Today in History:

382 Series I Volume XII-I Serial 15 - Second Manassas Part I

Page 382 Chapter XXIV. OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD.

heave lost and leaving the colors of one of their regiment upon the field. This part of the enemy's roused troops having to some extent rallied in another position was also driven from this by Colonel Fulker son. The officers and men of this brigade merit special mention.

Soon after the Twenty-seventh had become engaged General Garnett, with the Second, Fourth, and Thirty-third Regiments, commanded, respectively, by Colonel J. W. Allen, Lieutenant Colonel C. A. Ronald, and Colonel A. C. Cummings, moved forward and joined in the battle, which now became general. The First Virginia Battalion, Provisional Army Confederate States, under Captain D. B. Bridgford, though it unfortunately became separated in advancing, was in the engagement, and from near 5 to 6.30 p. m. there almost a continuous road of musketry. The enemy's repulsed regiments were replaced by fresh ones from his large reserve. As the ammunition of some of our men became exhausted noble instances were seen of their borrowing from commanders, by whose sides they continued to fight, as resolved to die rather that give way.

Lieutenant-Colonel Ronald, commanding the Fourth, having been injured during the early part of the engagement by being thrown from his horse, the command of the regiment devolved upon Major A. G. Pendleton.

Thought our troops were fighting under great disadvantages, I regret that General Garnett should have given the orders to fall, as otherwise the enemy's advance would at least have been returned, and the remaining up and taking part in the engagement if the enemy continued to press forward. As General Gernett fell back he was pursued by the enemy, who, thus turning Colonel Fulkerson's right, forced him to fall back.

Soon after this the Fifth Regiment, under Colonel W. H. Harman, came up, and I directed it to advance and support our infantry; but before it met the enemy General Garnett ordered it back, and thus the enemy were permitted unresisted to continue the pursuit. So soon as I saw Colonel Harman filing his regiment to the rear I took steps to remedy, as far as practicable, this ill-timed movement by directing him to occupy and hold the woods immediately in his read; and calling General Garnett's attention to the importance of rallying his troops, he turned and assigned the Fifth a position, which it held until the arrival of Colonel Burks with the Forty-second, under Lieutenant Colonel D. A. Langhore. Colonel Burks and the officers and men of the Forty-second proved themselves worthy of the cause they were defending by the spirit with which regiment took and held its position until its left was turned by the Federals, pressing upon the Fifth as it fell back.

Colonel John A. Campbell was rapidly advancing with his regiment to take part in the struggle, but night and an indisposition on the part of the enemy to press farther had terminated the battle which had commanded near 4 p. m.

Leaning Ashby in front, the remained of my command fell back to its wagons and bivouacked for the night. Our artillery had played its part well, thought we lost two pieces, one belonging to Waters and the other to McLaughlin, the former from having upset when hard pressed by the enemy and the latter from having its horses killed when it was on the eve of leaving the field, which it had so well swept with causer as to have driven back the enemy from a part of it over which he was pressing near the close of the battle.

During the engagement Colonel Ashby, with a portion of this com-


Page 382 Chapter XXIV. OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD.