Movement to the front

10:40 A.M.

Unexpectedly, Smith's Napoleons limbered up and moved to the left of Old Texas Road. Blunt then rode over to Col. Williams, the regiment's commander. He ordered Williams to move the black troops to the front and center of the battle line. Blunt wanted the regiment to protect Smith's Napoleons, locate the rebel guns, and take them at the point of the bayonet.

The black troops fixed bayonets, closed their ranks, and moved at the double-quick toward Old Texas Road. Sergeant Sanford Strampkey, Co. C, yelled out the cadence so men could keep in perfect step with each other.

Upon reaching Old Texas Road the regiment turned right and advanced towards the rebel lines. Clad in non-regulation uniforms, the 500-man regiment trotted in unison to the center of the federal line. The black troops' footsteps raised a small cloud of dust behind the regiment while their bayonets reflected the sunlight like signal mirrors.

The black troops advanced to within 350 yards of the confederates, formed a line of battle and watched for puffs of smoke from the rebel battery.

10:52 A.M.

From their new position, troops could watch for cannon smoke in both directions. Within minutes, Sergeant John Carter, Co. F, pointed to a single rebel battery in close proximity to the Twentieth Texas flag. Black troops cheered when the 12-pounders opened fire on rebel guns they would soon charge. Corporal Albert Parker, Co. B, yelled his approval when Smith's four guns unleashed a deadly crossfire at the rebel guns.

11:15 A.M.

Suddenly, the men saw a large explosion near the rebel battery and its guns became silent. On the regiment's left side, Privates William Richardson and David Clark, of Co. F, watched one 12-pounder fire canister into the brush and timber. The other 12-pounder fired at rebel guns retreating up a small hill.

The black troops sensed a charge to capture the rebel battery was imminent. They wanted to seize the guns before they reached the high ground south of Elk Creek.