The South Carolina in the Civil War Message Board

What battle is this?

Sgt. Eli Warren Burkett of Co. D 17th Ga. of Benning's Brigade described a battle but failed to name it. Can you tell me what battle this is?

"About five o'clock in the evening the order was given: 'Forward Guide, Center March, Charge bayonets*" Up to the crest of the hill we went at a double quick, but when we came into view on the top of the ridge we met such a perfect storm of lead right in our faces that the whole Bde. literally staggered backward several spaces as though pushed by a tornado. The dead lay in heaps, and two minutes in that position would have meant utter annihilation. Just for one moment we faltered, then the cry of Maj. Sorrell, 'Forward Alabamians, Forward!" and we swept forward with wild cheers over the crest and down the slope, although at every step one brave one fell, we did not falter. Just as we reached it [a deep ravine] we poured a volley into the front lines of the Yankees, and then some of the more active ones cleared it with a bound; others jumped in and scrambled up the opposite side. Immedately in front of me was a log or piece of timber thrown across. I crossed on it as did many others."

By the time we had gotten across, the front line broken by outfire frightened by our screams which sounded like thorty thousand wildcats we had reached their second line and thrown them into confusion and they, panic stricken, left their works and crowded to the top of the hill, and then commenced a scene that only the pen of an Abbot or Victor Hugeo could describe. The assaulting column consisted of six Bde's, ours occupying the extreme right of the line, and each Bde. had been successful. And the enemy, completely routed at every point, now lost all ordered and every man only thought of saving himself. They threw down their arms and ran in one grand mass, out of the woods and down the valley beyond. In vain their officers tried to rally them. They could not stand the terrible fire poured into them. We ran over their artillery, killing the gunners at their guns, and as this continued mass of fugitives filed down the long open valley, we kept close to them and shot them down by the hundreds and thousands. We were so close to them that pistol did as much good as guns, and we could not miss them for they were at least twnty deep, and very few of them offering to fire a shot."

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What battle is this?
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