[CHAP. XLII.

ninth New York, who were advancing into position when the enemy assailed my left. The line of battle was, therefore, the corner of a square, one side parallel with the railroad. There were no desirable positions but those chosen, which covered, in advance, the intersection of the roads and the Kelley's Ferry road for some distance, together with the entire encampment. No protection was offered farther than about 30 yards of an ordinary fence, which was improved, under fire, into a rude breastwork. Skirmishers were immediately sent forward to support my gradually retiring pickets, but they were scarcely deployed before the enemy opened fire.

The enemy precipitately hurled his main body, without skirmishers, upon my left, where the One hundred and thirty-seventh. New York and One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania and the two left companies of the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania met them with intense and well-directed fire. My men were cautioned to fire low, and expend their ammunition only with effect. The episode evidenced that they obeyed the injunction ably. The first volley was fired at a half hour after midnight. The enemy pressed forward vigorously with a continuous line of fire, his first efforts being concentrated against the left, but not a point in our lines was swerved a foot.

The guns of Knap's battery, from their position about 50 yards in the rear and to the left of Rowden's house, were now served with admirable effect, being depressed as much as possible without doing injury to our own lines, but not interfering with efficacy of range; the projectile used was spherical case with short fuses. Charge after charge was made, each with redoubled effort upon our left, which they seemed determined to force, but each time the enemy's lines were hurled back under the unintermitting fire, both from infantry and artillery, that like a wall of flame opposed them. Prisoners began to come in, and we discovered we were opposing Hood's division of Longstreet's corps, commanded by General Jenkins.

After nearly half an hour's desperate fighting, being foiled in his attempt to pierce the redoubtable left, the enemy extended his attack without cessation of fire on the left, to the right of my center, front and left flank, which he attacked simultaneously with great strength. The pickets of the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania driven in were placed in support of the battery, and our utmost vigor was concentrated to meet this general combination of our adversary. Being so considerably outnumbered the test point for our utmost capacity for resistance had now arrived; these attacks were determinedly sustained along my line, which was actively engaged save on the extreme right, where, as yet, no demonstration had been made. The fire upon our right commenced from a piece of woods to the right of the railroad upon our skirmishers, covering the right, and advanced. One piece of Lieutenant Geary's section was turned to the right, and two companies of the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania, with the skirmishers, ordered hastily to take position behind the railroad embankment, where they checked the enemy's advance, who were much distressed and met with considerable loss by the combined efforts of the piece of artillery, with its excellent execution, and the indomitable behavior of my center, held by the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania, which faced, in portions, two directions to resist the enfilading fire. It was under this fire that my men fell rapidly and the battery suffered a most unparalleled loss.