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Sewell Van Alstine diary, 1863-1864
1864-04-15, page 3
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66 by Gen. A.J. Smith, who was one day,s march in rear of Banks resolved to give them battle, with his troops alone, in the afternoon of the 9th after some skirmishing, the battle commenced in a small open field, (skirted by woods) by a furious cavalry charge by the rebs, which our men met firmly & heroicly, yet it is said, scarsely a man of the enemy cavalry left the field, were cut down by our artillery & infantry, which was most admirably managed, the rebs flushed with a late victory, were sanguine & determined & charged furiously with infantry, & were boldly met, & charged upon by our forces, they swayed madly to & fro, across the open field, first one side driven at the pt of the bayonet then the other, it is said, some batteries changed hands 3 times successively, the fight continued with unabated fury until after dark, from reports, both armies withdrew from the field during the night, neither desirous of renewing the conflict, rumor says the enemy sent in a flag of truce in the morning for the privilege, to bury their dead, & our forces had left commenced their retreat at 4 Am the 11th. & the whole force made their way to this place.
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66 by Gen. A.J. Smith, who was one day,s march in rear of Banks resolved to give them battle, with his troops alone, in the afternoon of the 9th after some skirmishing, the battle commenced in a small open field, (skirted by woods) by a furious cavalry charge by the rebs, which our men met firmly & heroicly, yet it is said, scarsely a man of the enemy cavalry left the field, were cut down by our artillery & infantry, which was most admirably managed, the rebs flushed with a late victory, were sanguine & determined & charged furiously with infantry, & were boldly met, & charged upon by our forces, they swayed madly to & fro, across the open field, first one side driven at the pt of the bayonet then the other, it is said, some batteries changed hands 3 times successively, the fight continued with unabated fury until after dark, from reports, both armies withdrew from the field during the night, neither desirous of renewing the conflict, rumor says the enemy sent in a flag of truce in the morning for the privilege, to bury their dead, & our forces had left commenced their retreat at 4 Am the 11th. & the whole force made their way to this place.
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