ing from behind
stumps and depressions in the cornfield in front, to which our artillery
replied with little effect. The Fort was occupied by about sixty men
who, I understood, were Mississippians. The ditch in front was eight or
ten feet deep and as many in width. Into it, urged on by white officers,
the negroes leaped, and to scale the embankment on the Fort side climbed
on each other's shoulders, and were instantly shot down as their heads
appeared above it. The ground beyond was strewn with dead and wounded. A
full regiment had preceded us into the Fort, but the charge on it had
been repulsed by the small force before its arrival.

Next morning we counted twenty-three dead negroes in the ditch, the
wounded and prisoners having previously been removed. There was great
lamentation among them when "Corporal Dick" fell. He was a conspicuous
leader, jet black, and bald as a badger. A mile to the right of Fort
Gilmore and one-fourth of a mile in advance of our line of breastworks
was Fort Harrison, which was feebly garrisoned by reserves. This force
had been overpowered and the Fort taken by the Federals. Two days
later, and after it had been completely manned with infantry and
artillery, an unsuccessful attempt was made to recapture it, of which we
had a full view. The attack was made by Colquitt's and Anderson's
brigades, while General Lee stood on the parapet of Fort Gilmore with
field-glass in hand, waving his hat and cheering lustily. Of course our
loss in killed, wounded, and captured was very heavy. This ended the
fighting, except sharpshooting, on the north side of the James.

During our stay in Fort Gilmore a company of Reserves from Richmond took
the place of the regular infantry. They were venerable-looking old
gentlemen--lawyers, business men, etc., dressed in citizens' clothes. In
order to accustom them to the service, we supposed, they were frequently
roused during the night to prepare for battle. After several repetitions
of this they concluded, about two o'clock one night, that it was useless
to retire again and go through the same performance, so a party of them
kindled a fire and good-humoredly sat around in conversation on various
subjects, one of which was infant baptism. My bedfellow, Tom Williamson,
a bachelor under twenty years of age, being deeply interested in this
question, of paramount importance at this time, forthwith left his bunk,
and from that time until daylight theology was in the air.