"If he hadn't been as cool as cowcumber, and as stiff as the mainmast of a frigate, we should have been taken, every one of us." "Bravo, Tom!" said the captain.
"The men stood by me like heroes, or it would have been all up with the whole of us.

They are good fellows, and they deserve as much credit as I do." The battle continued to rage with increasing fury, till the roar, and the crash, and the sweep of armed legions beggared description.

Regiments and brigades advanced and fell back with the varying fortunes of the day, but as yet there was nothing to indicate the final result.
When the men of our regiment had recovered their breath, an order came for them to proceed to the left.

On their arrival at the position assigned to them, they were immediately led to the front, where the batteries which had been pouring a hot fire into the enemy were in imminent danger of being surrounded.

Indeed, the swoop of the rebel infantry upon the guns had already been made, and the cannoneers had been driven from their stations.