[CHAP. XXII.

was the order for all to do so, I withdrew my command for the night, and this ended their part in the battle of Sunday.

Monday morning (the 7th) a desultory fire was commenced early on some portions of the field of the previous day's fighting, and I immediately ordered the command which had been with me Sunday into line. The Ninth Regiment had been separated in marching from the field during the darkness of the previous night, and I found only the four right companies, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hurt, had followed the First. It was my intention to go with these to Major-General Cheatham, expecting to find the remainder of my command with him, but I was peremptorily commanded by Brigadier-General Withers, through one of his staff, to join whatever troops I could find to the command with me and hasten to his position on our extreme right. This order was accompanied with the information to me of a fierce attack by the enemy on General Withers and a pressing need of re-enforcement, and was not to be disregarded.

I accordingly ordered Colonel Carroll's Tennessee regiment, Major John F. Hearn commanding, to fall in with the First and the four companies of the Ninth, and with this force proceeded rapidly to General Withers' position, whom I found much in need of re-enforcements. General Chalmers' brigade, on the extreme right and somewhat in advance of what had been the enemy's right camp, was warmly engaged in front, and the enemy, quite in force, was vigorously pressing to turn General Chalmers and gain his rear through this camp.

General Withers ordered me to drive him back immediately with a charge. My command was rapidly brought into line of battle on the parade ground in front of the camp in question, Lieutenant-Colonel Hurt on the right, Major Hearn in the center, and Major Feild on the left, and the next instant the charge became a necessity, for the enemy, pressing back our troops, inadequate in numbers to oppose him, began to show himself on the opposite side of the camp at a distance of perhaps 200 yards. I immediately ordered my whole line to the charge, and it was made with spirit.

The result was but a repetition of our superiority to the enemy in this particular. We drove him about three-quarters of a mile and several pieces of his artillery were captured. Our loss was but light in comparison with the enemy.

The exhaustion of the previous day, combined with the fatigue incident to the charge, rendered farther pursuit with my small force impracticable. My command was then ordered back and formed on the side of the camp next the enemy. Here General Withers charged me with the command of all the troops at and near this position, with instructions "to remain at and hold it at all hazards."

A very short time after the enemy had been driven before the charge of my command his line also gave way before ours to my left, and, as his forces fled diagonally in front of my position, two pieces of Captain McLung's battery, which had joined me, were brought into efficient service, and, under the personal charge of Captain McClung, were actively and destructively served on the retreating enemy for a distance of several hundred yards.

After this the enemy made several demonstrations in force, as if disposed to assault my position, but he, being without artillery, was in each instance promptly repulsed. At about 1 o'clock, the enemy having ceased troubling me and seemingly massed his forces for main attack against our left, where the fighting appeared very severe, and I having succeeded in rallying quite a number of stragglers of different