Today in History:

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

Page 728 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.

opened on their infantry, which, to the amount of four regiments, was then near the town. The enemy's advance was soon driven out of Port Republic by the Thirty-seventh Virginia Infantry and their 6-pounder gun captured. About this time the batteries of Captains Carpenter and Poague were brought out by Brigadier-General Winder and posted on the heights on the west bank of the South Fork, and their fire directed on the retreating cavalry and still advancing infantry of the enemy. Just then I came up, and encountering the major-general commanding, he directed me to remain there in charge of these batteries, and also for the purpose of forwarding to him -about Cross Keys - any dispatches sent to him by Colonel Munford, commanding Second Virginia Cavalry. The fire of our batteries was capital. The enemy's infantry soon broke and fled down the river, followed up by our guns on the opposite bank for nearly a mile, when they disappeared in the woods around a bend in the road.

I waited till about 2.30 p. m., and there being no signs of any intention on the enemy's part to return, I rode over toward Cross Keys, where the battle had been raging between the forces of Major-General Ewell and Major-General Fremont since about 10 a. m. I found our batteries posted in good positions on a commanding ridge to the left of the road. Their fire had been directed by Brigadier-General Elzey up to the time he was wounded, and I found them holding their ground well, and delivering their fire with accuracy and spirit. Those engaged were the batteries of Captains Courtney, Lusk, Brockenbrough, Rice, and Raine, while those of Cutshaw and Caskie were held in reserve. As I got up I found Captain Courtney's battery withdrawing from the field, as also a part of Captain Brockenbrough's, having exhausted their ammunition. Upon inquiry I found the other batteries getting short of ammunition, and as the ordnance train had taken a different road from the one intended, and was a considerable distance away, I slackened their fire to correspond with that of the enemy.

Some to these batteries suffered a good deal from the enemy's fire of small-arms, but all held their ground. At one time those of Captains Rice and Raine had to be withdrawn to the rear for a short distance for this reason. Captain Raine's battery was particularly well and gallantly managed, he having his horse shot, and serving a gun himself when short of cannoneers. The enemy's fire soon ceased and his guns withdrew from the field. None of our guns or caissons were lost or injured in this affair.

On Monday morning, June 9, about 7 a. m., I rode down from Port Republic on the Swift Run Gap road, and found the pickets of General Shields' advance being driven in by Brigadier General C. S. Winder with skirmishers and Carpenter's battery. the enemy had a battery of six guns (five of them rifled) posted on an old coaling at Lewiston, from which they soon opened an accurate fire upon our approaching infantry. Their battery was at once engaged by two rifled guns of Captain Poague's battery, posted in an open field to the left of the road. Just then the major-general commanding sent me back to Port Republic to hurry up the Eighth Brigade of Brigadier General R. Taylor. Having done this, I proceeded to order up the rifled guns from our different batteries. Many of them I found short of ammunition from the previous day's engagement and their ignorance of the exact locality of our ordnance train. To supply them consumed some time, and they could only go on into action in succession. Those ordered up were guns from the batteries of Captain Chew, Brockenbrough, Raine, Courtney, and Lusk, the latter of whom did not get his ammunition in time to engage in


Page 728 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.