August 21, 1864
Last night,
Hancock, with his two remaining divisions, marched from Deep Bottom and took
position on our left, ready to support Warren. The long, rapid marches of this
Corps have given it the name of “Hancock's cavalry.” When a halt was ordered,
one soldier said to the next: “O Jim, what er we a-stoppin' for?” “The Staff is
getting fresh hosses!” replied James. At 9.30 in the morning we again heard
Warren's artillery opening very heavily. I felt anxious on account of the
nature of the last attack. This, however, turned out a very different thing.
You saw my diagram of his position in my last letter. In addition he now had
made a short exterior flank line. The enemy formed in the woods, out of sight,
so as to envelop his flank defence, and coming partly in rear; the troops were
those of Beauregard and A. P. Hill, many of which had been concentrated from
Deep Bottom. They first opened a heavy artillery fire from behind the woods,
throwing most of the projectiles into the angle of the line. Then their
infantry advanced, in three lines of battle, and attempted to charge, but were
received by such a discharge of all sorts of things that they broke and ran
back before getting anywhere near. A South Carolina brigade coming out of the
woods, saw that they were on the prolongation of our front flank line,
and, thinking they had us foul, immediately charged, and caught an awful
musketry fire on their flank, from our rear flank line, which they had
not noticed. Immediately they began throwing down their arms and shouting, and
an officer and some men from our front ran out to accept their surrender. The
officer approached General Hagood and either demanded or seized the flag he
held in his hand, when Hagood shot him mortally with a pistol, and shouted to
his men to run. Some did so, others (about 300) gave themselves up, and others
were shot down as they ran. The conduct of Hagood is denounced as treacherous,
but this all depends on the details of the affair, which remain to be proved.
The next time I think we shall go on shooting till some official announcement
of surrender is made J Hagood's flag we got, a new one, with fifty-seven bullet
holes through it! Also three or four other flags, and some 400 prisoners in
all. The total loss of the enemy in the day's work must have been from 1500 to
2000.
We left at about
one o'clock, and rode down, first to the stalwart Hancock, who was just then at
the Jones house, and then kept on and saw Warren; for we expected another heavy
fight, and General Meade wished to be present and see all the troops worked to
proper advantage. Warren proposed to attack in his turn, but I am glad he did
not, for there was no advantage to be gained that I could see, and we had all
we could desire, the possession of the railroad. . . .
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 221-3
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