There was a sharp rattle of Springfield rifles from Baird’s skirmishers, a third of a mile to our left and hidden from sight by the woods.  In a moment came a crash of musketry which brought every man to his feet.  Baird’s skirmishers had been driven in, and his main line had hurled its thousands of bullets as the attacking enemy came into view.  Instantly the answering fire was given, and then followed the continuous rattling roar of a fierce general engagement.  Wounded men began to come out of the wood where Baird was as they made their way alone toward the hospitals or were carried off by the hospital corps.  Suddenly, a hundred men with arms in their hands emerged from the woods into the open field behind Baird, straggling and without order.  These were not wounded men.  No:  it was too plain that Baird’s division was giving way.  A moment more, and the lower end of the open field was filled with a dense mass of men as Baird’s disordered lines poured forth out of the woods, which were swarming with the exultant enemy.  Through and behind the retreating mass the mounted officers rode furiously, their swinging sabres flashing in the sun as they alternately commanded and exhorted their men to rally and breast the storm of lead which the enemy was hurling upon them.  Then Johnson, whose division was next to Baird’s, wheeled a regiment or two backward and opened fire on the enemy engaged with Baird.  The troops of the latter were not running, but falling back, firing as they went.  Suddenly, one of their colonels seized his regimental standard from the color-bearer and faced his horse toward the enemy, holding the flag high above his head.  The men began to rally around this flag, and in a moment an imperfect line had been formed.  The enemy’s success was at an end.  A moment more, and with a wild cheer Baird’s men dashed forward and drove the enemy from their front.

Meanwhile, we were not idle spectators of all this.  At the moment when Baird’s men had been forced into the open field, and it seemed impossible to re-form them under the fire they were receiving, the skirmishers in front of Johnson’s and Palmer’s divisions broke out into a lively fire and came in at a run.  Close behind them were the rapidly-advancing skirmishers of the enemy.  As these came in sight of our position they took shelter behind trees and waited for their main force to come up.  Soon the woods behind them were filled with the long, sweeping lines of Bragg’s infantry, moving swiftly and steadily up to the attack.  They reached their skirmishers, and as the latter fell in with the main body the whole broke into the peculiar shrill and fitful yell of the Southern soldiery, and rushed impetuously upon our line.  From behind its barricade Hazen’s brigade gave the yelling assailants two volleys, by front and rear rank, and then, as the enemy staggered under the regular blows, the command “Load and fire at will!” rang along the line.  Out burst a swift storm of lead, before which the wasting