y, had quietly, and silently
passed into that body of woods to our right, unseen by the enemy. Along
the front edge of that wood ran an old rail fence, covered all over with
the luxuriant vine known as "Virginia Creeper." Wide open fields
extending in front. Soon, the ground behind that fence was covered with
another sort of "creeper," not as good a "runner" as that on the fence,
nor as "green," but just as tough of fibre, and as hard to "hold on"
when it had once fixed itself,--the "_Mississippi_ Creeper." Silently,
as ghosts, the Brigade glided in behind that fence, and lay low, and
waited. Right here, was where the Federals' idea of _quietly_ occupying
the Spottsylvania line was going to prove a snare. They had not the
dimmest suspicion that we were ahead of them, and between them and that
line. They came on, with guileless confidence, and walked right into
trouble. Presently, a line of battle with columns of troops behind came
marching across the fields upon the concealed Mississippians. Nearer and
nearer they came, unsuspecting any danger, till they got nearly up to
the fence. One man had actually thrown his leg over the rail to mount.
Suddenly! as lightning out of a clear sky, a blinding sheet of flame
flashed into their very faces. Then, after one volley, swiftly came the
dreadful, venomous roll of musketry, the Mississippians loading and
firing "at will," every man as fast as he could. It was just as if "the
angel of death spread his wings to the blast and breathed in the face of
the foe as he passed."

That withering fire tore the ranks of that Division to pieces. It didn't
take those fellows half a second to decide what to do. With yells of
dismay, they charged back, out of that hornet's nest, as if the devil
was after them. In headlong rout, they rushed wildly back across the
fields, and disappeared in the woods beyond.

They left four hundred and two of their number in front of that fence,
and before the fugitives got out of range, their General of Division,
General Robinson, was seriously wounded.

Some of our men went out among the Federal wounded to do what they could
for their relief. An officer of a Mississippi Regiment came upon a
Federal Colonel who lay to all appearance mortally wounded, and gave him
a drink of water, and did what else he could for his comfort. The
Federal took out a fine gold watch, and said, "Here is a watch that I
value very highly. You have been very kind to me, and I would lik