that the harsh orders were
given for effect upon these drafted men, as we never before had received
any such orders on going into battle.

We then began to fortify. On the retreat that morning we had passed an
abandoned wagon loaded with intrenching tools, and by order each company
had taken two spades from the wagon, the men relieving each other in
carrying them. These spades were the only tools we had to work with. The
ground we occupied was a large old cottonfield not under cultivation that
year, and had been frequently camped on by other troops who had destroyed
all the fences and other materials ordinarily found so handy in building
hasty breastworks, so that on this occasion our only resource was the
earth thrown with the few spades we had.

Under the stimulus afforded by the sight of the enemy in our front
preparing for attack, the men eagerly relieved each other in handling the
spades. As soon as a man working showed the least sign of fatigue, a
comrade would snatch the spade out of his hands and ply it with desperate
energy. Yet in spite of our utmost exertions when the attack came we had
only succeeded in throwing up a slight embankment, which was high enough
to give good protection against musket balls to the man squatting down in
the ditch from which the earth had been thrown; but on the outside, where
there was no ditch, it was so low that a battle line could march over it
without halting. The ground ascended with an easy grade from our position
back to Cox's line, and all the intervening space, as well as a wide
expanse to our left, was as bare as a floor of any obstruction. In our
front was a wide valley extending to the Winsted Hills. This valley was
dotted with a few farm-buildings, and there were also some small areas of
woodland, but much the greater portion of it consisted of cleared fields.
As our line was first established the Sixty-fifth Ohio was on the left of
the brigade, but it was afterwards withdrawn, leaving the Sixty-fourth
Ohio on the left and three companies, H, K, and B, were partially refused
to cover the left flank. My position was at the refused angle.

About the time that we began to fortify, my attention was called to a
group of mounted officers in a field on the side of the Winsted Hills, to
the east of the Columbia Pike, and about a mile and a half in our front.
This group undoubtedly consisted of General Hood and his staff. An
officer who was present with Hood has stated that f