In this position we fought the enemy more than one hour without receiving aid from any quarter whatever.
So rapid were the movements of the 7th and so far were they in advance of our own brigade that our battery moved to the point first held by Captain Rankin’s battalion and mistaking us for the enemy commenced shelling us.
The shells fell in close proximity to the battallion which had been sent out to watch and guard against any movements of the enemy to flank our position.
The firing was kept up until Captain Rankin’s battalion had to be removed, and had scarcely been placed in position on the left of the pike, when a battery belonging to Gen. Hatch’s division opened on us from a fort on the opposite side of the river.
At this, Col. Garrard ordered the regiment to form in close column of squadrons in a low piece of ground to get out of their range, but the first being on very high ground, our position was a very hazardous one.
We were quickly deployed into line, took up our former position behind our works and again engaged the enemy.
A fire was kept up by our battery until a courier could be sent to stop it.
Thus did the 7th stand for more than an hour, firm and unshaken, with the enemy’s battery playing on their front at four hundred yards distant, and two of our own playing on their rear.
By this time, Gen. Hatch’s Division moved up and flanked the Johnnies on our left and they lit out again, losing their artillery and many prisoners.
Here Col. Harrison commanding our brigade, congratulated Colonel Garrard on the success of the 7th, and remarked, “you have done enough for one day, I will throw the 5th Iowa in advance and you can fall in the reserve.”