GEN. BEAUREGARD'S 
 
 OFFICIAL REPORT 
 
 OF TIIK 
 
 "BATTLE OF MANASSAS." 
 
 Headquarters First Corps Army of the Potomac, \ 
 Manassas, Aug. 26, 1861. J 
 
 General — * ** * * The War Department hav- 
 ing been informed by me, by telegraph on the 17th of 
 July, of the movement of General McDowell, General 
 Johnston was immediately ordered to form a junction of 
 his army corps with mine, should the movement, in his 
 judgment, be deemed advisable. General Holmes was 
 also directed to push forward with two regiments, a bat- 
 tery and one company of cavalry. 
 
 In view of these propositions, approaching reinforce- 
 ments modifying my plan of operations so far as to deter- 
 mine on attacking the enemy at Centreville as soon as 1 
 should hear of the near approach of the two reinforcing 
 columns, I sent one of my aids, Colonel Chrisholm, of 
 South Carolina, to meet and communicate my plans to 
 General Johnston, and my wish that one portion of his 
 force should march by the way of Aldie, and take the ene- 
 my on his right flank and in the rear at Centreville. Dif- 
 ficulties, however, of an insuperable character in con- 
 nection with means of transportation, and the marching 
 condition of his troops, made this impracticable, and it 
 was determined our Forces should be united within the 
 lines of Bull Run, and thence advance to the attack of 
 the enemy. 
 
 General Johnston arrived hereabout noon on the 20th 
 July, and being my senior in rank, he necessarily as- 
 sumed command of all force of the Confederate States, 
 
^^Jconcentrating at this point. Made acquainted with 
 ^Hplan of operations ami dispositions to inert the ene- 
 Sy, he pivc them his entire approval, and generously, 
 flgfacted their execution under my command, 
 ^^■consequence of the untoward detention, however, iA' 
 ^BK live thousand (5,000) of General Johnston's army 
 ^wps, resulting from the inadequate and imperfect means 
 f transportation lor so many troops, at the disposition 
 of the Manassas (Jap Railroad, it became necessary, on 
 the morning of the 21st, before daylight, to modify the 
 plan aecepted to suit the contingency of an immediate 
 attack on our lines by the main force of the enemy, then 
 plainly at hand. 
 
 The enemy's forces, reported by their best informed 
 journals, to be 55,000 strong, I had learned from reliable 
 sources, on the night of the 20th, were being concentrated 
 in and around Centreville, and along the Warrenton turn- 
 pike road, to Bull run, near which our respective pickets 
 were in immediate proximity. This fact, with the con- 
 viction that, after his signal discomfiture on the 18th of 
 July, before Blackburn's Ford — the centre of my lines — 
 he would not renew the attack in that quarter, induced 
 me at once to look for an attempt on my left flank, rest- 
 ing on the Stone Bridge, which was but weakly guarded 
 by men, as well as but slightly provided with artificial 
 defensive appliances and artillery. 
 
 In view of these palpable military conditions, by half- 
 past four A. M., on the 21st July, I had prepared and 
 dispatched orders, directing the whole of the Confederate 
 forces within the linesof Bull run, including the brigades 
 and regiments of Gen. Johnston, which had arrived at 
 that time, to beheld in readiness to march at a moment's 
 notice. 
 
 At that hour the following was the disposition of our 
 forces : — 
 
 Ewell's brigade, constituted on the 18th of July, re- 
 mained in position at Union Mills Ford, his left extending 
 along Bull run, in the direction of McLean's Ford, and 
 supported by Holmes' brigade, Second Tennessee and 
 First Arkansas regiments a short distance to the rear — 
 that is, at and near Camp Wigfall. 
 
 D. R.Jones' brigade, from Ewell's left, in front of Mc- 
 Lean's Ford and along the stream to Longstreet's position. 
 It was unchanged in organization, and was supported by 
 Early's brigade, also unchanged, placed behind a thicket 
 of young pines, a short distance in the rear of McLean's 
 Ford. 
 
Longstreet's brigade held its former ground at 
 hum's Ford, from Jones' Left to Bonham's right, atfl 
 
 (•hell's Ford, and was supported by Jackson's hriJ^H 
 consisting of Colonels .James L. Preston's Fourth, i^H 
 por's Fifth, Alien's Second, the Twenty-seventh. LieuJ^H 
 ant Colonel Eeholl's, and the Thirty-third. Cumn^| 
 Virginia regiments, 2,611 strung, which were posi 
 hind the skirting of pines to the rear of Blackburn's 
 MitchelFs Ford, and in the rear of this support was al 
 Barksdale's Thirteenth regiment Mississippi Volunteers, 
 which had Lately arrived from Lynchburg. 
 
 Along the edge of a pine thicket, in rear of and equal 
 distance from McLean's and Blackburn's Fords, ready to 
 support either position, I had also placed all ofBee's and 
 Bartow's brigades that had arrived — namely, two com- 
 panies of the Eleventh Mississippi, Lieut. Col. Liddell; 
 the Second Mississippi, Col Faulkner, and the Alabama, 
 with the Seventh and Eighth Georgia regiments, (Colonels 
 Gartrell, and Lieutenant Colonel Gardner,) in all 2,732 
 bayonets. 
 
