. From Manassas to Appomattox : memoirs of the Civil War in America . nforced by Russells brigade ofMorgans division of cavalry, and Harrisons brigade ofArmstrongs division, dismounted. General Morgan com-manding. This demonstration had the effect anticipatedin detaining troops to hold on that side that were intendedas reserve for the fort. Just after the troops were ordered back it occurred tome that there must be some mistake about the wire net-work, for some of our men had been seen mounting andpassing over the paraj)ets, but it was too late to reorganizeand renew the attack, and I conceive
. From Manassas to Appomattox : memoirs of the Civil War in America . nforced by Russells brigade ofMorgans division of cavalry, and Harrisons brigade ofArmstrongs division, dismounted. General Morgan com-manding. This demonstration had the effect anticipatedin detaining troops to hold on that side that were intendedas reserve for the fort. Just after the troops were ordered back it occurred tome that there must be some mistake about the wire net-work, for some of our men had been seen mounting andpassing over the paraj)ets, but it was too late to reorganizeand renew the attack, and I conceived that some of theregimental pioneers should have been at hand preparedto cut the wires, but all had been armed to help swell ourranks. Since reading the accounts of General Poe, the engineerin charge of the works, I am convinced that the wireswere far from being the serious obstacle reported, and thatwe could have gone in without the use of axes; and fromother accounts it appears that most of the troops had re-tired from the fort, leaving about a hundred and fifty. BESIEGING KNOXVILLE. 507 infantry with Benjamins battery. Our muskets fromthe outside of the parapet could have kept the infantrydown, and the artillery practice, except the few hand-grenades, prepared at the time by the artillerists. John-sons brigades would have been at the ditch with me inten minutes, when we would have passed over the it seems conclusive that the failure was due to the ^order of recall. It is not a part of my nature to listen toreports that always come when stunning blows are felt,but confidence in the conduct of the war was broken, andwith it the tone and spirit for battle further impaired bythe efforts of those in authority to damage, if not prevent,the success of work ordered in their own vital interest:a poor excuse for want of golden equipoise in one whopresumes to hold the lives of his soldiers, but better thanto look for ways to shift the responsibility of a waveringspirit tha
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