nced
with the hope of routing them by this sudden onset. Against Hancock they
made the most desperate attempt, but with no success further than
driving in the picket line. In return, the rebels were hurried back to
the cover of the woods from whence they came, leaving many dead and
wounded on the field. While the First brigade was thus bravely
withstanding the assault of the rebels, the Third brigade and the Second
occupied a second line, acting as support, but neither were actively
engaged; yet several of the regiments in the second line lost men by the
shells.

During the night our Third brigade relieved Hancock's regiments and
remained in possession of the advanced position until afternoon next
day. We had moved from our old position while the fight was in progress,
and had left everything except arms and ammunition.

We could hear the sound of ambulances in the front where the rebels were
gathering up their wounded, till after midnight; and toward morning they
made a sally upon a part of the line, but were quickly repulsed.

June 28th, the men of Davidson's brigade who had been ordered the day
before to leave haversacks, canteens, blankets and tents, found in the
morning that their camp was occupied by another division, tired and
hungry, who had lost their blankets in the fights of the two days
before, and who had now appropriated the haversacks and blankets of our
boys to their own use. Some confusion occurred upon making this
discovery, but our boys soon helped themselves to substitutes and bore
their loss on the whole very patiently.

Our picket line was relieved at 9 A.M., but before the whole line was
changed the rebel batteries opened upon the moving companies a
concentrated fire from twenty pieces of artillery, putting a stop to the
process. Shot and shell came tearing through our camps in every
direction, crashing through trees, throwing up great clouds of dust,
riddling tents and alarming the cooks and contraband servants who
remained in camp.

This artillery practice continued for an hour without eliciting much
reply from our side, as our guns had been nearly all withdrawn from the
front to join the train preparatory to the retreat.

The rebels ceased their fire and we inferred that they had withdrawn to
some other point; but at two o'clock the mistake was discovered. A
brigade of rebels was seen to leap over their breastworks and rush
toward our line with yells and shouts like so many madmen. Our p