Just before dark, when we could tell by the sound of the muskatory fire and by the constantly

advancing yells of the charging foe that he was getting near the guns in our front,

General Philip St. George Cook, commanding the cavalry, rode to our front.

I was on the right of the front line of the first squadron, and I heard his order to

Captain Whiting, commanding the five companies of our regiment that were present on the field.

He said, Captain, as soon as you see the advancing line of the enemy rising the crest of the

hill, charge at once, without any further orders, to enable the artillery to bring off their

guns.

General Cook then rode back around the right of our squadron.

Captain Whiting turned to us and said, cavalry, attention, draw saber, then added something

to the effect.

Boys we must charge in five minutes.

Almost immediately the bayonets of the advancing foe were seen, just beyond our cannon, probably

not fifty rods from us.

Captain Whiting gave the order, trot, march, and as soon as we were fully underway he shouted,

charge.

We dashed forward with a wild cheer in solid column of squadron front, but our formation

was almost instantly broken by the necessity of opening to right and left to pass our guns.

So furiously were our brave gunners fighting that I noticed this incident.

The gun directly in my front had just been loaded, every man had fallen before it could

be fired.

As I bore to the right to pass the gun, I saw the man at the breach, who was evidently

...