f. He, a man of unusually large size, with sword
dangling at his side, came bounding from our right at a full run. A
large log a few steps in our rear was his goal as a place of safety, and
over it he leaped and was instantly concealed behind it. He had scant
time to adjust himself before the log was struck a crashing blow by a
solid shot. He reappeared as part of the upheaval; but, regaining his
feet, broke for the woods with the speed of a quarterhorse, and a
greater confidence in distance than in logs.

It was now dark, and our range had been accurately gotten. After each
discharge of our opponent's guns, what appeared to be a harmless spark
of fire, immovable as a star, repeatedly deceived us. It was the burning
fuse in the head of the shell which, coming straight toward us, seemed
stationary until the shell shot by or burst. Four young mules drawing
our battery-forge were stampeded by these shells and ran off through the
woods, thus affording Pleasants, our blacksmith, entertainment for the
rest of the night.

Firing ceased on both sides at about eight o'clock, and we passed
through the woods to our left and went into park on the opposite side.
Still feeling the comfort of my clean clothes, I enjoyed a quiet night's
rest on the top of a caisson, little heeding the gentle rain which fell
on my face. Our bivouac was immediately by the "Straw-stacks," which
have been so generally referred to as landmarks in this battle, and
which were located in the open ground near the forest which extended to
the Dunkard church. About seven o'clock next morning, while standing
with horses hitched and awaiting orders, no engagement so far having
taken place near us, a shell of great size burst with a terrific report.
One fragment of it mortally wounded Sam Moore, a driver of my gun, while
another piece cut off the forefoot of one of the horses in the team. We
soon transferred his harness to another horse which we hitched in his
stead and, as we went off at a trot, the crippled horse took his place
close by where he was accustomed to work, and kept alongside on three
legs until his suffering was relieved by a bullet in the brain.

We had moved, to get out of range of missiles, but the place to which we
had just come was not an improvement. While standing with the gun in
front turned in file at right angles to those following, a twenty-pound
shell swept by the six drivers and their teams in the rear, just grazing
them, then striking