,
when, rolling back the fiercest assaults of the enemy, he gained the
first real success in the trenches at Petersburg, and won for himself
the double star of a Major-General.

Meanwhile, Morrison's brigade remained on the Kingston road in front of
Lenoir's. The enemy, anticipating an evacuation of the place, made an
attack on our lines about ten o'clock, P. M.; but a few shots on our
part were sufficient to satisfy him that we still held the ground.
Additional pickets, however, were sent out to extend the line held by
the Eighth Michigan. The Thirty-sixth Massachusetts and Forty-fifth
Pennsylvania still remained in line of battle in the woods. Neither
officers nor men slept that night. It was bitter cold, and the usual
fires were denied us, lest they should betray our weakness to the enemy.
The men were ordered to put their canteens and tin cups in their
haversacks, and remain quietly in their places, ready for any movement
at a moment's notice. It was a long, tedious, fearful night; what would
the morrow bring? It was Sunday night. The day had brought us no
rest,--only weariness and anxiety. No one could speak to his fellow; and
in the thick darkness, through the long, long night, we lay on our arms,
waiting for the morning. Ah, how many hearts there were among us, which,
overleaping the boundaries of States, found their way to Pennsylvanian
and New England homes,--how many, which, on the morrow, among the hills
of East Tennessee, were to pour out their young blood even unto death!

At length the morning came. It was cloudy as the day before. White's
division of the Twenty-third Corps was now on the road to Knoxville;
and, besides our own brigade, only Humphrey's brigade of our division
remained at Lenoir's. About daybreak, as silently as possible, we
withdrew from our position on the Kingston road, and, falling back
through the village of Lenoir's, moved towards Knoxville, Humphrey's
brigade covering the retreat. Everything which we could not take with us
was destroyed. Even our baggage and books, which, for the want of
transportation, had not been removed, were committed to the flames. The
enemy at once discovered our retreat, but did not press us till within a
mile or two of the village of Campbell's Station. Humphrey, however,
held him in check, and we moved on to the point where the road from
Lenoir's unites with the road from Kingston to Knoxville. It was
evidently Longstreet's intention to cut off our retreat