Rhett's battery and one of Jordan's battery. At the same time I directed nine other pieces, mostly rifles on the right of the ridge under Captains Jordan and Taylor, to change their position so as to fire on the enemy in flank, and on the woods containing their reserves. With eighteen (18) guns a continuous fire was kept up on the enemy during his attack, which lasted only about half an hour. His reserves moved twice out of the woods to the support of the attacking column, and twice were they repulsed by the artillery and driven back to the woods. After the reserves failed to reach the front or attacking columns, they were repulsed and attempted to rally in the open field, but the range of every part of the field was obtained and a few discharges broke them in confusion and sent them back to the woods. Finding that my batteries were troubling them they attempted to charge them, three regiments starting for them. They were repulsed, some of their dead being within two hundred yards of the guns. While firing on the infantry, two batteries of the enemy were firing at us, but generally overshot us. Our position was an admirable one, and the guns were well served. Two of my batteries were firing for the first time, but did remarkably well. I cannot speak in too high terms of the conduct of officers and men—all behaved well, exhibiting coolness and courage.
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Respectfully submitted,
S. D. Lee,
Col. Art'y C. S. A., Comd'g Batt'n Light Artillery.
From the above report it appears that the artillery battalion of Colonel S. D. Lee was on the ridge between Jackson and Longstreet, and that this ridge was over a quarter of a mile long; that from the left of this ridge (where Colonel Lee had nine howitzers) to the strip of woods from which the Federals moved across the open field on Jackson's right-flank (posted in the old railroad excavations) was thirteen hundred yards. Before the Federal column left the woods, the nine rifle pieces towards the right of the ridge and the four guns of Eubank's were playing on it. The howitzers shifted to Eubank's assistance only had to move about 150 yards to get in position, and these guns fired on the Federal front lines before they got across the open field and engaged Jackson's men in that terrible infantry struggle at the railroad excavation, and which lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes. Thus it will be seen eighteen guns of Lee's battalion, within easy range, were playing on the Federal masses during the entire assault. As these masses moved out of the woods on Jackson, they exposed their flanks directly to Colonel Lee's guns, as they moved to his left on Jackson. As they moved into the field every step brought them in closer range, exposing the more their flank. The railroad
