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The afternoon was come. Johnston directed Statham's brigade against this position. Statham deployed under cover of a ridge, facing and commanded by the higher ridge held by the Illinois regiments, and marched in line up the slope. On reaching the summit, coming into view and range, he was received by a fire that broke his command, and his regiments fell back behind the slope in confusion.

General Breckenridge rode up to General Johnson, and after conversing in a low tone for a few minutes, Johnson said, so that many heard it, "I will lead your brigade into the fight to-day; for I intend to show these Tennesseans and Kentuckians that I am no coward." Poor general! you were not allowed the privilege. We then advanced in line of battle, and General Statham's brigade was engaged first.

The force which General Crittenden engaged was commanded by General Breckenridge, and consisted of one of Breckenridge's brigades Statham's aided by the brigades of Russell and A.P. Stewart, from Polk's corps. These two brigades constituted Clark's division, but General Clark having been wounded the previous day, the brigades were under Breckenridge's immediate command.

It was now three o'clock. Two hours before, General Beauregard had sent word to his extreme right in Nelson's front, to retire slowly in alternate lines. Breckenridge, put in command of the movement, had drawn Statham's brigade from Crittenden's front. Beauregard was fighting to secure his retreat.

"We wondered " It was Lady Statham's voice, and she leaned forward eagerly as she said it, then abruptly left the sentence incomplete. Henriot started; a sense of momentary acute discomfort again ran over him. The same second she continued, though obviously changing the phrase "we wondered how you spent your day there, during the heat. But you paint, don't you? You draw, I mean?"