“A profound silence prevailed during the night, interrupted only by the groans and the shrieks of the wounded and dying, after a constant strife, which had lasted for ten hours. No more sanguinary struggle for the length of time was ever witnessed. During this day there was not a single regiment of our troops that had not been more or less engaged. The enemy's cavalry had crossed the run below our army and captured and destroyed a great quantity of our provisions, ammunition, etc. That night no rations were distributed. The poor boys gathered around the campfires and anxiously inquired about missing comrades, and what of the day to-morrow. Many of the soldiers thought our army surrounded. Three of our Generals had fallen during the day, and many thousand poor soldiers were killed, wounded and captured.
“That night Gens. Anderson and Sherlin met for the first time, and in talking over the morrow both agreed that they would die on that ground or win the battle, and they infused this same determination into all they met.
“Biggs thought that Rosenfelt would retreat during the night. He could not believe that he would undertake to maintain himself in the position in which he bad been forced. He thought that he had only to wait until morning to gather the fruits of a great victory. He was mistaken. The next morning he found the Union forces in a compact line skirting the timber, with hastily thrown-up earthworks. If Rosenfelt had made his movement, on the information given by Mrs. Houghton, earlier in the day, instead of the afternoon, he would, perhaps, have met with no disaster. But the next day, when he found that Biggs did not attack, he determined to do so. He made the same movement that he began the day before, and was driven back in his first attempt to take the hill. He then began a general assault, and retook all the positions lost the day before. The loss of the enemy was very heavy, and the victory of the second day was complete. Gen. Anderson moved out with his division by the side of Sherlin, and the two seemed to vie with each other as to which could face the greatest danger. The rebels lost two Generals, killed that day. In the two days' fighting the losses on both sides were most serious. In the evening, after the battle was concluded, as General Anderson was riding over the field near Hospital Hill, he discovered a rebel officer leaning against the root of a tree. There were two rebel soldiers with him. He was very pale, and not able to speak in louder tones than a whisper. The General dismounted, giving his reins to his orderly. Approaching the group, the two soldiers arose and said:
“'General, we surrender.'
“The General replied:
“'That is not my purpose. I do not come to make prisoners, but to know if I can be of any service to this wounded officer.'
“As the General spoke, the wounded officer said, in a whisper:
“'Tom, is that you?”
“'Yes,' said the General, reaching out his hand to Capt. Whitthorne, in whom he recognized his wife's cousin.
“Capt. Whitthorne took his hand and said: