ched him he reached out, grabbed me
by the arm, saying, "Keep back, they will hit you," and drew me up
alongside of him where we were somewhat protected by the tree. He then
said, "Well, what is it?" I then repeated General Gregg's message,
expecting an irritated reply, since it seemed to imply a censure.
Instead of that, he, in the mildest manner possible, said: "I will tell
you. You see their line across this clearing?" Replying "Yes," he
continued: "You see where their guns are on the right of the road
covering this, and you also see a line of dismounted men behind that
stone wall at the wheat field. Now, if I order a charge across there it
will be subjected to an enfilading fire from those men behind the wall
and it will be very expensive of men." He then asked me if the General
had a spare regiment that he could send around in a ravine beyond the
wheat field, have them dismount and crawl through the wheat unobserved
and attack the men who were facing him from behind the stone wall. I
told him there was, and he asked me to go back and explain the matter,
saying, "If the General will send some men to get those fellows started
behind that wall I will charge." I returned and described the situation
to General Gregg, who directed a battalion of the Harris Light, I think,
to make a detour, crawl through the wheat field, and attack the men
behind the wall, who were practically right under the guns of the enemy,
which were, however, firing over their heads across the road into the
woods from which they were expecting a charge to be made. The General
then directed me to return and tell Colonel Gregg to charge as soon as
the men behind the stone wall were attacked. In due time the Harris
Light suddenly appeared only a few rods in the rear of the Confederates
behind the wall, who, without any warning, received a volley in their
backs. They were at once in confusion and at that moment the bugle
sounded the charge and the First Maine and Fourth Pennsylvania from the
woods, and the Tenth New York in column on the turnpike, charged and
took the ridge, the Confederate battery getting away just in the nick of
time. I recall seeing the body of one of their colonels lying out in the
turnpike just near where their guns had stood. This finished the fight
for that day. This incident is mentioned somewhat in detail because I
think that Colonel Gregg's coolness and solicitude for the safety of his
men, where, by the use of a little strategy