addressing
to each a few words of encouragement and of preparation for the
work, passed afoot from the head of the column to the front of the
skirmish line, and exerting to the full his sonorous voice, gave
the order to the column to go in. At the word the men sprang
forward, but almost as they did so, the Confederates behind the
parapet in their front, with fairly level aim and at point-blank
range, poured upon the head of the column a deadly volley. Many
fell at this first discharge; among them, unfortunately, the gallant
Paine himself, his thigh crushed by a rifle-ball. Some of the men
of the 4th Wisconsin, of the 8th New Hampshire, and of the 38th
Massachusetts gained the ditch, and a few even climbed the parapet,
but of these nearly all were made prisoners. The rear of the column
fell back to the cover of the hill, while all those who had gained
the crest were forced to lie there, exposed to a pitiless fire of
sharp-shooters and the scarcely more endurable rays of the burning
sun of Louisiana, until night came and brought relief. In this
unfortunate situation the sufferings of the wounded became so
unbearable, and appealed so powerfully to the sympathy of their
comrades, that many lives were risked and some lost in the attempt
to alleviate the thirst, at least, of these unfortunates. Two men,
quite of their own accord, took a stretcher and tried to reach the
point where Paine lay, but the attempt was unsuccessful, and cost
both of them their lives. These heroes were E. P. Woods, of Company
E of the 8th New Hampshire, and John Williams, of Company D, 31st
Massachusetts. Not less nobly, Patrick H. Cohen, a private soldier
of the 133d New York, himself lying wounded on the crest, cut a
canteen from the body of a dead comrade and by lengthening the
strap succeeded in tossing it within reach of his commander; this
probably preserved Paine's life, for unquestionably many of the
more seriously hurt perished from the heat and from thirst on that
fatal day.

It was about seven o'clock, and the fog had lifted, when Weitzel
advanced to the attack on the right face of the priest-cap. The
12th Connecticut and the 75th New York of his own brigade were
deployed to the left and right as skirmishers to cover the head of
the column. Two regiments of Morgan's brigade, loosely deployed,
followed the skirmishers; in front the 91st New York, with
hand-grenades, and next the 24th Connecticut, every man carrying two
cotton ba