oad and parallel to it was a cleared field about 600 feet wide
gently sloping from each side to a draw or ravine near its center. The
place was strange to us. A line of our men was supposed to be in our front
and extending to our left. The underbrush of and under the timber
prevented us from seeing more than a short distance. We were ordered to
fix bayonets and lie down. We formed the opinion that we were to make a
charge. Colonel William H. Young in command of the regiment, says in his
official report of the battle that we numbered about 350. Colonel W. H.
Fox, the great statistician, in his book, "Fighting Regiments," says the
number was 362, but in a letter to the writer Colonel Fox says his figures
must have been taken from the morning report. In his letter he gives
company E 33 men, undoubtedly including the one absent guarding beef
cattle, who would still be carried on the morning report. Three hundred
and fifty men, the peer of any equal number in any one body that the
United States had ever produced, with two and one quarter years'
experience, all of it war, inured to hardship and danger, never having
been repulsed or driven, thoroughly drilled and disciplined, well
officered, a perfect fighting machine! We heard the tramp of moving troops
in our front, supposing it to be our own men, but the enemy in full charge
appeared in our immediate front and secured the advantage of the first
volley. Quickly we responded with a rattling fire, not waiting for orders.
Load and fire at will was the impulse and action of all. Commands could
not be heard. The enemy's line was fairly repulsed and their second line
had come to their assistance. We were holding our own and gradually
gaining, with full confidence that we were whipping or gaining the fight.
During this period of time our division and brigade commanders were
sending orders for us to fall back--our left flank was being turned--but
orders were slow in reaching us. Horses could not live to carry them on
that bloody field, our regimental field officers were quickly dismounted
and in the furry of that musketry the word had to be passed along the line
that our flank was exposed and we must retreat across the field. Gradually
that line moved back to the road where all could see the line of gray
already swinging across the open to our left. A hasty retreat was made to
the fence on the opposite or west side of the field, where, with a
promptness under fire never excelled, the r