of flashing fire, above which rose a thin white smoke. The tremendous
crash of musketry was measured by the deep thunder of artillery farther
back, and soon columns of dense white smoke rising above the tree-tops
indicated the positions of several swift-working batteries. A storm of
bullets whizzed through the ranks of the attacking echelons, while
shrieking shells filled the air with a horrid din, and, bursting
overhead, sent their ragged fragments hurtling down in every direction.
In an instant a hundred gaps were opened in the firm ranks as the men
sank to the ground beneath the smiting lead and iron. In an instant the
gaps were closed, and in another a hundred more were opened. Every yard
of the advance was costing the assailants a full company of men--every
rod at least half a regiment. They wavered, halted and fell back to the
shelter of the narrow belt of timber. The attack had failed, the flank
of the enemy had not been struck.

But the other divisions of the army? Sent in as ours had been, some one
of them must surely strike the opposing flank, unless Bragg's whole army
had crossed the river and was in position before Rosecrans moved.
Palmer's division held its place, fired its sixty rounds of cartridges
into the wood where the unseen foe was, and waited for the attack of the
succeeding division which should strike Bragg's flank. But we waited in
vain. When Rosecrans's last division was forming its echelons it was
itself enveloped on its outer flank by the active foe. Rosecrans's line,
as he formed it a division at a time, had been constantly outflanked.

The battle was a failure thus far. We could all see that, and some of us
saw how nearly it became an irretrievable disaster. Hazen's brigade had
been withdrawn to replenish its ammunition after the attack, and was
lying along the Rossville road. The men were filling their
cartridge-boxes, and the captains were counting their diminished ranks
and noting who were dead and who but wounded. Out at the front the fight
still went on, but in a desultory way. Suddenly there was an ominous
sound in front of Van Cleve's division, which was in the main line next
on the right of Palmer.

Hazen leaped upon his horse. "Now Van Cleve is in for it!" he exclaimed.
"They're coming for him!"

Quickly getting the men under arms, Hazen moved his brigade behind Van
Cleve to act as a support, and awaited the coming attack. It came like a
whirlwind, and Van Cleve's lines were sc