as just charging. Again the old man was swept
away with the charge. They struck the breastworks where Stile's and
Casement's brigades lay on the extreme left of the federal army.
"Their officers showed heroic examples and self-sacrifice," wrote
General Cox in his official report, "riding up to our lines in
advance of their men, cheering them on. One officer, Adams, was shot
down upon the parapet itself, his horse falling across the
breastworks." Casement himself, touched by the splendor of his ride,
had cotton brought from the old gin house and placed under the dying
soldier's head. "You are too brave a man to die," said Casement
tenderly; "I wish that I could save you."

"'Tis the fate of a soldier to die for his country," smiled the dying
soldier. Then he passed away.

It was a half hour before the old man reached Hood's headquarters
again, his black horse wet with sweat.

"General Adams lies in front of the breastworks--dead! His horse half
over it--dead"--was all he said.

Hood turned pale. His eyes flashed with indignant grief.

"Then tell General Gist," he exclaimed. The old man vanished again
and rode once more into the smoke and the night. Gist's brigade led
the front line of Brown's division, Cheatham's corps. It was on the
left, fronting Strickland's and Moore's, on the breastworks. The
Twenty-fourth South Carolina Infantry was in front of the charging
lines. "In passing from the left to the right of the regiment,"
writes Colonel Ellison Capers commanding the South Carolina regiment
above named, "the General (Gist) waved his hat to us, expressed his
pride and confidence in the Twenty-fourth and rode away in the smoke
of battle never more to be seen by the men he had commanded on so
many fields. His horse was shot, and, dismounting, he was leading the
right of the brigade when he fell, pierced through the heart. On
pressed the charging lines of the brigade, driving the advance force
of the enemy pell-mell into a locust abatis where many were captured
and sent to the rear; others were wounded by the fire of their own
men. This abatis was a formidable and fearful obstruction. The entire
brigade was arrested by it. But Gist's and Gordon's brigade charged
on and reached the ditch, mounted the works and met the enemy in
close combat. The colors of the Twenty-fourth were planted and
defended on the parapet, and the enemy retired in our front some
distance, but soon rallied and came back in turn to charge us. He