ake what I believed to be the very dangerous risk of
trying to escape. I shouted to my company, "Fall back! Fall back!" and
gave an example of how to do it by turning and running for the
breastworks.

As the men were rising to go, the rebels fired, but so hastily and with
such poor aim that their fire did not prove nearly so destructive as I had
feared. Probably most of their guns were empty, although I did not think
so just then. The range was so close that it seemed bullets had never
before hissed with such a diabolical venom, and every one that passed made
a noise seemingly loud enough to tear one in two. I had forgotten my
overcoat, but had run only a rod or two when I thought of it and stopped
and looked back with the intention of returning to get it; but the rebels
then appeared to be as close to the coat as I was and very reluctantly,
for it was a new one, I let them have it. After running a few rods farther
I again looked back. They were standing on the low embankment we had left,
loading and firing at will, but just as I looked some of their officers
waved their swords and sprang forward. The fire slackened as they started
in hot pursuit to get to the breastworks with us.

Our men were all running with their guns in their hands, which was good
evidence that there was no panic among them. While knapsacks or blanket
rolls were frequently thrown away, I did not see a single man drop his gun
unless hit. The cry of some of our wounded who went down in that wild
race, knowing they would have to lie there exposed to all the fire of our
own line, had a pathetic note of despair in it, I had never heard before.
A rebel account has stated that the next morning they found some of the
dead with their thumbs chewed to a pulp. They had fallen with disabling
wounds and the agony of their helpless exposure to the murderous fire from
our breastworks, which swept the bare ground, where they were lying, had
been so great that they had stuck their thumbs in their mouths and bit on
them to keep from bleating like calves. Many of the bodies thus exposed
were hit so frequently that they were literally riddled with bullet holes.

Our men were nearly all directed towards the pike as if with the intention
of entering the breastworks through the gap there. I reasoned, however,
that the hottest fire would be directed where the crowd was densest, and I
veered off in an effort to get away from there. While running rapidly with
body bent ove