For at least fifteen minutes this desperate hand to hand conflict continued, when the enemy began to give way and scatter in every direction to avoid our fire. But the artillery to the right, which for some time had been silent owing to the proximity of the contending forces, now opened upon the dense mass with grape and canister at point blank range, and the slaughter was horrible until the fugitives reached the cover of the woods. On the right, in Longstreet’s front, the battle still raged, but long before nightfall it ceased; the second battle of Manassas was won, and our army in close pursuit. The excitement of the fight over, I began to think seriously of my own condition. I had lost a great deal of blood, and was almost in a state of collapse. The dying words of the poor soldier who expired in my arms the evening before, more than once occurred to me: “Your turn may come next.” And had it come? And then: “Oh, ’tis hard to die thus, away from home and friends; but it is a comfort to have the presence of even one with whom I have just been engaged in deadly strife.” But no ministering hand was there. I was alone with those still in death, and others like myself writhing in mortal agony. No one near me to take a last message to my home, or to tell how I died. But I am burning up with thirst. “Water, water, for God’s sake water!” rang in my ears, and I envied the poor wretch the few drops I had given him the previous evening. Gradually I grew more faint; I felt as though I was being whirled round and round with fearful rapidity. Round and round, faster and faster, and I lost all consciousness. I must have remained in this swoon some time, and when I recovered I found Dr. Richard Johnson and the noble Irishman, Atkins, at my side. “Ah, this is a divil of a pretty mess,” was the first words I heard. “This is what you get for disobeying orthers. Had ye remained wid your legitimate command this wouldn’t have happened. Here’s Grinnell, Shellman and meself as sound as a new quarther. Oh, the hathens, to trate one of ‘Atkins Brigade’ so mane a thrick.” All night I lay on the field, attended by Dr. Johnson and my good ex-commander, and next morning, was placed in an ambulance and conveyed to Mrs. Hamilton’s, where I was received as a brother and a son by the family. For weeks I languished upon a bed of sickness, nursed with the care and tenderness of an infant by every member of the family, when I was declared convalescent, and made my way to Richmond. I here met my late companions, who had returned from the campaign in Maryland in safety, and we more than once talked over incidents that attended “Atkins’ Brigade at the Second Manassas.” THE END. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES