skirmishers. These were driven back some distance and the enemy discovered drawn up in line of battle. At this time the enemy also opened upon us with one or two pieces of artillery. Colonel Williams, commanding the Thirty-seventh Virginia (the left regiment), reporting that a body was crossing the road on his left for the evident purpose of flanking the brigade, I ordered him to change front to rear on his first company.

Shortly afterward the major-general commanding arrived, and by his order the brigade took up a position at right angles to its former line, the right resting on the road and connecting with the left of the "Stonewall" Brigade. I was subsequently ordered to throw forward and to right oblique my left, so as to occupy a position nearly parallel to that previously held along the road. This I did, ordering the rest of the brigade to conform to the movement. I was instructed at the same time to keep up the connection on my right, so as to leave no interval between it and the "Stonewall" Brigade. The movement was a slow and difficult one, inasmuch as it was necessary at the same time to connect on my right and extend the left to prevent its being outflanked, and in the consequently increased intervals between regiments (and between files themselves) the extraordinary density of the thicket prevented the different parts of the line from conforming to the movement with regularity and promptitude. While it was yet in execution, the brigade was ordered to move forward directly to the front.

The enemy were soon encountered, and although portions of my line, from causes mentioned before and others explained in the accompanying reports of regimental commanders, were little more than deployments of skirmishers, still they were pushed steadily back. On the right and center they were driven several hundred yards. The left regiment, however, had greater difficulties to contend against. Although there was a large interval between that regiment (the Thirty-seventh Virginia) and the Third North Carolina, on its right, and the files of the former were separated, so that it covered far more than its proper regimental front, yet the line of the enemy extended a considerable distance on its flank, and, after driving the force immediately in front, the regiment was compelled to halt and form a new line to repel a flank attack.

The enemy soon afterward drove in the thin line between the Thirty-seventh Virginia and the Third North Carolina, and the latter regiment, having exhausted its ammunition and unable to obtain a fresh supply, was forced finally to resume the position whence it had originally advanced. The heavy loss sustained is sufficient evidence that this was not done until rendered necessary. The Thirty-seventh Virginia was at one time cut off, but extricated itself and joined the Third North Carolina. These two regiments were, by order of the major-general commanding, retained in that position to guard against any further attack on the flank.

Meanwhile the right regiment (Tenth Virginia, Twenty-third Virginia, and First North Carolina), having exhausted their ammunition, and the ordnance wagons not being at hand to supply more, and deprived of support on the left, were compelled to retire a short distance, but held a position far in advance of the line which they had formerly occupied. Soon after dark, the firing having ceased, the brigade was relieved by Doles' brigade and ordered to form on the road.

That the enemy in my front were not more signally defeated is to