about one hundred yards to the right of the Corinth road, and the
division line extending northwestwardly behind a clear field, Sweeney's
right reached the head of a wide, deep ravine--called in some of the
Confederate reports a gorge--which ravine, filled with impenetrable
thickets, extended from his right far to his rear and ran into the
ravine of Brier Creek. Wallace added to the defence of this ravine by
posting sharpshooters along its border. General Wallace detached the
Eighth Iowa from Sweeney's brigade and placed it across the Corinth
road, filling the interval between the two divisions.

Wallace's line was barely formed when, at ten o'clock, Gladden's
brigade, now commanded by Colonel Adams, moved again against Prentiss.
Advancing slowly up the slight ascent through impeding thickets, against
an unseen foe, it encountered a blaze of fire from the summit, faltered,
wavered, hesitated, retreated, and withdrew out of range. A.P. Stewart
led his brigade against Wallace's front, was driven back, returned to
the assault, and was again hurled back; but still rallied, and moved
once more in vain, to be again sent in retreat.

The Confederates gave this fatal slope the name "The Hornet's Nest."
General Bragg ordered Gibson with his brigade to carry the position. The
fresh column charged gallantly, but the deadly line of musketry in
front, and an enfilading fire from the well-posted battery, mowed down
his ranks; and Gibson's brigade fell back discomfited. Gibson asked for
artillery. None was at hand. Bragg ordered him to charge again. The
colonels of the four regiments thought it hopeless. The order was given.
The brigade struggled up the tangled ascent; but once more met the
inexorable fire that hurled them back. Four times Gibson charged, and
was four times repulsed. Colonel Allen, of the Fourth Louisiana, one of
Gibson's regiments, rode back to General Bragg to repeat the request for
artillery. Stung by the answer, "Colonel Allen, I want no faltering
now," he returned to his regiment, led it in a desperate dash up the
slope, more persistent, and therefore more destructive, and returned
with the fragment of his command that was not left strewn upon the
hill-side. As the line of Sherman and McClernand continually contracted
as they fell back, the successive reinforcements pushed in toward the
left of the Confederate line gradually pressed Hindman's two
brigades--first wholly against McClernand's front, then against hi