 Bonham's brigade, as before held Mitchell's Ford, its 
 right near Longstreet's left, its left extending in the 
 direction of Cocke's right. It was organized as at the 
 end of the 18th of July, with Jackson's brigade, as before 
 said, as a support. 
 
 Cocke's brigade, increased by seven companies of the 
 Eighth, Hunton's ; three companies of the Forty-ninth, 
 Smith's Virginia regiments : two companies of cavalry, 
 and a battery under Rogers of four six-poundei -. occupied 
 the line in front and rear of Bull run, extending from the 
 direction of Bonham's left, and guarding Island, Ball's 
 and Lewis' Fords, to the right of Evans' demi-brigade, 
 near the Stone Bridge, also under General Cocke'scom- 
 mand. 
 
 The latter held the Stone Bridge, and its left covered a. 
 farm ford about one mile above the bridge. 
 
 Stuart's cavalry, some three hundred men, of the army 
 of the Shenandoah, guarded the level ground, extending in 
 rear from Bonham's left to Cocke's right. 
 
 Two companies of Radford's cavalry were held in re- 
 serve a short distance in rear of Mitchell's Ford, his left 
 extending in the direction of Stuart's right. 
 
 Colonel Pendleton's reserve battery of eight pieces was 
 temporarily placed in rear of Bonham's extreme left, 
 
 Major Walton's reserve battery of five guns was in 
 position on McLean's farm, in a piece of woods in rear 
 of Bee's right. 
 
unpton's legion of six companies of infantry, six 
 ^Bi'c<! strong, having arrived that morning by the cars 
 from Richmond, was subsequently, as soon as it arrived, 
 
 ^Kered forward to a position in immediate vicinity of 
 ^■LLewi^ House, as a support for any troops engaged in 
 
 Quarter. 
 ^^he effective force of all arms of the army of the Po- 
 ■mnac on that eventful morning, including the garrison 
 of Camp Pickens, did not exceed 21,833 men and 20 guns. 
 
 The army of the Shenandoah, ready for action on tin 1 
 field, maybe set at 0,000 men and 20 guns. [That is, 
 when the battle begun, Smith's brigade and Fisher's 
 North Carolina came up later, and made total of army of 
 Shenandoah engaged of all arms, 8,334. Hill's Virginia 
 regiment. 550, also arrived, but was posted as reserve to 
 right flank. j 
 
 The brigade of General Holmes mustered about 1,265 
 bayonets, six guns and a company of cavalry about 
 ninety strong. 
 
 Informed at half-past five A. M , by Colonel Evans, 
 that the enemy had deployed some 1,200 men, [these 
 were what Colonel Evans saw of General Schenck's bri- 
 gade, of General Tyler's division, and two other heavy 
 brigades, in all over 9,000 men and thirteen pieces of ar- 
 tillery — Carlisle's and Ayres's batteries. That is, 900 
 men and two six pounders, confronted by 9,000 men and 
 thirteen pieces of artillery, mostly rifled,] with several 
 pieces of artillery in his immediate front. I at once or- 
 dered him, as also General Cocke, if attacked, to main- 
 tain their position to the last extremity. 
 
 In my opinion, the most effective method of relieving 
 that flank was by a rapid, determined attack, with my 
 right wing and centre on the enemy's Hank and rear at 
 Centreville, with due precaution against the advance of 
 his reserve from the direction of Washington. By such 
 a movement 1 confidently expected to achieve a complete 
 victory for my country by 12 o'clock M. 
 
 These new dispositions were submitted to General 
 Johnston, who fully approved them, and the orders for 
 their immediate execution were at once issued. 
 
 Brigadier General Ewell was directed to begin the 
 movement, to be followed and supported successfully by 
 Generals D. R. Jones, Longstreet and Bonham respec- 
 tively, supported by their several appointed reserves. 
 
 The cavalry, under Stuart and Radford, were to beheld 
 in hand, subject to future orders and ready for employ- 
 
5 
 
 ment, as might be required liy the exigencies 
 battle. 
 
 About half-past eight o'clock A. M. General Jolu^H 
 and myself transferred our headquarters to a central po- 
 sition, about half a mile in the rear of Mitchell's 
 whence we might watch the course of events. 
 
 Previously, as early as half-past live, the federalist s^M 
 front of Evans' position, Stone Bridge, had opened with 
 a large thirty-pounder. Parrot rifle gun, and thirty mi- 
 nutes later with a moderate, apparently tentative, fire 
 from a battery of rifle pieces, directed first in front at 
 Evans' and then in the direction of Cocke's position, but 
 without drawing a return lire and discovery of our posi- 
 tions, chiefly because in that quarter we had nothing but 
 eight six-pounder pieces, which could not reach the dis- 
 tant enemy. 
 
 As tie- federalists had advanced with an extended line 
 of skirmishers in front of Evans, that officer promptly 
 threw forward the two flank companies of the Fourth 
 South Carolina regiment and one company of Wheat's 
 Louisiana battalion, deployed as skirmishers, to cover 
 his small front. An occasional scattering fire resulted, 
 and thus the two armies in that quarter remained for 
 more than an hour, while the main body of the enemy 
 was marching its dubious way through the "big forest.'' 
 to take our forces in flank ami rear. 
 
 By half-past eight, A. ML, Colonel Evans having be- 
 come satisfied of me counterfeit character of the move- 
 ment on his front, and persuaded of an attempt to turn 
 his Left dank, decided to change his position to meet the 
 enemy, and for this purpose immediately put in motion 
 to his left and rear six companies of Sloan's Fourth 
 South Carolina regiment, Wheat's Louisiana battalions, 
 live companies, and two six-pounders of Latham's bat- 
 tery, leaving four companies of Sloan's regi ment under 
 cover as the sole immediate defence of the Stone Bridge, 
 but giving information to General Cocke of his change 
 of position and the reasons that impelled it. 
 
 Following a road leading by the Old Pittsylvania (Car- 
 ter) mansion, Colonel Evans formed in line of battle 
 some four hundred yards in rear — as he advanced — of 
 that house, his guns to the front and in position, properly 
 supported, to its immediate right. Finding, however, 
 that the enemy did not appear on that road, which was 
 a branch of one running by Sudley's Springs Ford to 
 Brentsvillc and Dumfries, he turned abruptly to the left, 
 and marching across the fields for three-quarters of a 
 
I 
 
 6 
 
 mile, about half-past nine, A. M., took a position in line 
 ^^Hhttlc : his left, Sloan's companies, noting on the 
 uijain Brentsville road in a shallow ravine, the Louisiana 
 
 Blion to the right, in advance sonic two hundred 
 yards, a rectangular course of wood separating them — 
 ^^^ueee of his artillery planted on an eminence some 
 Bevcn hundred yards to the rear of Wheat's battalion, 
 and the other on a ridge near and in rear of Sloan's 
 position, commanding a reach of the road just in front 
 of the line of battle. In this order he awaited the com- 
 ing of the masses of the enemy now drawing near. 
 
 In the meantime, about seven o'clock, A. M., Jack- 
 son's brigade, with Imboden's, and five pieces of Wal- 
 ton's battery, had been sent to take up a position along 
 Bull run to guard the interval between Cocke's right and 
 Bonham's left, with orders to support either in ease of 
 need — the character and topographical features of the 
 ground having been shown to General Jackson by Cap- 
 tain D. R. Harris of the Engineers, of this army corps. 
 
 So much of Bee's and Bartow's brigades, now united 
 as had arrived — some 2,800 muskets — had also been sent 
 forward to the support of the position of the Stone 
 Bridge. 
 
 The enemy beginning his detour from the turnpike, at 
 a point nearly half way between Stone Bridge and Cen- 
 treville, had pursued a tortuous, narrow trace of a rare- 
 ly used road, through a dense wood, the greater part of 
 his way, until near the Sudley road. A division under 
 Colonel Hunter, of the federal regular army, of two 
 strong brigades, was in the advance, followed immedi- 
 ately by another division under Colonel Heintzelman, of 
 three brigades and seven companies of regular cavalry 
 and twenty-four pieces of artillery — eighteen of which 
 were rifle guns. This column, as it crossed Bull run, 
 numbered over sixteen thousand men of all arms, by 
 their own accounts. 
 
 Burnside's brigade, which here, as at Fairfax Court 
 House, led the advance, at about forty-five minutes past 
 nine, A. 31., debouched from a wood in sight of Evans' 
 position, some five hundred yards distant from Wheat's 
 battalion. 
 
 He immediately threw forward his skirmishers in force 
 and they became engaged with Wheat's command and 
 the six pounder gun under Lieutenant Leftwich. 
 
 The federalists at once advanced, as they report offi- 
 cially, the Second Rhode Island regiment volunteers, 
 with its vaunted battery of six thirteen pounder rifle 
 
¥ 
 
 m 
 
 guns. Sloan's companies were then brought into actflH 
 having been pushed forward through the woods, n 
 enemy, soon galled and staggered by the fire, and press™ 
 by the determined valor Avith which Wheat handled jj 
 battery, until he was desperately wounded, hastens 
 three other regiments of the brigade ami two l>ahl 
 howitzers, making in all quite 3,500 bayonets and ei 
 pieces of artillery, opposed to loss than 800 men and 
 six-pounder guns. 
 
 Despite these odds, this intrepid command of but eleven 
 weak companies maintained its front to the enemy for 
 ((iiite an hour, and until General Bee came to their aid 
 with his command. The heroic Bee. with a soldier's eye 
 and recognition of the situation, had previously disposed 
 his command with skill — Imboden's battery having been 
 admirably placed between the two brigades under shel- 
 ter behind the undulations of a hill about 150 yards north 
 of the now famous Henry House, and very near where 
 he subsequently fell mortally wounded, to the great mis- 
 fortune of his country, but after deeds of deliberate and 
 ever-memorable courage. 
 
