to accomplish the results contemplated. General Toombs, released from the arrest under which he had been since the 18th instant, came upon the field shortly after his brigade went under fire and accompanied it in action. He brought me orders from General Longstreet, directing the movements I had anticipated and was then making. Night came on and my troops slept on the field.

Both Anderson's and Toombs' brigades suffered severely in this action. In the former brigade of five regiments but one field officer was untouched. Colonel [W. T.] Wilson, of [the] Seventh Georgia, the gray-haired here of many fights, fell mortally wounded. Officers and men never behaved better than did mine on that day.

On the morning of [the] 31st I took up line of march in the direction of Sudley Ford, crossing at it and marching to Chantilly the next day, whence, under orders from General Longstreet, I sent Toombs' and Anderson's brigades to the support of General Jackson, who was engaged with the enemy at Ox Hill. These brigades took up line of battle on the right of the turnpike and slowly advanced into the woods bordering it, supposed to contain the enemy. Night coming on and no enemy being visible, my troops were withdrawn to the road for bivouac. Captain Thurston, ordnance officer of my division, was here captured while carrying my orders, riding into the enemy's lines by mistake.*

* * * * * * *

D. R. JONES,

Major-General.

Major G. MOXLEY SORREL,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Longstreet's Corps.

No. 137. Reports of Colonel Henry L. Benning, Seventeenth Georgia Infantry, commanding Toombs' brigade, of engagement at Thoroughfare Gap, and battle of Manassas.

HEADQUARTERS TOOMBS' BRIGADE,
Camp near Winchester, Va., October 7, 1862.

MAJOR: I respectfully submit to you the following report of the part taken in the action at Thoroughfare Gap on August 28 last by the brigade, which in the necessary absence of General Toombs, I commanded, as the officer next to him in rank:

The brigade marched into the Gap from Salem by the left flank. This threw the Twentieth Georgia in front, the Second Georgia next, the Fifteenth Georgia next, and the Seventeenth Georgia in the rear. When it entered the Gap the enemy were pouring into the Gap shot and shell on the south side from two or three batteries, so situated as to sweep much of the railroad and more of the turnpike on that side. Soon after the Twentieth came under this fire I was ordered by General D. R. Jones to take two of the regiments and to seize and hold the point of the mountain on the right of the Gap. This mountain terminated quite abruptly at the Gap, and was high enough to command its whole outlet as well as most of the approaches on the side of the enemy. On

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*For portion of report here omitted, see Series I, Vol. XIX. Part I, pp.885-888.

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