the
lieutenant.

And the boys "went in," and forced back the rebel line, and held the guns
until another battery with a supply of ammunition arrived upon the ground
to relieve them. The enemy was again repulsed, and the guns were saved by
the unflinching heroism of our gallant Massachusetts regiment--another
paragraph for the letter to Lilian Ashford.

CHAPTER XXXI.

GLORY AND VICTORY.

The battle now raged more fiercely than ever, and hotter and hotter became
the fire on every side. The shouts of the enemy indicated the arrival of
reenforcements. "Johnston!" "Long-street!" resounded over the field, and
roused the rebels to renewed activity. More certainly was the increase of
the enemy's force determined by the gradual falling back of the brigade at
the left of the road; but the men fought with desperate courage, and
yielded not a foot of ground without enriching it with their best blood.

There were no signs of reenforcements for over exhausted troops, though a
whole corps was within hearing of the booming guns that were slaughtering
our outnumbered and exhausted brigades. On the field the aspect began to
be dark and unpromising, and Tom prayed with all his soul that he might be
spared the pain of beholding another defeat, another rout.

Our regiment was ordered to the support of the yielding brigade on the
left. The woods were full of rebels, and the issue of the conflict in this
part of the field was almost hopeless. The enemy seemed to be inspired by
the slight advantage they had gained, and their yells were fiercer and
more diabolical than ever, as they gathered themselves up for a desperate
onslaught.

The Federal brigade was overmatched, and the result seemed to waver upon a
balance; then the equilibrium was slightly disturbed, and the Union force
fell back a little, but only a little, and doggedly resisted the advance
of the foe. It needed but little to restore the equilibrium, and our
regiment, after struggling through the mud with all attainable speed,
arrived upon the spot when the prospect was so gloomy for the loyal cause.

The men were almost exhausted by the tremendous strain which had all day
long been imposed upon their nervous systems, and by the physical exertion
required of them. But the battle was going against the North, and they
were ready again to make a desperate effort to redeem the field.

"One more of your Massachusetts charges, colonel," said General Hooker, as
the weary so