 Meanwhile, the enemy had pushed forward a battalion 
 of eight companies of regular infantry and one of their 
 best batteries of six pieces, (four rifled,) supported by 
 lour companies of marines, to increase the desperate odds 
 against which Evans and his men had maintained their 
 Stand with an almost matchless tenacity. 
 
 General Bee. now finding Evans sorely pressed under 
 the crushing weight of the masses of the enemy, at the 
 call of Colonel Evans threw forward his whole force to 
 his aid across a small stream — Young's Branch and 
 Valley — and engaged the federalists With impetuosity: 
 Imboden's battery at the time playing from his well 
 chosen position -with brilliant effects, with spherical case, 
 the enemy having first opened on him from a rifle battery, 
 probably Griffin's, with elongated cylindrical shells, 
 which flew a few feet over the heads of our men, and 
 exploded in the crest of the hill immediately in rear. 
 
 As Bee advanced under a severe fire he placed the 
 Seventh and Eighth Georgia regiments under the chival- 
 rous Bartow, at about eleven A. M., in a wood of second 
 growth pines, to the right and front of and nearly per- 
 pendicular to Evans' line of battle, the Fourth Alabama 
 to the left of them, along a fence connecting the position 
 of the Georgia regiments with the rectangular copse in 
 which Sloan's South Carolina companies were engaged, 
 and into which he also threw the Second Mississippi. A 
 
^■ce and destructive conflict now ensued ; the tire was 
 ^Hhering on both sides, while the enemy Bwept our 
 ^rort. thin linos with their numerous artillery, which, 
 ^^ording to their official reports, at this time consisted 
 
 ^^t least ton rifle guns and tour howitzers. For an hour 
 Hp these stout-hearted men of the blended command of 
 Bee. Evans and Bartow breast an nnintermitting battle 
 Storm, animated, Burely, by something more than the 
 ordinary courage of even the bravest men under tire; it 
 must have been indeed the inspiration of the cause, and 
 consciousness of the great stake at issue, which thus 
 nerved and animated one and all to stand unawed and 
 unshrinking; in such extremity. 
 
 Two federal brigades of Ileintzelman's division were 
 now brought into action, led by Rickett's superb light 
 battery of six ten-pounder rifie guns, which, posted On an 
 eminence to the right of the Smiley road, opened lire on 
 Imbodcn's battery — about this time, increased by two 
 rifle pieces of theWashington Artillery, under Lieutenant 
 Richardson, and already the mark of two batteries, 
 which divided their fire" with Imboden, and two guns, 
 under Lieutenants Davidson and Leftwich, of Latham's 
 battery, posted as before mentioned. 
 
 At this time, confronting the enemy, Ave had still but 
 Evans' eleven companies and two guns — Bee's and Bar- 
 tow's four regiments, the two companies, Eleventh Missis- 
 sippi, under Lieutenant Colonel Liddell, and the six pieces 
 under Imboden and Richardson. The enemy had two 
 divisions of four strong brigades, including seventeen 
 companies of regular infantry, cavalry and artillery, 
 four companies of marines, and twenty pieees of ar- 
 tillery. [Sec official reports of Colonels Heintzelman, 
 Porter, &C.] Against this odds, scarcely credible, our 
 advance position was still for a while maintained, and 
 the enemy's ranks constantly broken and shattered under 
 the scorching fire of our men ; but fresh regiments of 
 the federalists came upon the field— Sherman's and 
 Keyes' brigades of Tyler's division— as is stated in their 
 reports, numbering over 0,000 bayonets, which had found 
 a passage across the run about eight hundred yards above 
 the Stone Bridge, threatened our right. 
 
 Heavy losses had now been sustained on our side, both 
 in numbers and in the personal worth of the slain. The 
 Georgia regiment had suffered heavily, being exposed, as 
 it took and maintained its position, to a lire from the 
 enemy, already posted within a hundred yards of their 
 front and right, sheltered by fences and other cover. It 
 
was at this time that Lieutenant Colonel Gardener 
 severely wounded, as also several other valuable orficfl 
 the Adjutant of the regiment, Lieutenant Branch, ^M 
 killed, and the horse of the regretted Bartow was sH 
 under him. The Fourth Alabama also suffered seve tM 
 from the deadly fire of the thousands of muskets \d 
 they so dauntlessly fronted, under the immediate lea 
 ship of Bee himself. Its brave Colonel E. J. Jones 
 dangerously wounded, and many gallant officers 
 slain or hors de combat. 
 
 Now, however, with the surging mass of over four- 
 teen thousand federal infantry pressing on their front, 
 and under the incessant fire of at least twenty pieces of 
 artillery, with the fresh brigades of Sherman and Keycs 
 approaching- — the latter already in musket range — our 
 lines gave hack, but under orders from Gen. Bee. 
 
 The enemy, maintaining the fire, pressed their swell- 
 ing masses onward as our shattered battalions retired ; 
 the slaughter for the moment was deplorable, and has 
 filled many a Southern home with life-long Borrow. 
 
