Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/322

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Southern Historical Society Papers.

MOVING INTO PLACE.

The next morning as we were forming line I found our right lapped by about one company of Jenkins', but he, fortunately coming just then, moved his men to the right, as our touch was to the left. I think the men moved off with a more elastic step, knowing we had Jenkins on one flank and the Fourth Texas on the other.

We passed though a light fringe of timber, and flushed a small body of the enemy, lying behind a fence. They went off in a hurry, taking with them some sort of conveyance, which some of our men about twenty, I think tried hard to catch, apparently supposing it contained something very good. It was impossible to stop the men. Under less serious circumstances the race would have been amusing, but as they ran far ahead of the regiment, several were struck going over the field. One man, Dave Hixson, was shot through the foot as he ran. We lost a good man in him, but Mosby gained one.

Jenkins presently changed direction to the left, intending, I suppose, to take a battery that had an enfilading fire on him. He came up on us, and as my men, having given up the chase, they joined his left. But very soon the battery was taken, and firing ceased. Who took this battery I cannot say, but I have always thought that both Hunton and the Fourth Texas had something to do with it.

The next morning as we were forming line I found our right lapped by about one company of Jenkins's, but he, fortunately coming just then, moved his men to the right, as our touch was to the left. I think the men moved off with a more elastic step, knowing we 'had Jenkins on one flank and the Fourth Texas on the other.

We passed through a light fringe of timber, and flushed a small body of the enemy, lying behind a fence. They went off in a hurry, taking with them some sort of conveyance, which some of our men—about twenty, I think—tried hard to catch, apparently supposing it contained something very good. It was impossible to stop the men. Under less serious circumstances the