us had two lines of battle with which to
advance, they going ahead. In the early evening the order came to advance.
The regiment in front of us that was to take the lead never moved a peg,
and we were obliged to charge right over them. On each of our flanks
there were good strong lines, so being well supported on both sides we
captured both lines. Some distance to our right our men were less
successful, they did not take the last line, and soon began to draw
regiment after regiment from our force, until we were so spread out to
cover the line, we did not have more than one man to each six feet. A
continuous fight was kept up until about midnight, when our ammunition
running low, our firing became slack. The Johnnies doubtless noticed that,
made an advance and we were forced back to the second line again. As we
left those works two things occurred that are worth mentioning. In front
of us was a wood, directly in front the wood came up to within fifteen or
twenty feet of our works. To the left the space between the breastworks
and the wood was much greater. So as the Johnnies advanced they came in
sight in the open space to the left first, and I fired at them there. Then
I set to work to load my gun; but before it was finished they were coming
out of the wood and across the narrow space right in front of me. I put on
a cap and fired at a man only a few feet away with my ramrod still in my
gun. The Johnny was doubled up. I think my ramrod hit him right in the
stomach. Then I skipped for the rear. The regimental colors were a little
way to my right. Captain Sampson was right near them. Three Rebs started
for our colors about the time I shot my ramrod into the Johnny. Captain
Sampson jumped up on to our works and cut one of them down with his sword.
The other two retreated. Then Captain Sampson and the few men there were
remaining with the colors also fell back. I hunted about and got me a
complete gun and I found a dead man with some cartridges in his cartridge
box. These I appropriated. So I was all right again.

In the early morning of the 18th preparations were made for another
advance; but when the pickets went forward they found the works we had
captured and lost the night before were deserted. The Johnnies had fallen
back about a mile to a shorter line of works nearer the city. The next
night we moved up to a desirable position at an average distance of one
hundred and fifty yards from their works, and commenced putting