good order; when the enemy's column, having adjusted itself under the brow of the hill, showed itself anew, and came forward to the attack. We again opened our fire upon them, which they returned; but after the second or third round, they again retreated as before, leaving a still greater number of sharp-shooters, who ranged themselves along the edge of the descent of the hill, which in part concealed them from us, but allowed them to have a fair view of our line, upon which they kept up a destructive fire. We returned a straggling fire upon them from the line, having no sharp-shooters in front to engage them. When on the way back to the army, previously to entering upon this action, the state of my mind was rather different from what it had been before. I prayed earnestly for protection: but having so often failed in the promises I had made, I was afraid to make any more. I began to be diffident of myself. I did not plead with God on the promise of future amendment, but prayed for mercy. I used indeed the name of Christ; but had no right understanding, either of the true nature of the atonement for the guilt of sin, by his blood, or of his righteousness to justify the ungodly. My confidence was not placed in them for acceptance with God; but should death be the issue, I cast myself, with trembling hesitation, on his general mercy, and that with more resignation than formerly. I confessed my past failures, and prayed that if God was not pleased to preserve me unhurt, but if I was to be wounded, it might be in a merciful way; and that, if death was to be the issue, my sins might be pardoned. This was my prayer on entering the action, and as we had intervals of firing, I repeated it. But great as my fear of death was, I never thought of attempting to avoid it, by flinching from my duty as a soldier in such times of danger. I looked upon such conduct as sinful, and dared not seek present safety by an increase of guilt. I was also convinced, that cowardice was attended with the greatest danger, and that our greatest safety lay in every one doing his duty with steady courage. I had fired about twelve rounds, when the sun was beginning to appear in the horizon, and was in the act of ramming another cartridge, when a shot from one of the sharp-shooters, struck upon the inner ancle bone of my left foot; it turned round the back of the leg, passing between the sinew of the heel and the leg bone, and lodged just under the skin, a little above the bone of the outer ancle. It was there that I felt the pain. I was stunned with the stroke; but from the part in which I felt the pain, I did not think it was a ball, but that a large shot or shell, having struck some of the stones that were lying in the rear, a splinter from them had hit me in the back of the leg: I loaded my piece, and then, on lifting up my leg to see what was the matter, saw a musket-shot hole in the half-gaiter, and some appearance of blood. I