September 17. [continued]

We had scarcely taken our position21 before we were ordered to take the bridge, some of the old regiments refusing to try it. We were ordered to ‘charge with a yell’ across the bridge. We went double quick, the enemy pouring into us from both ways, a kind of cross fire. Our men kept straight on, men falling at every fire. Find-we were determined22, the rebels fled before us. We took some prisoners. Some who had taken refuge under the bridge came out and gave themselves up. The moment they showed themselves more than five hundred guns were pointed at them, and it was with difficult the officers could prevent the men from shooting them.

After crossing the bridge, we formed in line and charged over the hill over which the rebels had fled. When on the top of the hill we were ordered to lie down. Directly opposite us, on another hill, the enemy had planted a battery of six or eight guns, which poured into us shell and round ball with good effect.

The rebel infantry lay in the hollow between us and the rebel battery. Finding that we would all be killed or wounded if we did not move, we were ordered to fall back a few feet, over a fence, which we had got over, coming up the hill.

While laying on the hill a great many were wounded. Among them was Lieut. Baldwin of Company D23. — a pretty bad flesh wound in the thigh.

After falling back over the fence, Captain Niles, while stooping to pick up his cap which came off as he jumped over the fence, was hit in the hip joint. He called for me but he had hardly spoken before I was hit by a grape-shot in the ankle joint. Was picked up by Sergt. George Henry and Corp. Bartlett and carried off the field. I was then taken by Johnny Gill of East Randolph and Edgar Hawes and carried across the bridge to a log hut where I had the ball cut out. The hut and grounds around it were covered with dead and wounded. It was the hardest sight of battle.

I did not see Capt. Niles again until I saw him in the hospital. Ed. Howard, Henry Gill, Edgar Hawes and Iva Beal helped me into an ambulance and off I went to the ‘Russell Farm’ before mentioned. I lay in a shed that night with nothing over or under me and the blood running from my wound all night.