never succeeded in retaking the line we held. Torn and exhausted,
deprived of every general officer and nearly every field officer, the
division had only strength enough left to hold its position."

The charging became intermittent. Then out of the night, as Hood sat
listening, again came the old man, his face as white as his long
hair, his horse once black, now white with foam.

"General Gist too, is dead," he said sadly.

"Tell Granbury, Carter, Strahl--General! Throw them in there and
capture that battery and break that line."

The old man vanished once more and rode into the shock and shout of
battle.

General Strahl was leading his brigade again against the breastworks.
"Strahl's and Carter's brigade came gallantly to the assistance of
Gist's and Gordon's" runs the confederate report sent to Richmond,
"but the enemy's fire from the houses in the rear of the line and
from guns posted on the far side of the river so as to enfilade the
field, tore their line to pieces before it reached the locust
abatis."

General Carter fell mortally wounded before reaching the breastworks,
but General Strahl reached the ditch, filled with dead and dying men,
though his entire staff had been killed. Here he stood with only two
men around him, Cunningham and Brown. "Keep firing" said Strahl as he
stood on the bodies of the dead and passed up guns to the two
privates. The next instant Brown fell heavily; he, too, was dead.

"What shall I do, General?" asked Cunningham.

"Keep firing," said Strahl.

Again Cunningham fired. "Pass me another gun, General," said
Cunningham. There was no answer--the general was dead.

Not a hundred yards away lay General Granbury, dead. He died leading
the brave Texans to the works.

To the commanding General it seemed an age before the old man
returned. Then he saw him in the darkness afar off, before he reached
the headquarters. The General thought of death on his pale horse and
shivered.

"Granbury, Carter, Strahl--all dead, General," he said. "Colonels
command divisions, Captains are commanding brigades."

"How does Cheatham estimate his loss?" asked the General.

"At half his command killed and wounded," said the old soldier sadly.

"My God!--my God!--this awful, awful day!" cried Hood.

There was a moment's silence and then: "General?" It came from
General Travis.

The General looked up.

"May I lead the Tennessee troops in--I have led them often before."

Hood thought a mom