Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/153

sippi sharpshooters that every effort to lay the bridges was futile. Finally, regiments enough to attack Barksdale were sent over in boats under cover of a fearful cannonade from 147 guns on Stafford hills. After Barksdale was withdrawn, the right grand division crossed on the pontoon bridges. Burnside ordered Franklin’s grand division to attack the position held by Jackson. Reynolds corps was selected, and he advanced Meade’s division, supported on the right by Gibbon’s division; and then, when Meade was fired upon on his left, Doubleday’s division was advanced to Meade’s left. Meade’s attack fell first on Lane’s brigade of North Carolinians. In the general alignment, Lane s brigade did not join Archer’s brigade on his right by, Lane says, 600 yards. Into this interval the enemy marched, thus turning Lane’s right flank and Archer’s left. Lane’s Thirty-seventh and Twenty-eighth regiments, under Colonels Barbour and Stowe, stationed on the left, made a resolute stand, but were firmly pressed back. The Thirty-third, Colonel Avery, checked the enemy for a few moments and even essayed to charge, but found its effort unsupported. The Eighteenth, Colonel Purdie, fell back firing until it reached the woods. The Seventh, Lieutenant- Colonel Hill, had been ordered across the railroad to support a battery, and had acted with gallantry. It was now sent for, but the brigade was pushed out of line before the message was delivered. Thomas then moved his brigade to Lane’s support, and, with the Eighteenth and Seventh formed on his left, pushed the enemy back across the railroad. Lane s brigade had made a bold, stand and gave ground only after what General Lee called "a brave and obstinate resistance." Gen. A. P. Hill reported that the Twenty-eighth and Thirty-seventh "continued to fight until their ammunition was exhausted and were then quietly and steadily retired from the field." Archer’s left regiments were broken, and the enemy pushed gallantly on to the second line. Three brigades