THE MAIN FIGHT. 126 XIV. The two left-hand companies of the Conn aught chap. Eangers took a line of retreat which withdrew ^- them from the pursuit of the enemy (then eagerly i«' Period. following Grant) and fell back, as it chanced, companies towards a spot near the head of the Mikriakoff pursued"nd Glen, where the two right-hand companies of their on the regiment had already come to a halt ; so that spur. now, although numbers of their stragglers were certainly falling back in disorder, the main body of all the four companies stood collected once more on the same ground.* But although the main body of the Eangers Reflux or thus clung to the Mikriakoff Spur, it was other- sowlery, wise with many a soldier of the regiment left free many sstb to pursue his own bent. Whether largely con- sisting of picket-men driven in by want of cart- ridges, or fed in the main by those stragglers of the 88th who had separated themselves from their regiment, there was certainly at this time a streamlet of soldiery in disorder, which came eddying back from the front, towards the left flank of Pennefather's camp.-f-
- Ground believed by the officers present to have been not
more than 150 yards in rear of the captured guns. t Amongst the troops thus falling back, men belonging to the 88th were so conspicuous, that by many observers the main body of its 4 companies was thought to have been falling back in disorder ; and this is the impression which I had myself received when I published the 1st Edition. There were cir- cumstances which may have tended to make an observer exag- gerate the number of the 88th soldiery falling back in disorder.
