k charge of our affairs. The firing had again
quieted. He directed me to take two men and go forward, part way through
the corn field in front, and watch and report any appearance of the
enemy. If I am not mistaken, I took Porter E. Whitney and George Jacobs
of my company. We went forward half way through the corn field, which
was for the most part trampled down. We arranged the broken stalks so as
to be partially concealed. After a time to our front and right, and on
the brow of a considerable rise of ground, a body of officers appeared
on horseback, and with glasses took observations. We discussed the
propriety of aiming at these Confederates and giving them a volley. I
finally concluded it was best not to take this responsibility, as it
might bring on an attack that we were not ready for. In a short time
these men disappeared. I sent back one of the men to report what we had
seen. Very soon he came back with the word to join the regiment.
Longstreet in his book entitled "From Bull Run to Appomatox," speaks of
looking the field over about this time and from near this location, so,
I judge, it was he and his staff that we had such a plain view of.

Our command under Miles, was, about 5 p. m., drawn back and established
just in rear of where we made our first fight. Our Division General,
Richardson, was this day mortally wounded. He had the entire confidence
of his men, as a brave and skillful soldier, and his taking off was
deeply lamented. Barlow was supposed to be mortally wounded, but he
recovered, and in a few months came back a brigadier, and was given a
brigade in Howard's Eleventh Corps.

Gen. Hancock was assigned to our division. By this time he had won the
reputation of being a hard fighter, and this he justly held through the
remainder of the war.

In this battle I had a hand in an amusing incident that is worth
recording. There was in Company A, a little Irishman about 40 years of
age by the name of Barney Rogers. This man had been recruited by our New
York party the spring before. He did not write, and, knowing me from the
first, had come to me to do his correspondence. When we started to take
the place of the Irish brigade, I noticed that Barney appeared to be
holding up his pants, but I made no inquiry as to the reason for his so
doing. When we took our first position in advance of where the Irishmen
had fought, and began firing, Barney had to use both hands, and his
predicament was at once revealed. He