y. Unless
in making an assault or moving forward, both sides hugged the ground as
closely as they possibly could and still handle their guns. I doubt if
a human being could have existed three minutes, if standing erect in
open ground under such a fire as we here experienced. As for myself, at
the beginning I jumped behind a little sapling not more than six inches
in diameter, and instantly about six men ranged themselves behind me,
one behind the other. I thought they would certainly shoot my ears off,
and I would be in luck if the side of my head didn't go. The reports of
their guns were deafening. A savage remonstrance was unheeded. I was
behind a sapling and proposed to stay there. They were behind me and
proposed to stay there.

The sapling did me a good turn, small as it was. It caught some Rebel
bullets, as I ascertained for a certainty afterwards. I fancied at the
time that I heard the spat of the bullets as they struck.

Here my particular chum was wounded by a spent ball, and crawled off
the field. I can see him yet, writhing at my feet, grasping the leaves
and sticks in the horrible pain which the blow from a spent ball
inflicts. A bullet struck the top of the forehead of the wit of the
company, plowing along the skull without breaking it. His dazed
expression, as he turned instinctively to crawl to the rear, was so
comical as to cause a laugh even there.

The lull caused by the death of General Johnston did not last long, and
again on our left flank great masses of the enemy appeared, and we had
to fall back two or three hundred yards.

Then began another fight. But this time the odds were overwhelmingly
against us. At it we went, but in front and quartering on the left
thick masses of the enemy slowly but steadily advanced upon us. This
time it was a log I got behind, kneeling, loading and firing into the
dense ranks of the enemy advancing right in front, eager to kill, kill!
I lost thought of companions, until a ball struck me fair in the side,
just under the arm, knocking me over. I felt it go clear through my
body, struggled on the ground with the effect of the blow for an
instant, recovered myself, sprang to my feet, saw I was alone, my
comrades already on the run, the enemy close in on the left as well as
front--saw it all at a glance, felt I was mortally wounded, and--took
to my heels. Run! such time was never made before; overhauled my
companions in no time; passed them; began to wonder that a man