George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

[75] the time the enemy made his appearance before every man at the field-piece, save one sergeant, was shot down. So withering was the fire, that the two companies of Californians supporting the right of the centre lay down flat upon the ground. Entreaties, violence, and sword cuts by Colonel Baker and his officers could not prevail upon them; and so early in the action they went to the rear without participating in the fight. When they retreated, two companies of the reserve were ordered up to take their places and support the gun. They came, and in a few moments officers and men were nearly destroyed: they were of the Twentieth Massachusetts. While this contest was going on in the centre, Major Kimball on the right had been obliged to fall back. On the left, Lieutenant-Colonel Wistar had been wounded, and the fight was progressing languidly on our side, being continued by detached companies. Our ammunition was giving out; some men of the Twentieth were supplying themselves from the cartridge-boxes of the slain. The enemy now showed himself in strong numbers on our left. The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Mississippi and a battalion of the Thirteenth Mississippi came into line of battle parallel to the south brink of the ravine and near its edge; and here they opened a destructive fire. At the same time the Eighth Virginia advanced out of the wood, in line of battle, upon Baker's centre, and the Mississippians and Cudworth's dismounted cavalry were pressing up on his right. The Union troops were in a square, the front, right, and left sides of which were held by the enemy, while directly in their rear was the steep bluff, falling to a swollen and unfordable river. It was now that Colonel Lee said to Colonel Baker, “Sir, the day is going hard with us;” to which Colonel Baker replied, “The battle is lost, sir.” Then, as if unwilling to survive it, this brave man moved forward to the