declaring that he would not submit to having his life thrown away, after
his time was out, by such a stupid blunder. The little squad of
non-veterans belonging to the company both times got up and started to go
with him and both times they all returned to the line on the profane order
of their captain, "God damn you, come back here." A few minutes later the
sergeant was killed while we were retreating to the breastworks.

It took two hours, from two till four o'clock, for the corps of Cheatham
and Stewart to come up and get into position and then they advanced to the
assault in heavy lines of battle. We kept the spades flying until they
had approached within range of our skirmish line, which fired a few shots
and then began to retreat rapidly. Then the spades were dropped and the
men taking their muskets squatted down behind the low streak of earth they
had thrown out to receive the coming onset. A little later Company E, from
the skirmish line, came scurrying back, the men, with very serious looks
on their faces, settling down with the line like a covey of flushed birds
dropping into cover.

All that has been related concerning Conrad's brigade took place in full
view of that part of Cox's line extending from the river on our left to
the Columbia Pike, and if there had been any previous doubt in the minds
of any of these on-looking thousands as to Hood's intention, his
determination to assault was as plainly advertised as it possibly could be
during the intense minutes that it took his army to march in battle line
from the place of its formation to our advanced position. General Cox has
claimed that Wagner's division was ordered to report to him and that he
was in immediate command of all the troops engaged in the battle. By his
own statement he was on a knoll in the rear of Stiles' brigade, on the
left of his line, where he had the best view of the whole field. From this
knoll he had been watching the preparations for attack, and all the time
directly under his eyes was Conrad's brigade busily engaged in fortifying
to resist that attack. If Wagner was disobeying his orders by remaining in
front too long, as was given out a few days later when he was made a
scapegoat for the blunder of his position, Cox was watching him do it and
took no measures to prevent it. If it was Cox's expectation that Wagner
would withdraw the two brigades at the last moment, he must have known
better when he saw Conrad's brigade squat down be