When the battle was at its highest the Seventeenth was forced down its line about thirty yards.  Lieutenant Colonel Fleming, of Ransom’s Forty-ninth Regiment, came up to me and pointed out a good place to build another barricade.  I requested him to build it with his own men, as mine were almost exhausted by the labors of the day.  He cheerfully assented, stepped on a banquette to get around me, and was shot in the neck and dropped at my feet.

At this moment of time an aide of General Bushrod Johnson told me that the General requested me to come out to Elliott’s headquarters.  I immediately proceeded to the place, and General Mahone came up.  I was introduced to him, and suggested to him when his men came in to form them on Smith’s men who were lying down in the ravine.  A few minutes afterwards, by order of General Johnson, Captain Steele brought out the remnant of the Seventeenth Regiment, and they marched in the ravine back of Mahone’s men.

* * * * *

MAHONE’S CHARGE.

By this time General Mahone’s Brigade of Virginians, eight hundred men strong, was coming in one by one, and were formed a few steps to the left and a little in advance of Smith’s and Crawford’s men.  I was standing with General Johnson, close to Elliott’s headquarters, and could see everything that transpired in the ravine.  It took Mahone so long to arrange his men I was apprehensive that the enemy would make a charge before he was ready.  A few Federal officers began to climb out of the main ditch until they numbered perhaps twenty-five men.  General Mahone was on the extreme right it seemed to me busy with some men—­I have heard since they were some Georgians.  Captain Girardey had gone to Colonel Weisinger, who was worried with the delay, and told him General Mahone was anxious to take some of the Georgians with him.  But the threatening attitude of the enemy precipitated the charge.

The noble old Roman, Colonel Weisinger, cried out “Forward!” and eight hundred brave Virginians sprung to their feet and rushed two hundred yards up the hill.  It had not the precision of a West Point drill, but it exhibited the pluck of Grecians at Thermopylae.  The men disappeared irregularly as they reached the numerous ditches that led to the main ditch until all were hid from view.  The firing was not very great for the bayonet and butt of the muskets did more damage than the barrel.  If any one desires a graphic description of a hand to hand fight I beg him to read the graphic detailed account given by Mr. Bernard in his “War Talks of Confederate Veterans.”

In a few minutes the enemy in the ditches up to fifty yards of the “Crater” were killed or captured.  The whole battlefield of three acres of ground became suddenly quiet comparatively.

Mahone in an hour’s time sent in the Georgia Brigade, under General Wright.  There was such a heavy fire from the “Crater” the brigade was forced to oblique to the left and banked on Mahone’s men.  In a few minutes after they landed at the foot of the “Crater” in their second charge.