cavalry were
fighting and joined in the fray. The rest remained in their rear as
support. We lay down in a slight depression of the ground about four
rods behind the skirmishers. As we were getting into position a few were
wounded; but after arrangements were completed, we lay in comparative
safety. About three hundred or more yards to the left, on a little
knoll, two guns were in position. Except these, which seemed
unsupported, I could see no other force. Where the other troops were or
how posted, I have not been able to make out.

The day was warm, and after our night march, the men were fatigued and
sleepy. Before long many of them were sleeping soundly, unmindful of the
bullets that were whistling over. I do not know how long we lay thus.
There is a peculiar satisfaction in sleeping under circumstances of
danger. You are no more exposed than when awake, and you don't have to
do the thinking. Suddenly I awoke to a consciousness that something had
"broken loose." A volley of musketry was poured into us from the rising
ground in front of our skirmishers, and the bullets were hissing close
above us. I lay still a moment as they passed over, and then sprang to
my feet. The skirmishers were giving way, still facing the rebel line of
battle that was charging forward. On the left, our guns were belching
forth grape and canister into the rebel infantry, that came sweeping on
like ocean waves. I think these guns were lost. The last I saw of them
the rebel troops seemed to roll right over them. We were driven back to
the woods. Here we checked their advance, and held the ground till
night. A part of the Fifth Corps and one division of cavalry had been
thrown up in this direction to make a diversion, and also to cover the
flank of Grant's army while it crossed the Peninsula to the James River,
and placed itself before Petersburg. Hence there was not much object in
fighting except to hold our position for a sufficient length of time. In
the evening a heavy force of the enemy was reported moving toward our
left. For this reason, or in carrying out the original programme, we
marched in the same direction, starting just after dark. As we fell back
in the afternoon, I found a haversack containing some hard-tack. This
our mess divided. We did not fail to commiserate the unlucky chap whose
loss was our gain. This was a very unsatisfactory fight. It always
seemed to me like a scrub race. The rebels plunged in as if they thought
it wa