Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

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[489] of the same regiment was killed in the ditch as was also Col. McElroy of the 13th Miss. Lt.-Col. Fizer of the 17th lost his arm on the parapet and Col. Ruff, commanding Wofford's brigade, was killed on the counterscarp.

Meanwhile fully 20 minutes elapsed and daylight began to make things dimly visible. Nearly 200 men had gotten into the ditch and not finding it easy to advance, now preferred to surrender. The fire from the fort had ceased except an occasional musket fired over the parapet exposing only a hand of the man holding it. But at a point 500 yards to the south of the fort, an offset 200 yards long, running nearly west from the Federal breastworks, gave a fair enfilade fire upon the crowd of men along the counterscarp of the west front of the fort, and from this point the increasing daylight was bringing a fire which rapidly multiplied the casualties.

Longstreet, about this time, was advancing with the brigades of Johnson and Gracie, with those of Jenkins and Benning upon the left, when he received an exaggerated report of the wire entanglement which had been first encountered. Without a second thought Longstreet ordered the recall. Johnson begged to be allowed to go on, as also did Jenkins, but Longstreet, giving full faith to the report, forbade.

It is certain that after a little delay the attack would have been renewed, being preceded by a cannonade, and with a storming column provided with tools to cut steps in the scarp and parapet. But within a half-hour a staff officer of Ransom's arrived with a telegram from President Davis, by way of Bristol, Va., telling of Bragg's defeat on Missionary Ridge on the 25th, and ordering Longstreet to march to join Bragg at Dalton. Vague rumors of this had reached Longstreet the night before, but had not been credited, and had rather confirmed his intention to attack.

Very soon after this Burnside sent out a flag and offered us a truce to remove our dead and wounded, which Longstreet accepted, —all thought of renewal of the attack being abandoned. The truce was later extended until dark, Longstreet at first proposing to retreat southward at night to join Bragg, but during the day messages arrived from that direction, and we learned