he heaviest of field and siege pieces, and crowded to its utmost
capacity with infantry. This fort was on an acute angle of the line of
entrenchments. From the right and left ran the outer or first line of
breastworks, manned by infantry, and at every salient position cannons
were mounted, completely encircling the entire city.

In the early gray of the morning Longstreet had marshalled his forces
for the combat, while the troops in Fort Sanders slept all unconscious
of the near approaching storm cloud, which was to burst over their
heads. The artillery was all in position, the gunners standing by
their guns, lanyard in hand, awaiting the final order to begin the
attack. The armies were separated by a long, shallow vale--that to
our left, in front of Jenkins, was pierced by a small stream, but
obstructed by dams at intervals, until the water was in places waist
deep. But the men floundered through the water to the opposite side
and stood shivering in their wet garments, while the cool air of the
November morning chilled their whole frames. All along the whole line
the men stood silent and motionless, awaiting the sound of the signal
gun.

Wofford, with his Georgians, and Humphrey, with his Mississippians,
were to lead the forlorn hope in the assault on Fort Sanders,
supported by Bryan's (Georgia) Brigade and one regiment of
Mississippians. Kershaw stood to the right of the fort and Anderson,
of Jenkins' Division, on the left, supported by the other two brigades
then present of Jenkins'. The battle was to focus around the fort
until that was taken or silenced, then Kershaw was to storm the works
on the right, carry them, charge the second line of entrenchment, in
which were posted the reserves and recent Tennessee recruits. Jenkins,
with Anderson's Brigade on his right and next to McLaws, was to act as
a brace to the assaulting column until the fort was taken, then by a
sudden dash take the entrenchments to the left of the fort, wheel and
sweep the line towards the north, and clear the way for Jenkins' other
brigades.

The expectant calm before the great storm was now at hand. The men
stood silent, grim, and determined, awaiting the coming crash!
The crash came with the thunder of the signal gun from Alexander's
Battery. Longstreet then saluted his enemy with the roar of twenty
guns, the shells shrieking and crashing in and around Fort Sanders.
Burnside answered the salutation with a welcome of fifty guns from the
fo