can’t describe it—­the forest seemed all at once to flame up and disappear with a crash like that of a great wave upon the beach—­a crash that expired in hot hissings, and the sickening “spat” of lead against flesh.  A dozen of my brave fellows tumbled over like ten-pins.  Some struggled to their feet, only to go down again, and yet again.  Those who stood fired into the smoking brush and doggedly retired.  We had expected to find, at most, a line of skirmishers similar to our own; it was with a view to overcoming them by a sudden coup at the moment of collision that I had thrown forward my little reserve.  What we had found was a line of battle, coolly holding its fire till it could count our teeth.  There was no more to be done but get back across the open ground, every superficial yard of which was throwing up its little jet of mud provoked by an impinging bullet.  We got back, most of us, and I shall never forget the ludicrous incident of a young officer who had taken part in the affair walking up to his colonel, who had been a calm and apparently impartial spectator, and gravely reporting:  “The enemy is in force just beyond this field, sir.”

IX

In subordination to the design of this narrative, as defined by its title, the incidents related necessarily group themselves about my own personality as a center; and, as this center, during the few terrible hours of the engagement, maintained a variably constant relation to the open field already mentioned, it is important that the reader should bear in mind the topographical and tactical features of the local situation.  The hither side of the field was occupied by the front of my brigade—­a length of two regiments in line, with proper intervals for field batteries.  During the entire fight the enemy held the slight wooded acclivity beyond.  The debatable ground to the right and left of the open was broken and thickly wooded for miles, in some places quite inaccessible to artillery and at very few points offering opportunities for its successful employment.  As a consequence of this the two sides of the field were soon studded thickly with confronting guns, which flamed away at one another with amazing zeal and rather startling effect.  Of course, an infantry attack delivered from either side was not to be thought of when the covered flanks offered inducements so unquestionably superior; and I believe the riddled bodies of my poor skirmishers were the only ones left on this “neutral ground” that day.  But there was a very pretty line of dead continually growing in our rear, and doubtless the enemy had at his back a similar encouragement.