s after three o'clock when Churchill took up his line of march
through the woods, Parsons leading. Whether for want of a good
map of the country or from whatever cause, it seems probable that,
when the head of Churchill's column had gained the lower Sabine
road, which enters Pleasant Hill from the southwest, he mistook it
for the Fort Jesup road, which approaches the village from the
south. Thus, changing front to the left, the double lines of
Parsons and Tappan charged swiftly down on the left flank and
diagonally upon the front of Benedict, instead of falling, as Taylor
meant, upon the flank and rear of Mower. Emory says the attack
began at a quarter after five; other reports name an earlier hour.
However that may be, night was approaching, and the Union army had
practically given up the idea of being attacked that day, when
suddenly the battle began.

Benedict's position was, unavoidably, a bad one, and this oblique
order of attack was singularly adapted for searching out its
weakness. When once Benedict's skirmishers had been driven back
through the skirt of the woods that masked his right and centre,
Churchill's men had but to descend the slope, firing as they came
on, but without checking their pace, and it was a mere question of
minutes when the defenders of a line so exposed and overlapped must
be crushed by the weight of thrice their numbers. For one brief
moment, indeed, the fight was hand to hand; then Benedict's men
were driven out of the ditch, and forced in more or less disorder
up the reverse slope. So they drifted to the cover of the wood,
where Mower lay in wait, and there by regiments they re-formed and
sought fresh places in the front of battle; for Benedict had fallen,
and the night followed so quickly that darkness had closed in before
the discreet and zealous Fessenden had gathered the brigade and
held it well in hand. The whole brigade bore the searching test
like good soldiers, yet conspicuous in steadiness under the shock
and in prompt recovery were the 30th Maine and the 173d New York,
inspired by the example and the leadership of Fessenden and of
Conrady.

When Green heard the sound of Churchill's musketry he launched Bee
with Debray's and Buchel's regiments in an impetuous charge against
the left of Shaw's line; but this wild swoop was quickly stopped
by the muskets of the 14th Iowa and the 24th Missouri at close
range. Many saddles were emptied; Bee, Buchel, and Debray were
among