 Under this inexorable stress the retreat continued 
 until arrested by the energy and resolution of Gen. Bee, 
 supported by Bartow and Evans, just in the rear of the 
 Robinson House, and Hampton's Legion, which had been 
 already advanced, and was in position near it. 
 
 Imbodcn's battery, which had been handled with mark- 
 ed skill, but whose men were almost exhausted, and 
 the two pieces of Walton's battery under Lieutenant 
 Richardson, being threatened by the enemy's infantry on 
 the left and front, were also obliged to fall back. Imbo- 
 den, leaving a disabled piece on the ground, retired until 
 he met Jackson's brigade, while Richardson joined the 
 main body of his battery near the Lewis House. 
 
 As our infantry retired from the extreme front the two 
 six-pounders of Latham's battery, before mentioned, 1**11 
 back with excellent judgment to suitable positions in the 
 rear, when an effective fire was maintained upon the still 
 advancing lines of the federalists with damaging effect, 
 until their ammunition was nearly exhausted, when they, 
 too, were withdrawn in the near presence of the enemy, 
 and rejoined their captain. 
 
 From the point previously indicated, where General 
 Johnston and myself had established our headquarters, 
 we heard the continuous roll of musketry and the sus- 
 tained din of the artillery, which announced the serious 
 outburst of the battle on our left flank, and we anxiously, 
 but confidently, awaited similar sounds of conflict from 
 

 front at Centreville, resulting from the prescrib< i at- 
 in that quarter by our right wing. 
 .t half-past ten in the morning, however, this ex] 
 was dissipated, from Brigadier General Ewell inform- 
 Ht me, to my profound disappointment, that my orders 
 ^HUiis advance had miscarried, hut that, in cm-cijiicneo 
 ^^pcommnniratinn i'rom (ioneral J>. R. .Junes, lie had 
 Hpt thrown his brigade across the stream a; Union Mills. 
 JT>nt, in my judgment, it was now too late for the effective 
 execution of the contemplated movement, which must 
 have required quite three hours For the troops to get into 
 position for the attack; therefore, it became immediately 
 ssary to depend on new combinations and other 
 dispositions suited to the now pressing exigency. The 
 movement of the right and centre, already begun by 
 Jones and Longstreet, was at once countermanded with 
 the sanction of General Johnston, and wc arranged to 
 meet the enemy on the field upon which he had chosen to 
 give us battle. Under these circumstances our reserves, 
 not already in movement, were immediately ordered up 
 to support our left flank, namely — Holmes' two regi- 
 ments and battery of artillery, under Captain Lindsey 
 "Walker, of six guns, and Early's brigade. Two regi- 
 ments from Bonham's brigade, with Kemper's four six- 
 pounders, were also called for, and, with the sanction of 
 General Johnston, Generals Ewell, Jones, (D. K..) Long- 
 street and Bonham were directed to make a demonstra- 
 tion to their several fronts to retain and engross the 
 enemy's reserves and forces on their flank, and at and 
 around Centreville. Previously, our respective chiefs of 
 staff — Major Rhett and Colonel Jordan — had been left at 
 my headquarters to hasten up, and give directions to any 
 troops that might arrive at Manassas. 
 
 These orders having been duly dispatched by staff offi- 
 cers, at 10.30 A. M„ General Johnston and myself set out 
 for the immediate field of action, which we reached in 
 the rear of the Robinson and widow Henry's houses, at 
 about 12 meridian, and just as the commands of Bee, 
 Bartow and Evans had taken shelter in a wooded ravine 
 behind the former, stoutly held at the time by Hampton 
 with his legion, which had made a stand there after hav- 
 ing previously been as far forward as the turnpike, where 
 Lieutenant Colonel Johnston, an officer of brilliant pro- 
 mise, was killed, and other severe losses were sustained. 
 Before our arrival upon the scene General Jackson had 
 moved forward with his brigade of live Virginia regi- 
 ments from his position in reserve, and had judiciously 
 
11 
 
 taken post below the brim of the plateau, nearly easj 
 the Henry house, and to the left of the ravine and woM 
 occupied by the mingled remnants of Bee's, Bartow's an 
 Evans' commands, with Imboden'a battery, and twojjH 
 Stanard's pieces placed so as to play upon the oncom^M 
 enemy, supported in the immediate rear by Colonel J^H 
 Preston's and Lieutenant Colonel Echoll's regiments, on 
 the right by Harper's and on the left by Allen's and 
 Cumming's regiment. 
 
 As soon as General Johnston and myself reached the 
 field, we were occupied with the reorganization of the 
 heroic troops, whose previous stand, with scarce a paral- 
 lel, has nothing more valiant in all the pages of history. 
 and whose losses fitly tell why, at length, their lines had 
 lost their cohesion. It was now that General Johnston 
 impressively and gallantly charged to the front with the 
 colors of the Fourth Alabama regiment by his side, all 
 the field officers of the regiment having been prcviousl}- 
 disabled. Shortly afterwards I placed S. R. Gist, Adju- 
 tant and Inspector General of South Carolina, a volunteer 
 Aid-de-Camp of General Bee, in command of this regi- 
 ment, and who led it again to the front as became its 
 previous behavior, and remained with it for the rest of 
 the day. 
 
