camp, threw off their old
clothes, and helped themselves to new garments, broke open trunks,
rifled the knapsacks, and devoured the warm breakfast. They were
jubilant; they shouted, danced, sung, and thought the victory won. Two
or three hundred prisoners were taken, disarmed, and their pockets
searched. They were obliged to give up all their money, and exchange
clothes with their captors, and then were marched to the rear.

While this was taking place in Prentiss's division, Sherman's pickets
were being driven back by the rapid advance of the Rebel lines. It was a
little past sunrise when they came in, breathless, with startling
accounts that the entire Rebel army was at their heels. The officers
were not out of bed. The soldiers were just stirring, rubbing their
eyes, putting on their boots, washing at the brook, or tending their
camp-kettles. Their guns were in their tents; they had a small supply of
ammunition. It was a complete surprise.

Officers jumped from their beds, tore open the tent-flies, and stood in
undress to see what it was all about. The Rebel pickets rushed up within
close musket range and fired.

"Fall in! Form a line! here, quick!" were the orders from the officers.

There was running in every direction. Soldiers for their guns, officers
for their sabres, artillerists to their pieces, teamsters to their
horses. There was hot haste, and a great hurly-burly.

General Hardee made a mistake at the outset. Instead of rushing up with
a bayonet-charge upon Sherman's camp, and routing his unformed brigades
in an instant, as he might have done, he unlimbered his batteries and
opened fire.

The first infantry attack was upon Hildebrand's brigade, composed of the
Fifty-third, Fifty-ninth, and Seventy-sixth Ohio, and the Fifty-third
Illinois, which was on the left of the division. Next to it stood
Buckland's brigade, composed of the Forty-eighth, Seventieth, and
Seventy-second Ohio. On the extreme right, west of the church, was
McDowell's brigade, composed of the Sixth Iowa, Fortieth Illinois, and
Forty-sixth Ohio. Taylor's battery was parked around the church, and
Waterhouse's battery was on a ridge a little east of the church, behind
Hildebrand's brigade.

Notwithstanding this sudden onset, the ranks did not break. Some men
ran, but the regiments formed with commendable firmness. The Rebel
skirmishers came down to the bushes which border the brook south of the
church, and began a scattering fire, whi