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HISTORY OF MCGOWAN’S BRIGADE.

Reaching the summit of an open hill, where stood a little old house, and its surrounding naked orchard, we were fronted and ordered forward on the left of the road....  Now we entered the battle.  There were two lines of works before us; the first or inner line, from a hundred and fifty to two hundred yards in front of us; the second or outer line, perhaps a hundred yards beyond it, and parallel to it.  There were troops in the outer line, but in the inner one only what appeared to be masses without organization.  The enemy were firing in front of the extreme right of the brigade, and their balls came obliquely down our line; but we could not discover, on account of the woods about the point of firing, under what circumstances the battle was held.  There was a good deal of doubt as to how far we were to go, or in what direction....  The truth is, the road by which we had come was not at all straight, which made the right of the line front much farther north than the rest, and the fire was too hot for us to wait for the long loose column to close up, so as to make an entirely orderly advance.  More than this, there was a death struggle ahead, which must be met instantly.  We advanced at a double-quick, cheering loudly, and entered the inner works.  Whether by order or tacit understanding, we halted here, except the Twelfth Regiment, which was the right of the brigade.  That moved at once to the outer line, and threw itself with its wanted impetuosity into the heart of the battle....  The brigade advanced upon the works.  About the time we reached the inner lines, General McGowan was wounded by a minnie ball in the arm, and forced to quit the field.  Colonel Brockman, senior Colonel present, was also wounded, and Colonel Brown, of the Fourteenth Regiment, assumed command then or a little later.  The four regiments, the First, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Rifles (the Twelfth had passed on to the outer line), closed up and arranged their lines.  Soon the order was given to advance to the outer line.  We did so with a cheer and a double-quick, plunging through mud knee deep and getting in as best we could.  Here, however, lay Harris’ Mississippi Brigade.  We were ordered to close to the right.  We moved by the flank, up the works, under the fatally accurate firing of the enemy, and ranged ourselves along the entrenchments.  The sight we encountered was not calculated to encourage us The trenches dug on the inner side were almost filled with water.  Dead men lay on the surface of the ground and in the pools of water.  The wounded bled, stretched, and groaned, or huddled in every attitude of pain.  The water was crimson with blood.  Abandoned knapsacks, guns, and accoutrements, with ammunition boxes, were scattered all around.  In the rear disabled caissons stood and limbers of guns.  The rain poured heavily, and an incessant fire was kept upon us from front and flank.  The enemy still held the works on the right of the angle, and fired across the traverses.  Nor were these foes easily seen.  They barely raised their heads above the logs at the moment of firing.  It was plainly a question of bravery and endurance now.