step from Cobb’s infantry fire and grape and canister from the Washington Artillery of New Orleans on the hill.  They never neared the wall nor did they take more time than to fire a volley or two before they fled the field.  This retreating column of Franklin’s met that of Hancock’s, formed, and on its way to try issues with the troops behind the stone wall, Longstreet now saw what had never been considered before—­that Burnsides was determined to possess himself of the key to Lee’s position, “Mayree’s Hill,” in front of which was the stone wall.  He ordered the two regiments of North Carolinians that were posted on the crest of the hill down behind the stone wall, to the left of Cobb and Kershaw, to reinforce the position with his brigade.

The Third Regiment being ordered to the top of Mayree’s Hill, Colonel Nance, at the head of his regiment, entered the Telegraph Road, and down this the men rushed, followed by the Second, led by Colonel Kennedy, under one of the heaviest shellings the troops ever experienced.  This two hundred yards’ stretch of road was in full view and range of the heavy gun batteries on Stafford Heights, and as the men scattered out along and down the road, the shells passed, plowing in the road, bursting overhead, or striking the earth and ricocheting to the hills far in the rear.  On reaching the ravine, at the lower end of the incline, the Third Regiment was turned to the left and up a by-road to the plateau in rear of the “Mayree Mansion.”  The house tops in the city were lined with sharpshooters, and from windows and doors and from behind houses the deadly missiles from the globe-sighted rifles made sad havoc in our ranks.

[Illustration:  Col.  William Drayton Rutherford, 3d S.C.  Regiment.(Page 485.)]

[Illustration:  Col.  E. T Stackhouse, 8th S.C.  Regiment. (Page 285.)]

[Illustration:  Col.  D. Wyatt Aiken, 7th S.C.  Regiment. (Page 100.)]

[Illustration:  Lieut.  Col.  B.B.  Foster, 3d S.C.  Regiment. (Page 164.)]

When the Third reached the top of the plateau it was in column of fours, and Colonel Nance formed line of battle by changing “front forward on first company.”  This pretty piece of tactics was executed while under the galling fire from the artillery and sharpshooters, but was as perfect as on dress parade.  The regiment lined up, the right resting on the house and extending along a dull road to the next street leading into the city.  We had scarcely gotten in position before Nance, Rutherford, and Maffett, the three field officers, had fallen.  Colonel Kennedy, with the Second, passed over the left of the plateau and down the street on our left, and at right angles with our line, being in a position to give a sweeping fire to the flank of the columns of assault against the stone fence.  From the preparation and determination made to break through the line here, Kershaw ordered Lieutenant Colonel Bland, with the Seventh, Colonel Henagan, with the Eighth, and Colonel DeSaussure, with the Fifteenth, to double-up with Cobb’s men, and to hold their position “at the sacrifice of every man of their commands.”