nt him serving further during the war. As we
drew near to New Hope church, we found infantry of Stewart's, corps,
hastily building log breastworks, along the right of the road, with the
rattle of heavy skirmishing in the thick forest in the front. Our
battery was ordered to turn aside to the left and go into battery and
wait. This threw us into position with our infantry line perhaps fifty
yards in our front. The Federals attacked with Hooper's corps in force,
and the battle of New Hope church was fought and won, by our infantry
line, we never getting a chance to fire a shot. Our cannoneers lying on
the ground at their posts ready to fire, should the infantry give back.
At dark we were placed in position on the infantry line and ordered to
intrench and by morning of 26th, we had a pretty fair earthwork in our
front facing a Federal battery. The woods were very dense, and it was
only a couple of hundred yards across the hollow to the Federal
entrenchments. Between the two lines the earth was strewn with the
Federal dead.

Both sides had skirmishers in rifle pits in front of them, and any
exposure of a portion of the body brought the "ping" of a bullet in
close proximity. One struck about an inch above the head of Lieut. A.
C. Hargrove, into the body of an oak against which he was sitting, a
little in rear of embankment. His head showed a little too high above
the breastworks. Two inches lower, it would have finished him. Both
sides had to lie close in daylight. A little to the rear and left was
the old church.

Capt. Lumsden sent a man to Gen. Quarles, who had his Brigade
headquarters just in rear of the church, to borrow a field glass. The
General and his staff wanted to know all about the situation, which was
described as well as possible. One of the aides handed over his
glasses, and requested the messenger to let them know whatever was
discovered in our front. It was suggested that he come along, "Oh no!
We don't think it necessary! You can tell us all about it when you
return back." The others laughed and said: "Go ahead, young man." Capt.
Lumsden thought he could make out a battery opposite, but it was
difficult to be sure as their lines were partly hidden by brush, like
our own. Our old Orderly Sergeant, now Capt. Geo. Little, on Gen.
Bate's staff, had letters and socks from home for his two brothers,
John and James, in our company, and rode up to the church where Gen.
Stewart was sitting on the steps and asked