ons of infantry
south of the river. When General Cox met Opdycke on the field immediately
after the break was restored, he took him by the hand and fervently
exclaimed, "Opdycke, that charge saved the day."

The front line of Strickland's brigade extended along the foot of the
garden of Mr. Carter, the owner of the plantation on which the battle was
fought. The reserve line was posted behind the fence at the other end of
the garden, close to the Carter residence, where the ground was a little
higher, and sixty-five yards in rear of the main line. This reserve line,
with the fence for a basis, had constructed a rude barricade as a
protection against bullets which might come over the front line. When
Opdycke's demi-brigade, charging on the west side of the pike, came to
this barricade, it halted there, probably mistaking it for our main line.
The rebels in the garden fell back behind the cover of Strickland's
breastwork and during the remainder of the battle, on this part of the
field, the opposing lines maintained these relative positions. Every
attempt, made by either side to cross the garden, met with a bloody
repulse. The body of one dead rebel was lying between the barricade and
the Carter house and this body no doubt indicated the high water mark
reached by Hood's assault. It is only fair to the gallant rebels, who
penetrated our line, to state that Opdycke's charge was made too promptly
to give them any time to recover their wind, and that therefore in the
hand-to-hand struggle, they were laboring under the great disadvantage of
the physical fatigue already described.

Returning to my personal experiences: when I had rested enough to be able
to sit up, I found at my feet a can of coffee standing on the smouldering
embers of a small camp fire, and beside it a tin plate filled with hard
tack and fried bacon. Some soldier was evidently ready to eat his supper,
when he was hastily called into line by the opening of the battle in
front. I first took a delicious drink out of the coffee can and then
helped myself to a liberal portion of the hard tack and bacon, and while
sitting there eating and drinking, incidentally watched the progress of
the fighting. By the time I had finished I was so fully rested and
refreshed that thereafter I was able to shout encouragement to the men
fighting in my vicinity as loud as any other company commander.

Along that part of the line only the breastwork separated the combatants.
On our