engagement, maintained a variably constant relation to the
open field already mentioned, it is important that the reader should bear
in mind the topographical and tactical features of the local situation.
The hither side of the field was occupied by the front of my brigade--a
length of two regiments in line, with proper intervals for field
batteries. During the entire fight the enemy held the slight wooded
acclivity beyond. The debatable ground to the right and left of the open
was broken and thickly wooded for miles, in some places quite inaccessible
to artillery and at very few points offering opportunities for its
successful employment. As a consequence of this the two sides of the field
were soon studded thickly with confronting guns, which flamed away at one
another with amazing zeal and rather startling effect. Of course, an
infantry attack delivered from either side was not to be thought of when
the covered flanks offered inducements so unquestionably superior; and I
believe the riddled bodies of my poor skirmishers were the only ones left
on this "neutral ground" that day. But there was a very pretty line of
dead continually growing in our rear, and doubtless the enemy had at his
back a similar encouragement.

The configuration of the ground offered us no protection. By lying flat on
our faces between the guns we were screened from view by a straggling row
of brambles, which marked the course of an obsolete fence; but the enemy's
grape was sharper than his eyes, and it was poor consolation to know that
his gunners could not see what they were doing, so long as they did it.
The shock of our own pieces nearly deafened us, but in the brief intervals
we could hear the battle roaring and stammering in the dark reaches of the
forest to the right and left, where our other divisions were dashing
themselves again and again into the smoking jungle. What would we not have
given to join them in their brave, hopeless task! But to lie inglorious
beneath showers of shrapnel darting divergent from the unassailable
sky--meekly to be blown out of life by level gusts of grape--to clench our
teeth and shrink helpless before big shot pushing noisily through the
consenting air--this was horrible! "Lie down, there!" a captain would
shout, and then get up himself to see that his order was obeyed. "Captain,
take cover, sir!" the lieutenant-colonel would shriek, pacing up and down
in the most exposed position that he could find.

O those