At their first appearance we opened on them, and so did the bully old twenty-four-pounders, with canister.
"On they came; the first line staggered and wavered back on to the second, which was coming on the double quick.

Such a raking as we did give them.

Oh, Lordy, how we did wish that we had the breech loading Spencers or Winchesters.

But we had the old reliable Springfields, and we poured it in hot and heavy.

By the time the charging column got down the opposite slope, and were struggling through the thicket of undergrowth in the ravine, they were one confused mass of officers and men, the three lines now forming one solid column, which made several desperate efforts to rush up to the top of the hill where we were punishing them so.