The Washington times., 1913-09-12
CHAPTER XxvH.-(Continued.)

-HE advance of Hancock's troops
reached the Brown farmhouse
about midnight. The march had
been made over a terrible road in
pouring rain. The weather conditions
would have taken the mettle out of any
hut veteran and tried soldiery. The
night was dark as pitch. Hancock spent
the hours until o'clock, the designated
moment, in placing his men. When the
time foT the assault arrived it was still
too dark to see, and he therefore wait
ed until i:35. Taking directions from a
white farmhouse, the McCool house,
seen diInly just within the Confederate
lines, at that moment he ordered the
advance.
With Barlow's division in two close
lines of masses, Brooke's and Miles bri-
grades in front, Browns and Smyths in
the second line; with Birney's division
in two double lines of battle on Bar
lows right; with Motifs division in the
rear of Birney, and Gibbons division il
reserve, the order was given 10 march
forward There were no obstacles IN
front of Barlow's division, his way being
where the ground was open and clear.
Birney's division had to wade through z
Grass and force its way through
rather open piece of woods. BY hard
marching they kept abreast OF the
troops In the open and al. approa ached
tho salient together. AS they converged
upon it they naturally crow ded toget her
In masses OF increasing densit!.
Certain threatening movements OF
Grant left, made for the purpose, had
caused Lee 10 believe that the next at
tack would fall on the right o. his own
line He had. therefore, withdr wn mot
of the artillery from Ewel.'s troops,
Who held the salient. During the early
part of the night Gen. Edward johnson.
Who commanded the division at the
own front was menaced. and he had
sent to Lee and asked for the return OF
the guns. Accordingly, orders had been
sent 10 the artillery to be back at the
salient at daybreak. The batteries were
even then coming across the rough
country at a gallop. The men in John
sens division lay behind the breast
works ready for whatever might be de-
manded OF them. The sentries were
alert and watchful. Pickets were post
cd three or four hundred yards in front
Of the lines.
The works here had gradually been
made very strong. The usual rough
and-ready Notifications made use of
by either army as occasion demanded
were merely shallow bitches with the
earth piled up in front of them Around
the salient however, the trees with
which the country abounded had been
cut down and banked with earth to a
he.dght of four feet. Along the top
of the embankment a head-log rose on
stones. Or wood blocks. so as to lave
an open space of about three four
inches between IL and the crown of the
earthwork, a sort of continuous loop
hole for firing through. In front of the
work there was q rude abattis. or slash
ing, imp Ovsed from sharpeneG tree
branches: not much of 4 protection but
still sufficient to aEnoy AMI perhaps
check an assail!ng enemy when backed
by such fire as was certain to come
from the veteran defenders.
The ground outside the lines sIoped
downward gently for about forty yards.
and then il rose in still more gentle
ascent ali around the position. Within
the salient the country was more open
although the farms and meadows were
interspersed with ciumps of trees. Out
side the lines, save for two or three
EARNS, the ground was marshy and
heavily wooded Little water courses.
fnii from the heavy rains. ran here
end there.
As became the commander of the
most advanced and exposed section of
the line. Johnson was awake early on
the morning OF the fatal 18th of May,
and was engaged In an inspection of his
men and lines before daybreak. Mount
ing the works. he stared northward
through the gray. dull mist of the morn
ine-the rain had stopped for the time
being, but the mist was almost heavy
enough to be called a storm-toward the
Union libes. As he did so his ear caught
the sound of distant cheering. II came
TO him dun and faint in the heavy. sod
den air Wha: could il mean? Why
should men be cheering there at that
hour? There was no swapping of pieces
from the pickets-indeed. the Union
dense fog tina; the men in advance
simply swallowed up the guards in
front Of them before they had q chance