 As soon as we had thus rallied and disposed our forces, 
 I urged General Johnston to leave the immediate conduct 
 of the field to me, while he, repairing to Portico — the 
 Lewis House — should urge reinforcements forward. At 
 first he was unwilling, but reminded that one of us must 
 do so, and that properly it was his place, he reluctantly, 
 but fortunately, complied ; fortunately, because from 
 that position, by his energy and sagacity, his keen per- 
 ception and anticipation of my needs he so directed the 
 reserves as to ensure the success of the day. 
 
 As GeneralJohuston departed for Portico Colonel Bar- 
 tow reported to me with the remains of the Seventh 
 Georgia Volunteers (Gartrell's) which I ordered him to 
 post on the left of Jackson's line, in the edge of the belt 
 of pines bordering the southeastern rim of the plateau, on 
 which the battle was now to rage so long and so fiercely. 
 
 Colonel Wm. Smith's battalion of the Forty-ninth Vir- 
 ginia Volunteers, having also come up by my orders, I 
 placed it on the left of Gartrell's as my extreme left at 
 the time. Repairing then to the right I placed Hamp- 
 ton's Legion, which had suffered greatly on that flank 
 somewhat to the rear of Harper's regiment, and also 
 the seven companies of the Eighth (Hunton's) Virginia 
 
12 
 
 nont. which, detached from Cocke's brigade by my 
 re and those of General Johnston, had opportunely 
 ached the ground. These, with Harper's regiment, 
 istitutnl a reserve, to protect our right flank from an 
 lance of the enemy from the quarter of the stone 
 Hge, and served as a support for the line of bat- 
 I.'. which was formed oo the right by Bee's and Evans' 
 commands, in the centre by four regiments of Jack- 
 son's brigade, with Imboden's lour six-pounders, Wal- 
 ton'.- five guns, (two rilled.) two guns, (one piece rifled,) 
 of Stanar'd's and two six-pounders of Rogers' batte- 
 ries, the latter under Lieut. HeatOD : and on the left by 
 Gartrell's reduced ranks and Col. Smith's battalion, subse- 
 quently reinforced Faulkner's Second Mississippi regi- 
 ment, and by another regiment of the Army of Shenan- 
 doah, just arrived upon the field, the Sixth (Fisher's) 
 North Carolina. Confronting the enemy at this time 
 my force cumbered, at most, not more than 6,500 infan- 
 try and artillerists, with but thirteen pieces of artillery. 
 and two companies (Carter's and Hoge's) of Stuart's 
 cavalry. 
 
 Theenemy's force, now bearing hotly and confidently 
 down on our position, regiment alter regiment of the best 
 equipped men that ever took the iield — according to their 
 own ollicial history of the day — was formed of Colonels 
 Hunter's and Heintzelman's divisions. Colonels Sher- 
 man's and Keyes' brigades of Tyler's division, and 
 of the formidable batteries of Ricketts, Griffin, and Ar- 
 nold regulars, and Second Rhode Island, and two Dahl- 
 gren howitzers — a force of over 20,000 infantry, seven 
 companies of regular cavalry and twenty-four pieces of 
 improve*! artillery. At the same time perilous, heavy 
 reserves of infantry and artillery hung in the distance 
 around the Stone Bridge, .Mitchell's. Blackburn's and 
 Union Mills fords, visibly ready to fall upon us at any 
 moment: and 1 was also assured of the existence of other 
 heavy corps at and around Centroville and elsewhere, 
 within convenient supporting distances. 
 
 Fully conscious of this portentous disparity of force, as 
 I posted the lines for the encounter, 1 sought to infuse 
 into the hearts of my officers and men the confident 
 determined spirit of resistance to this wicked invasion of 
 the homes of a free people, which 1 felt. 1 informed 
 them that reinforcements would rapidly come to their 
 support, and we must at all hazards hold our posts until 
 reinforced^ I reminded them that we fought for our 
 homes our firesides and for the independence of our 
 

 country. I urged them to the resolution of victor^ 
 death on that field. These sentiment- were loudly, 
 eagerly cheered, wheresoever proclaimed, and I then^M 
 reassured of the unconquerable spirit of that arnH 
 which would enable us to wrench victory from the j^H 
 then threatening us with destruction. 
 
 Oh, my country ! I would readily have sacrificed 
 life, and those of all the bravo men around me, to s9 
 your honor and to maintain your independence from th 
 degrading yoke which those ruthless invaders had come 
 to impose and render perpetual : and the day's issue has 
 assured me that such emotions must also have animated 
 all under my command. 
 
 In the meantime, the enemy bad seized upon the pla- 
 teau on which Robinson's and the Henry bouses are situ- 
 ated — the position first occupied in the morning by Gen. 
 Bee, before advancing to the support of Evans. Iliokett's 
 battery of six rilled guns — the pride of the federalists, 
 the object of their unstinted expenditure in outfit — and 
 the equally powerful regular Light battery of (iriffin, 
 were brought forward and placed in immediate action, 
 after having, conjointly with the batteries already men- 
 tioned, played from former positions with destructive 
 effect upon our forward battalions. 
 
