as we could. The columns
were pretty badly broken, and in two minutes, they were rapidly crossing
back into that woods, out of which they had come, and disappeared. The
Texans were greatly pleased with this performance. Having nothing to do,
as the enemy was out of effective rifle range, they stood around, and
watched us work the guns, and noticed, with keen interest, the effect of
our shots upon the blue columns, and they made the welkin ring, when the
Federals turned to retire.

=Parrott's Reply to Napoleon's Twenty to Two=

In a minute or two we received notice of our work from another quarter.
That artillery, up there on the hill, beyond the woods, woke up. They
got mad at our treatment of their infantry friends, furiously mad.
"Boom" went a loud report, over the way, and, the same instant, a savage
shriek right over our heads, of a twenty pounder Parrott shell. Another
followed, another, and another. They began to rain over. We could detect
the sound of different shells, three inch rifle, ten pounder Parrott,
and twenty pounder Parrott.

Some fifteen or twenty guns joined in, and they hammered away most
savagely. Most fortunately the treetops of that wood, out in our front,
came up just high enough to conceal us from the enemy. They could see
our smoke, and knew just _about_ our position, but they could not
_exactly see us_, and correct their aim