our guns dawned upon us, and we stopped. As the
smoke cleared up we saw the enemy still there, not having budged or
fired a shot in return. But though our action was absurd, it was a
relief to us to do something, and we were rapidly becoming toned up to
the point of steady endurance.

As we gazed at the enemy so coolly standing there, an Ohio battery of
artillery came galloping up in our rear, and what followed I don't
believe was equalled by anything of the kind during the war. As the
artillery came up we moved off by the right flank a few steps, to let
it come in between us and the Illinois regiment next on our left. Where
we were standing was in open, low-limbed oak timber. The line of
Southern infantry was in tolerably plain view through the openings in
the woods, and were still standing quietly. Of course, we all turned
our heads away from them to look at the finely equipped battery, as it
came galloping from the rear to our left flank, its officers shouting
directions to the riders where to stop their guns. It was the work of
but an instant to bring every gun into position. Like a flash the
gunners leaped from their seats and unlimbered the cannon. The fine
six-horse teams began turning round with the caissons, charges were
being rammed home, and the guns pointed toward the dense ranks of the
enemy, when, from right in front, a dense puff of smoke, a tearing of
shot and shell through the trees, a roar from half a dozen cannon,
hitherto unseen, and our brave battery was knocked into smithereens.
Great limbs of trees, torn off by cannon shot, came down on horse and
rider, crushing them to earth. Shot and shell struck cannon, upsetting
them; caissons exploded them. Not a shot was fired from our side.

But how those astounded artillery men--those of them who could run at
all--did scamper out of there. Like Mark Twain's dog, they may be
running yet. At least, it is certain that no attempt was ever made to
reorganize that battery--it was literally wiped out then and there.

This made us feel mightily uncomfortable--in fact, we had been feeling
quite uncomfortable all the morning. It did not particularly add to the
cheerfulness of the prospect, to reflect that our division was the
reserve of the army, and should not be called into action, ordinarily,
until towards the close of the battle; while here we were, early in the
forenoon, face to face with the enemy, our battery of artillery gobbled
up at one mouthful, and th