 The topographical features of the plateau, now become 
 the stage 01 the contending armies, must be described in 
 outline. 
 
 A glance at the map will show that it is enclosed on 
 three sides by small water courses, which empty into 
 Bull run within a few yards of each other, half a mile to 
 the south of Stone Bridge. Rising to an elevation of 
 quite one hundred feet above the level of Bull run at the 
 bridge, it falls off on three sides to the level of the en- 
 closing streams in gentle slopes, but which are furrowed 
 by ravines of irregular direction and length, and studded 
 with clumps and patches of young pines and oaks. The 
 general direction of the crest of the plateau is oblique 
 to the course of Bull run in that quarter; and on the 
 Brentsvillc and turnpike roads, which intersect each 
 other at right angles. Completely surrounding the two 
 houses before mentioned are small open fields, of irregu- 
 lar outline, and exceeding 150 acres in extent. The 
 houses, occupied at the time, the one by widow Henry 
 and the other by the free negro Robinson, are small 
 wooden buildings, densely embowered in trees and en- 
 vironed by a double row of fences on two sides. Around 
 the easten, ;! -.,i southern brow of the plateau an almost 
 
 9 
 
^■ji-okon fringe of second growth pines gave excellent 
 
 ^plt'-r for our marksmen, who availed themselves of it 
 
 pth the most satisfactory skill. To the west, adjoining 
 
 ie fields, ;i broad belt of < »aks extends directly across 
 
 crest on both sides of the Sttdley road, in which, 
 
 Ine the battle, regiments of both armies met and con- 
 
 [dea for the mastery. 
 r From the open ground of this plateau the view em- 
 braces a wide expanse of woods and gently undulating 
 open country of broad grass and grain fields in all direc- 
 tion-, including the scene of Evans' and Bee's recent 
 encounter with the enemy — some twelve hundred yards 
 to tli" northward. 
 
 \\\ reply to the play of the enemy's batteries our own 
 artillery had not been idle or unskillful. The ground 
 occupied by our guns, on a level with that held by the 
 batteries of the enemy, was an open space of limited ex- 
 tent, behind a low undulation, just at the eastern verge 
 of the plateau, some 500 or GOO yards from the Henry 
 House. Here, as before said, some thirteen pieces, mostly 
 six-pounders, were maintained in action. The several 
 batteries of Imboden, Stanard, Pendleton', (Rockbridge 
 artillery,) and Alburtis', of the Army of the Shenandoah, 
 and five guns of Walton's, andHeaton's section of Rogers' 
 battery, of the Army of the Potomac, alternating to some 
 extent with each other, ami taking part as needed; all 
 from the outset displaying that marvellous capacity of 
 our people as artillerists which has made them, it would 
 appear, at once, the terror and admiration of the enemy. 
 
 As was soon apparent, the federalists had suffered se- 
 verely from our artillery, and from the lire of our mus- 
 ketry on the right, and especially from the left flank, 
 plied under coyer, within whose galling range they had 
 been advanced. And we are told in their official reports 
 how regiment after regiment, thrown forward to dislodge 
 us, was broken, never to recover its entire organization 
 on that field. 
 
 In the meantime, also, two companies of Stuart's cav- 
 alry, (Carter's andlloge's,) made a dashing charge down 
 the Brentsville and Budleyroad upon the Fire Zouaves — 
 then the enemy's right on the plateau — which added to 
 their disorder, wrought by our musketry on that flank. 
 But still the pressof the enemy was heavy on that quar- 
 ter of the field, as fresh troops were thrown forward 
 there to outflank us, ami some three guns of a battery, in 
 an attempt to obtain a position apparently to enfilade our 
 batteries, were thrown close to the Thirty-third regiment, 
 

 13 
 
 Jackson's brigade, that regiment springing forwa^B 
 seized them, but with severe loss, and was subsequen^H 
 driven back by an overpowering force of federal )\\^M 
 ketry. 
 
 Now, fall two o'clock P. M., T gave the order for jfl 
 right of my line, except my reserves, to advance t<>^ 
 cover the plateau. It was done with uncommon resd 
 tion and vigor, and at the same time Jackson's briga 
 pierced the enemy's centre with the determination of 
 veterans, and the spirit of men who fight for a sacred 
 cause: but it suffered seriously. With equal spirit the 
 other parts of the line made the onset and the federal 
 lines were broken and swept back, at all points, from the 
 open ground of the plateau. Rallying soon, however, as 
 they were strongly reinforced by fresh regiments, the 
 federalists returned, and by weight of numbers pressed 
 our lines back, recovering their ground and guns, and 
 renewed the offensive. 
 
