ldiers moved up to the endangered position.

"You shall have it, general. My men are always ready, though they are
nearly used up."

"Hancock and Kearney are close by, and if we can hold out a few minutes
longer, all will be well with us."

"We'll drive them back, general!" shouted the colonel.

"Go in, then!" added the gallant Hooker, waving his sword to encourage the
soldiers. "Forward! You have no time to lose!"

The fiery colonel briefly stated to the regiment the nature of the work
before them, admonished the men to do as they had done all day, and
Massachusetts would be proud of them. A ringing cheer was the reply to the
stirring words of the colonel, and the orders were given for the advance.

On went the brave fellows like a wall of iron, and precipitated themselves
upon the rebels, buoyant with hope as they followed up their temporary
advantage. The point of attack was all in their favor, and their
exhilarating shouts as they sprang upon the foe kindled up the expiring
enthusiasm of the yielding brigade to whose assistance they had come. The
shock was terrible--more fearful and destructive than any which our boys
had before experienced.

"Steady, my men!" shouted Captain Benson.

"Give it to them!" roared Tom, maddened to desperation by the awful strife
around him, and by seeing so many of our men fall by his side.

"Stand up to it!" shouted the excited colonel. "They run!"

At this moment an inequality of the ground beneath the men of Company K
placed them in a bad position, and the rebels in front of them, taking
advantage of the circumstance, pressed forward, and actually broke through
the line, trampling some of our soldiers beneath their feet, and
transfixing them with their bayonets.

A terrible scene ensued at this gap in the ranks, for the whole rebel
regiment began to press into the weak place. The breach was made by the
side of our sergeant, so that he was not borne down by the pressure of the
rebel battalion.

"Close up!" yelled Tom. "Close up! Hail, Columbia! and give it to them!"

Drawing a revolver which he had been permitted to retain after the capture
of the contraband craft on the Potomac, he discharged its six barrels into
the foremost of the assailants; and Hapgood and Fred Pemberton, who were
armed in like manner from the same source, imitated the example of the
sergeant.

"Now give them the bayonet, boys!" screamed Tom, hoarsely, as he plunged
into the midst of the rebels.