Year: 1861

below We heard that Hunter had fairly
rounded the enemy's flank, and then we
listened for ourselves to the sound of his
charges in the northern woods, and saw
for ourselvs the air gathering up smoke
from their branches and the wavering
column of the Mississippians as they fed
from their first battery and we're forced in.
to the open field Then we saw our own
Sixty-ninth and Seventy y-ninth, corps an
mated by chivalrous national rivalry,
press on to the support of the more dis.
tant column. We could catch glimpses Of
the continual advances and retreats; could
hear occasionally the guns of battery
before undiscovered; could guess how ter
ribly all this accumulation Of death upon
death must tell upon those undaunted
men, but could also see-and our cheers
continually followed the knowledge-that
our forces were gradually driving the right
of the enemy around the second quarter
Of circle, until by 10 o'clock the main
battle was raging at point almost direct
ly opposite one standing place--the road
at the edge of the woods-where it had
commenced six hours before. ..@ | 81.


There was hill at the distance of
mile and half to which l have hitherto
alluded. From its height overlooking
the whole plain, a few shell had reached
us early in the day, and as it was nearer
the Manassas road than almost any other
portion of the field, more of the enemy's
reinforcements gathered about its ridge
than to the aid of the rebels in the woods
and valleys. Here there was an open bat
terry, and long lines of infantry in sup
port ready, for a wonder, to let our wea-
ried fellows see the fresh forces they had
to conquer. Sissy ae- ~ aaa al s'a5m


AS the Sixty-ninth and Seventy ninth
wound round the meadows to the north Of
this hill, and began to cross the road ap-
parcntly with the intention of scaling it,
we saw a column coming down from the
furthest perspective, and for moment be-.
lieved it to be portion of Hunters Di-
vision, and that it had succeeded in CON-
pletely turning the enemy's rear. A wild
shout rose from us all, But soon the
lookout saw that its ensigns bore secession
banners, and we knew that Johnson. or
some other rebel general, was leading a.
horde of fresh troops against our united
right and center. 1t was time for more
regiments to be sent forward, Keyes was
ordered to advance with the First Tyler
Brigade. The three Connecticut regiments
and the Fourth Maine came on with a
will the First Connecticut was posted in
reserve, and the other three corps swept
up the field, by the ford on the right, to
aid the struggling advance. lt go 'aow


AN eyes were now directed to the dis
tant hill top, now the center of the fight
All could see the enemy's infantry rang
ing darkly against the sky beyond, and
the first lines Of our men moving with
fine determination up the steep SLOPE The
cannonading upon our advance, the strug-
gle upon the hilltop, the interchange Of
position between the contestants. were
watched by us, and as new forces rushed
in upon the enemy's side the scene was
repeated over and over again. Il It, must
have been here, l think, that the Sixty
ninth took and lost a battery eight times
in succession, and finally were compelled.
totally exhausted, to resign the completion
of their work to the Connecticut regiments
which had just come up. The Third Con-
necticut finally carried the summit, un.
fuled the stars and stripes above it, and
paused from the fight TO cheer for the pn-
Ion caase.l 3iafq odi .tg5li3I edi Lid


Then the battle began TO work down
the returning, half of the circle WHICH
the enemy described during the day, driyr
enbefore the desperate charge of our troops,
until they reached the very point where
Ty.er's advance commenced the action
Down thethill, and into the valley thick
est on the left, the Zouayes, the Connec-
ticut and New York regiments, with the
unconquerable Rhode Islanders drove the
continually enlarging but, always van