Six Mortal Hours

Look down at the ground you are standing on: For six mortal hours, Hawthorn's Confederate regiment risked their lives in defensive of this soil.

The posistioning of Hawthorn's men was obscured by thick brush. From the regiment's vantage point, the Federals were not as fortunate-their"blue coats shone through the thicket." After witnessing the Federals overwhelm an artillery battery to their right, the Arkansans knew not a moment could be lost. "With an Arkansas 'yell that rang out loud and clear above the roar of battle," Hawthorn's men "rushed foward ata double quick, driving the enemy from the battery."

After re-capturing the guns, the wild charge could not be stopped. They continued "out of the thicket, through a little orchad in our front, down the hill and across the field in utter confusion and dismay back to their batteries, at least a half mile distant." This charge across the open fields cost the Confederate heavily however. "Throwing solid shot, shell, canister and grape," the Federal artillery decimated Hawthorn's regiment but they returned to the ridge and successfully repelled a second Federal assault.

"I never dismounted during the entire engagment and yet strange to say, though I was in the hottest fire, though my regiment made five desperate and bloody charges, though five batteries were playing upon us for six mortal hours, I never recieved a single scratch, nor was my horse touched by a single bullet. My battle-flag was literally riddled with balls." Colonel Alexander Hawthorn, Hawthorn's Arkansas Infintry, Confederate States of America.