being
brought to the rear and the noise just ahead told of mischief there.
Colonel Hubbard filed to the left at the head of the column along a
slight ridge and about half the regiment had filed when troops of the
Fifth Corps came running through to the rear and at the same moment
General Wheaton rode up with 'oblique to the left, oblique to the
left,' and making energetic gestures toward the rise of ground. The
ridge was quickly gained and fire opened just in time to head off a
counter fire and charge that was already in progress, but between the
'file left' and the 'left oblique' and the breaking of our ranks by
troops retreating from in front, and the vines and underbrush (which
were so thick that they unhorsed some of the staff officers) there was
a good deal of confusion, and the line soon fell back about ten rods,
where it was reformed and a vigorous fire poured--somewhat at
random--a little to the left of our first position. The attempt of
the enemy to get in on the left of the Fifth Corps was frustrated.
Our casualties were six wounded (some of them probably by our own men)
and one missing. The position was occupied that night, and the next
day until about sundown, when the brigade shifted some distance to the
right and again advanced under an artillery fire to within a short
distance of the rebel batteries and built breastworks. The rebel
picket shots whistled overhead all the time the breastworks were
building, but mostly too high to hurt anything but the trees. At
midnight the division moved back to quarters, arriving at sunrise.
Having taken a ration of whiskey which was ordered by Grant or
somebody else in consideration of three nights and two days on the
bare ground in February, together with some fighting and a good deal
of hard marching and hard work, the men lay down to sleep as the sun
rose up, and did not rise up until the sun went down."

[Illustration: Colonel Hubbard]

The routine of picket duty, inspection, alarms, and orders to be in
readiness which came not infrequently, continued for another
succession of weeks, varied now by the constant arrival of deserters
from the enemy, who were coming into the Union lines singly and in
large parties almost daily, and revealing the desperate condition on
the other side. Preparations went on for what all felt was to be the
final campaign; and this opened for the Second Connecticut on March
25th, when the famous assault on Fort Stedman was made by th