all was well with them. Under cover
of the wood, Taylor moved Gray quietly to the left, and perceiving
that his line now overlapped Grover's right, promptly determined
to gain the brief time he still needed for the safe retreat of his
main body by a bold and vigorous attack with the whole force he
had under his hand. The order was obeyed with spirit. Out of the
wood beyond the right, and from the main ditch, well in the rear
of the 159th, the Confederates came charging strongly, and halting,
they poured in a hot volley. Seeing that the situation was critical
Dayton ordered the regiment to retire. Under a severe fire it fell
back quickly, yet in good order, to the road. There it promptly
re-formed on its colors, and Burt rejoining took command.

In their retreat the New Yorkers swept over the position of the
26th Maine and the 25th Connecticut and carried these already shaken
regiments with them, in some natural disorder; but his lasted hardly
longer than was needed for Dwight to hear and obey the command that
now came back from Grover, to deploy the first brigade and take up
the broken battle.

Bradley held his ground stoutly to the last moment, and when finally
the choice was narrowed to retreat or capture, he retired in good
order to a fresh position, and there serving his canister with
coolness and deliberation, held off the enemy's advance. At this
point, Rodgers, who with his centre section was in the road on the
left, engaged at 800 and 400 yards with Cornay's right section,
turned his attention to the Confederate infantry on the right, and
crossing with spherical case-shot the canister fire of his Lieutenant,
made good the check.

Almost at the moment when Taylor's left was thus roughly bearing
down the right of Birge, on his left his own 13th Connecticut,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Warner, enveloped in a grove, was moving
steadily on the Confederate right, where Clack stood and the two
guns of Cornay. Emerging from the grove into an open field that
still lay between them and the enemy in the wood, Warner's men
instantly replied to the volleys of cannon and small-arms that
greeted their appearance and pushed on, firing as they went. More
fortunate than their comrades in the direction and the moment of
their attack, they pressed back Clack, drove off Cornay's guns,
and took two of his caissons, a limber, and a color presented to
his battery by the ladies of Franklin. Nearly 60 prisoners at the
same t