As the sun moved into the western sky Jackson and his thousands (specify) prepared to attack the open right flank of Hooker, the 11th corps under the command of O.O. Howard rested as the grey legions began the assault.
Abe Heed of company A , reported to Colonel Richardson that a large body of troops has passed our front to the right…Richardson reported this fact immediately to General McLean who conveyed the information to General Devens
“I guess Colonel Richardson is somewhat scared; you had better order him to his regiment.”
With such insulting neglect, Colonel Richardson returned to his regiment, and although it was early in the afternoon, he ordered the company cooks to immediately prepare supper, privately conversed with his officers as to what they should do under certain circumstances, and in fact prepared them for a surprise which he knew would overwhelm the division.
Edward Culp 25th Ohio Infantry, Devins Division 11th Corps
On the eve of battle jokes were played; laughter and jest were as common as if we had been a party of picnickers instead of armed men waiting the onslaught of thousands in deadly conflict. Morning was of the densest fog. The 12th corps breakfasted, as on every morning during the operations, before daylight and as a battle seemed inevitable. They were ordered to strike the few tents and have everything packed for a movement to clear the front. By sunrise the whole front was covered by a very good breastworks of logs.
Col. Dixon, 107th New York, Rugar’s Brigade, Williams Division, 12th Corps
About noon a column of the Rebel troops could be seen with a glass moving along the pike westward. For three hours this column could be seen, and it was well known what it meant. They were allowed to go on unmolested, save not and then a shell from a single gun from our side.
Van R. Willard, 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, Ruger’s Brigade Williams Division, 12th Corps
As yet not a gun had been fired; everything was still and quiet; the troops were tired and moved about noiselessly; there were thick woods and underbrush on each side of the road, with the occasional field or farm while resting in this position a courier came to us, who was acquainted with some of our boys and said we were in the rear of the Yankees.
John O Casler, 33rd Virginia
We formed line battle in woods in front line and lay down to rest while two other lines formed in rear of us to support us. When everything was ready about 6pm which was so late that some began to thing we might not make the attack till morning.
Samuel Pickens Company D 5th Alabama
Their fires were kindled for cooking supper, and dressed beeves were ready for distribution among the companies. They fled before us, strewing the ground with muskets, knapsacks and other accouterments. On the way we crossed a little farm and as I passed the dwelling I saw several ladies who were wildly rejoicing.
Captain Wayland Fuller Dunaway, 40th Virginia Infantry, Brockenbraugh’s Brigade, Heth’s Division
We came out of the woods, which had been concealing our movements, into an open field expecting every moment to engage the enemy, but they were so much taken by surprise that our pickets had driven their whole line. We continued driving their rear, lying down behind their breastworks, we intended waiting until morning to renew the fight but the enemy thinking to retrieve himself made a night attack which they partially succeeded in capturing one our batteries, but soon we were in line again and recaptured our battery together with quite a number of prisoners.
Ted Barclay 4th Virginia, (Paxton’s Stonewall) Brigade
The first thing you know a shell passes near you like lightning, you can’t see it, but you have a faint idea that it is not far off and that the next one will take your head off. They nearly deafen me. Then there is the little fellows (bullets) they are more to be dreaded that the large ones. We had issued to us a musket shell before we went on this late march and I found the rebels were not behind us in that line either for I could hear them bursting all the time, they crack like a pistol. Some times burst inside a person. One m an in our regiment had one burst in his arm, it tore it all to pieces.
Oscar Ladley, 75th Ohio Infantry, McLeans Brigade, Devens Division, 11th Corps
The men ran like frightened deer, not knowing whither. A battery near us opened fire on them, thinking that they the rebels had broken through. The stampede of the 11th Corps was something curious and wonderful to behold. I have seen horses and cattle stampeded on the plains, blinded apparently by fright, rushing over wagons, rocks, streams or any obstacle in the way, but never before or since have I seen thousands of men actuated seemingly by the same unreasoning fear that takes possession of a herd of cattle.
As the crowd of fugitives ran by the Chancellors house, the greatest effort was made to check them, but only those stopped were knockec down by eh swords of staff offiecers or the sponge staffs of Kirby’s battery.
Jacob Cole 57th New York, Zook’s Brigade, Hancock’s Division, 2nd Corps
Never saw so much confusion in my life- men scattered and mixed up every way. It was a running fight and the difficulty was to keep near enough to the Yankees to shoot them. They shot at us very little- only when they’d have a little breastwork. 1st redoubt we advanced on the artillery stuck out pretty well and threw grape and canister like hail- a good many of us in the edge of a pine thicket lay down a minute or two but on went oru men and a shout told of the Yanks were driven on.
Some excited fellows were firing wildly over the heads of us who were ahead and really there seemed at times as great danger of being killed by our men as by Yankees and several times wed stop and wait for them to get up in line with us. Some fired without taking sight up in the air and I noticed balls striking the ground just in front of us. Some of our men were wounded by our own side.
Noticed a large Newfoundland dog- in the agonies of death with a ball hole through him.
Samuel Pickens Company D 5th Alabama
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