Wilmington journal., 1871-01-13

located in sharp salient, with deep hol-
lows very close in front, and being ht'
tie within the angle, was met and driven
back by Gordon. Not wishing to dctrsct
from Gordon, but that the simple truth
may be known. will state that the enemy
Having forced Johnson's line at the Salient,
turned down the right face Jour right OF
the salient and swept up everything I'LL
thev struck Lanes brigade, OF Wilcox,
division, on Stewart's right brig. Gen.
Geo. Stewart commanding johnson 8 right
brigade); here they were checked and
driven out of our lines lat this point, Lane
following them some hundred or two
yards, and was recalled by order OF Gen'
Wilcox. Lane did this without any AS
sistance. Thomas and Scales were sent as
soon as firing was heard, and supposed 20
ba TO the left of Lane or on his front. and
Just as these brigades reached Lane the
enemy was driven out, leaving the ground
pretty thickly strewn with his Killed ana
wounded. These killed and wounded l
saw some half an hour after the work had
been done. General Gordon and Gen.
Wilcox were with Gen. Lee. at or near
the brick kiln, at the Court House, WINE
the firing was yet going on between Lane
and the Yankees.
The article further states g He (Swin
toni states that their victorious progress
was checked by second line of earth
works. and explains how and why III way
that would be entirely satisfactory but for
| the fact that there was no sucn nne.
There wes no such line on the morning OF
the 18th, and yet at Lanes position the
| Yankees might have thought so, Tor Lane.
to connect with Stewards right. had
straightened his centre aud lett. Inns
left line Of pits a couple OF hundred yaIos
long in rear of his centre and left The
Yankees coming along on the inside OF our
lines had gotten close in on Lanes lett IN
| the fog, before they were seeD, and when
seen Lanes LETT regiment, and the two on
it's right, fell back quickly to the line IN
rear, left the evening before. and the Yam
KEGS were caught in this fork and were
punished severely by a close and direct
fire in front aud raking fire from Lane 8
right which was in the main line. don't
say that Gordon did not fight there. l
don't know anything certain as to what he
did or where he did it but do know that
! Lane drove the Yankees that came IN on
! his left out of the lines, and without any
assistance.
| On the left face of the salient, Mellow
| ans brigade was put in about 81 or y a.
m., and the Yankees, SO [ have been t. Id
by members Of this brigade, held here
twenty or thirty yards Of thls face next to
the salient, being protected by several
| traverses made by our men 10 pFO'CcI tuen
from Yankee batteries that raked this face.
McGowan's brigade remained here till
daylight of tue 18th; the firing continued
till a. M, on that day. The letters.
believe. and some of the histories, give
Gordon all the credit for expelling the
Yankees from our lines on the 18th.
have never written for the papers and re
gret that did not or get others to do II
during the war, for it would have beer
easier to have gotten at the truth ther
than years after.
*While the fight WAS raging on the AFTERNOON
of the 18th, the writer suggested to Gen. Le
held, and when the ight was going on, t1ls line
to throw out the salient and 70 connect tlo lace
some tour or FIVE hundred yards to the left an
right Of salient and this was done; and at, or
little before day. cur line WAS retired TO this No
limo.