Sketch of Hoods Texas Brigade of the Virginia Army (Handwritten Civil War Diary)

we were not actively engaged. The most melancholly sight that greet -ed my eyes. That demonstrated so clearly the horrors of a civil war, was the ground over which the 4th & 5th Florida had charged. It had once been an almost impregnable forest, the Yanks occupying the positions that filled all the trees, in such a manner that they were twined & inter twined with one another, had placed strong batteries in their rear supposedly by a heavy force of Infantry. The Floridians were or -dered to charge & carry the posi -tion, and like men animated by true and patriotic impulses they moved forward. Thick & fast did the missles of death

bring havoc into their ranks. Making large gap, but with cool determination. They closed up, elbow to elbow, and as many minutes had passed they planted the Confederate banner upon the Yankee guns, and with the fury of madmen, pursued the fleeing and demor -alized Yanks. Their war was indeed a bloody one. Men lay dead and dying on all sides, here lies one in the ago -ny of death, imploring the passer by to give him a cup of cool water, hear lies another with his head immirsed in a pond of water, with his hands, even in death, in

the act of loading, another aiming, another firing, then another lying dead across a log, which he was in the act of crossing, when the fatal missle came, and ended his earthly [cancer?]. Such a scene my eyes never beheld, but Flor -ida can well point with pride to the many green [li -vers?], on the battlefield of "7 Pines,"attesting her devotion toward bravery in the cause. Night coming on the battle ceased only to be renewed on the morning of June 1st, my regt The 5th Texas, after night became lost in the swamp, from the Brigade and for two hours

Night coming on the battle closed for the day.

We stood in the water, unable to rest our weary limbs, and not a half mile distant could be heard the moving columns of Yankee reinforcements, and their officers giving commands We were extricated from this di -lemma by a courier from Hood, who had been sent in search of us. We were [?] back to the Brigade, whom we found had taken a position on the "Nine Mile road" after taking our position, the majority of the regt, pitched out for the Yankee camp, and came back loaded down with blankets, clothes

and provisions, medicines and a little of the "How Come you 30" At daylight on the morning of June 1st our dreams were disturbed and slumber dissipated by the the crack of the skirmishers rifle, and the occasional boom of a canon, were gradually increasing, soon became a desperate contest, our regt not being attached, and having a sta -tionary position, became careless, and straggled out of ranks. We were soon on the "gun wire" by hav ing a volley of minnies pound into us, and a division Yanks appearing before us, we quickly formed, took our positions be -hind a fence, in rear of an "[?] and mirrored their fire, which