Hampton's Legion
Wednesday the 17th, the day opened with a hail storm of shell, grape & canister shot and until 8 A. M. we had to submit to it, but we heard the order to forward and off we went. Coming to a fence we had to climb it and then additionally expose our selves but once over and like a hurricane we swept over the land. I stood near the flag and saw it fall but being hard at work loading I did not pick it up though it was raised by a color corporal before I was ready. Seeing it float again I pressed on. The first gun I had wouldn't go off; throwing it down I found another when, like the first, [it] wouldn't shoot so I had to get a third, which [at] last fired well. After firing five or six shots I fell, doubled up & lay insensible for a while; as soon as my senses returned I felt a queer sensation on my head & found my right eye closed & ear full of blood & a pool of blood by my side, my rifle thrown one way & hat another. Picking up my cap it bore no trace