Now, when the fight opened, the most of Branch's brigade--having moved somewhat forward--had placed itself between me and our troops. I soon became aware of this fact by seeing straggling Confederate soldiers in the woods in several directions; some of them seemed to be wounded.
Half a mile or so to the eastward the battle was loud. By this time it was a little after noon; the sun was hot. The sounds of battle were advancing toward the north. Straggling men went by me, giving me no attention whatever. I kept my position--not remaining still, however, but walking about in the woods in order to prevent the possibility of being suspected of trying to hide--and awaited the issue.
Soon the straggling had ceased, and the battle died away, and I began to fear that the Confederates had had the best of it.
An hour or so passed; then a new battle broke out in a southeasterly direction. This was caused by Branch's endeavouring to throw a force in the rear of the Union troops, who had pushed on nearly to Hanover Court-House in pursuit of Lane's regiment, leaving Branch on their left flank and in position to do great damage[2]. Branch attacked vigorously, but was eventually forced back. Again men began to rush by me, and this time some of them were in actual flight. There were many wounded; gradually the woods were scattered over with a regiment or two, the troops showing various degrees of disorganization, some of the companies holding together and retiring slowly, while men, single and in groups, were making their way, as rapidly as they could run, from the field, yet all in the same direction, as though they had some knowledge of a rallying-place.
[2] On this day Lane's regiment saved the remainder of Branch's brigade. The main body of Porter's column pursued Lane toward the Pamunkey, no doubt thinking that all the rebel force was retreating northward. Lane was entirely routed, and was cut off from Branch for some days; the story of his retreat and return to Branch is very interesting. [ED.]
Seeing this confusion of many men, my fear increased, and I decided quickly--whether right or wrong--that it would not do for me to remain an idle and unarmed spectator of the retreat; and I thought, too, that it would be very hazardous to attempt to get out of this mass of men by going in a northerly or southerly direction, either of which would be taking them in line, if they could be said to have a line. I saw, of course, that if I should simply stop--it would have been easy to play the wounded Confederate--the Union troops would soon pick me up; but I wanted to see where the defeated rebels would rally. A man, slightly wounded, I suppose, threw down his gun near me, and kept on. I picked up the gun--an Enfield rifle--and joined the fugitives. Unaccountably to me, the disorder of the troops became greater, and a good many of the stragglers disburdened themselves of whatever they could throw away. I soon secured a cartridge-box, and a haversack, and with my own canteen--the like of which there were many in the hands of the rebels--I became, for the time, a complete Confederate soldier.
No immediate cause for the disorder of the rebels could be seen. The Union troops were not in sight. I expected the brigade to soon make a stand, but the retreat continued; sometimes I caught the contagion and ran along with running men, although I was sure that organised bodies were now covering our rear. I had no distinct purpose except to determine the new line.
After some little time I began to wish that I was well out of the scramble, but I saw no way out of it. Officers were riding about and trying to make the men get into some sort of formation. Evening was near, but I saw that before darkness should cover me the brigade would be formed again and would make a new stand, or else retreat in better order in the night.
I now gave up all hope of ever returning to find my horse, but felt confident that Jones would recover him.
As I had anticipated, the retreat became less disorderly, and at last ceased altogether. The officers succeeded in forming a line across a road running to the westward, which I believed, from my knowledge of the map, to be the Ashcake road. When I reached this forming line I hesitated. I thought at first that I ought to make no pretence of joining it; that prudence commanded me to keep far from it. Then the thought came to me that these disorganized battalions ware forming in any shape they could now take--men belonging to different companies, and even to different regiments, being side by side; so I got into line with them.