kly or the movement would be a failure. The moon
was shining brightly, turning night almost into day, and not a
breath of air was stirring, so that every movement we made could
be distinctly heard or seen by the enemy. Lieutenant Marshall
Lee, with twenty men of Co. E 24th, was advanced to the water's
edge supported by the rest of the company, and Co. A of the
35th, the whole under the command of Captain Barna Lane. The
pontoon train, under Lieutenant Pool, 10th N.C.T., dashed down
at a gallop, slid one boat into the creek and quickly and
rapidly the two companies crossed and were immediately engaged
with the enemy. The 24th followed at once, the men coming into
line as fast as they got over, and the enemy fell back, closely
pursued by Captain Lane's command, deployed as skirmishers. The
pontoons were now laid and by 8 o'clock the infantry was over
and formed in line of battle, the left resting on the road and
the right on the river in the following order: First on the
right the 55th, second the 25th, third the 8th, fourth the 36th,
fifth the 24th, with two companies on the south of the road. In
this position, we lay during the night, sheltering ourselves as
well as we could from the enemy's two works on the road, which
kept up a constant fire until nearly day break. Just before day
a strong line of skirmishers was thrown out before the brigade
under command of Captain Durham, Q.M., 29 N.C.T., but acting
temporarily on General Ransom's staff. _The Assault._ At just
3-1/2 the morning of the 20th our line began to move forward,
slowly at first, dressing on the center, and halting
occasionally for that purpose. From the start the fire from the
enemy's batteries was rapid and severe, striking down many a
brave fellow; but closing up the gaps, the long line moved
silently on, the left still resting on the road, till Pegram's
battery, dashing forward at a run unlimbered in front, and
opened fire on the enemy's works.

Then for the first time that morning our boys gave a loud
yelling of defiance, and quickening their pace to a
double-quick, pressed with a determination not to be resisted
right upon the enemy's two works, which were taken with scarcely
a moment's delay, the one on the south of the road, by the left
of the 24th, led by Colonel Clarke and the one on the right by