some five miles southwest of Atlanta. We went at a gallop,
or trot, or walk as fast as we could rush the guns and caissons. With
the cannoneers hanging on as best they could. Reaching the position
just in time, meeting our infantry slowly falling back, before the
enemy, fighting as they retreated. We rushed "into battery," on a hill
at edge of open field, with the Federal infantry already past the way
across the field and opened on them with our usual rapid fire. In ten
minutes not a Federal could be seen except the few wounded or dead left
behind.

It was a terribly hot July afternoon and the men with jackets,
blankets, haversacks and all else possible strewn on the ground were
panting like dogs, and so wet with sweat as if just out of a river,
when they threw themselves down in the shade of the trees on the edge
of the field after the firing ceased with the disappearance of the
enemy. We had not lost a man. Our arrival and work was so quick that
the enemy rushed to the rear at once to the cover of the forest. Our
guns used some 33 or 34 rounds each in the short time in action.

All night infantry and artillery men worked with every available tool,
down to the bayonet to loosen up the earth, and half of a split canteen
to throw up the dirt and next morning found us entrenched in our new
line. But on the other edge of the field, the Yankee trenches showed up
some 800 yards away.

In this position Lumsden's battery remained nearly all the month of
August. Every few days we would have an artillery duel with the rifle
battery opposite. Sherman was now extending his right wing, which
finally led to the assault of Love Joy station, on the road south of
Atlanta. He had also brought down siege guns, that fired shells about
the size of nail keg, and was shelling the city. One Sunday we had a
particularly fierce duel with our opponents. It happened that the
embrasure of the 3rd piece flared a little more squarely to the front
of the others. Three whole shells struck the 3rd gun during the action,
each coming through the embrasure only about one foot in width. One
struck on top between trunnions and vent, gouging out the brass like a
half round chisel would have gouged a piece of wood, and glanced on to
the rear. The second struck gun carriage on left cheek, just in front
of left trunnion and went into small fragments in every direction. The
third struck the edge of the muzzle, and crushed it so that we could
get no more shel