[522] men stood from 20 to 40 deep. Those in rear would pass guns to some in front, who would fire almost as rapidly as if they had breech-loaders. Fortunately, much of the fire was without aim or nothing could have lived before it. The entire forest in its front was killed, logs were whipped into basket stuff. An oak tree, 22 inches in diameter, whose trunk is still preserved in Washington, was cut down entirely by musketry fire, disabling several men in the 1st S. C. regiment, by its fall. Ammunition was supplied liberally from the rear and many men fired over 300 rounds. The bodies of the wounded and slain of both sides who had fallen in the earlier attacks were shot to pieces and mangled beyond any recognition. In the meantime, Lee had brought up three brigades of Hill's corps (Perrin's, and Harris's of Mahone's division and McGowan of Wilcox's), and Grant added two brigades of Ricketts's division and three of Cutler's to the 19 brigades already engaged. He also brought up artillery on the two flanks outside the salient to rake the prolongations of the parapet held by the Federals. In their reserve artillery were eight 24-Pr. Cochorn mortars, and these, too, were brought and effectively used to drop shells behind the Confederate parapets. Across the throat of the Angle, our line was covered from view by the wood. Lee's only opportunity for attack was along the west parapet, where the traverses were close together, as already told. Here the Confederates never relaxed their efforts and succeeded in getting possession of nearly all of them up to the salient. Many were shot and stabbed through the crevices of the logs. Perrin was killed and McGowan severely wounded. In his report, the latter writes as follows:—
‘In getting into this trench, we had to pass through a terrific fire. . . . We found in the trenches Gen. Harris, and what remained of his gallant brigade, and they (Mississippians and Carolinians), mingled together, made one of the most gallant and stubborn defences recorded in history. These two brigades remained there, holding our line without reenforcements, without food, water, or rest, under a storm of balls, which did not intermit one instant of time, for 18 hours. The trenches on the right of the Bloody Angle ran with blood and had to be cleared of the dead bodies more than once. . . . The loss in my brigade was very heavy, being in the aggregate 451. . . . Our men lay on one side of the breastwork and the ’