 By this time, between half-past two and three o'clock 
 I*. M.. our reinforcements pushed forward, and, directed 
 by General Johnston to the required quarter, were at 
 hand just as 1 had ordered forward, to a second effort, 
 for the recovery of the disputed plateau, the whole line, 
 including my reserves, which, at this crisis of the battle, 
 I felt called upon to lead in person. This attack was 
 general, and was shared in by every regiment then in the 
 field, including the Sixth (Fisher's) North Carolina regi- 
 ment, which had just come up and taken position on the 
 immediate left of the Forty-ninth Virginia regiment. The 
 whole open ground was again swept cleat of the enemy, 
 and the plateau around the Henry and Robinson houses 
 remained finally in our possession, with the greater part 
 of the Ricketts and Griffin batteries, ami a flag of the 
 First Michigan regiment, captured by the Twenty-seventh 
 Virginia regiment. (Lieutenant Colonel Echolls,) of Jack- 
 son's brigade. This part of the day was rich with deeds 
 of individual coolness and dauntless conduct, as well as 
 well directed embodied resolution and bravery, but 
 fraught with the loss to the service of the country of 
 lives of inestimable preciousness at this junction. The 
 brave Bee was mortally wounded at the head of the 
 Fourth Alabama and some Mississippians, in open field 
 near the Henry House, and a few yards distant the 
 promising life of Bartow, while leading the Seventh 
 Georgia regiment, was quenched in blood Colonel F. 
 J. Thomas, Acting Chief of Ordnance, of General .John- 
 ston's staff, after gallant conduct and most efficient ser- 
 
^Kr, was also slain. Colonel Fisher, Sixth North Caro- 
 lina, likewise Ceil, after Boldierly behavior, at the h< 
 his regiment, with ranks greatly thinned. 
 •"Withers' Eighteenth regiment of Cocke's brigade had 
 come up in time to follow this charge, and, in conjunction 
 ^Hn Hampton's Legion, captured several rife pieces 
 Mrnich may have fallen previously in possession of some 
 of our troops ; but if so. had been recovered by tin- ene- 
 my. These pieces were immediately turned and effec- 
 tively served on distant masses of the enemy by the 
 hands of some of our officers. 
 
 While the enemy had thus been driven back on our 
 right entirely across the turnpike, and beyond Young's 
 branch on our left, the woods yet swarmed with them, 
 when our reinforcements opportunely arrived in quick 
 succession, and took position in that portion of the Held. 
 Kershaw's Second and Cash's Eighth South Carolina 
 regiments, which had arrived soon after Withers', were 
 led through the oaks just east of the Sudloy-Brentsville 
 road, brushing some of the enemy before them, and. 
 taking an advantageous position along, and west of (hat 
 road, opened with much skill and effect on bodies of the 
 enemy that had been rallied under cover of a strong 
 federal brigade posted on a plateau in the southwest 
 angle, formed by intersection of the turnpike with the 
 Sudhw-Brentsville road. Among the troops thus en- 
 gaged were the federal regular infantry. 
 
 At the same time, Kemper's battery, passing north- 
 ward by the S.-B. road, took position on the open space 
 — under orders of Colonel Kershaw — near where an 
 enemy's battery had been captured, was opened with 
 effective results upon the federal right, then the mark 
 also of Kershaw's and Cash's regiments. 
 
 Preston's Twenty-eighth regiment, of Cocke's brigade, 
 had by that time entered the same body of oaks, and 
 encountered some .Michigan troops, capturing their brig- 
 ade commander, Colonel Wilcox. 
 
 Another important accession to our I'nvrr^ had also oc- 
 curred about the same time, at three o'clock P.M. Brig- 
 adier General E. K. Smith, with some 1,700 infantry of 
 Elzey's brigade, of the Army of the Shenandoah, and 
 Beckham's battery, came upon the field, from Camp 
 Pickens, .Manassas, where they had arrived by railroad 
 at noon. Directed in person by General Johnston to the 
 left, then so much endangered, on reaching a position in 
 rear of the oak woods, south of the Henry House, and 
 immediately east of the Sudley road, General Smith was 
 
disabled by a severe wound, and his valuable servl 
 were lost at that critical juncture. But the coniniA 
 devolved upon a meritorious officer of experience, Colo op* 
 Elzey, who led his infantry at once somewhat further V 
 the left, in the direction of the Chinn House, across tjfl 
 road, through the oaks skirting the west side of the ro^H 
 and around which he sent the battery under Lieuten^M 
 Beckham. This officer took up a most favorable positioi 
 near that house, whence, with a clear view of the federal 
 right and centre, filling the open fields to the west of 
 the Brentsville-Sudley road, and gently sloping south- 
 ward, he opened tire with his battery upon them with 
 deadly and damaging effect. 
 
 Colonel Marly, who. by some mischance, did not re- 
 ceive orders until two o'clock, which had been sent him 
 ;it noon, came <>n the ground immediately alter Elzey, 
 with Kemper's Seventh Virginia, Hay's Seventh Louisi- 
 ana, ami Barksdale's Thirteenth Mississippi regiments. 
 This brigade, by the personal direction of General John- 
 ston, was marched by the Holkham House, across the 
 fields b» the left, entirely around the woods through 
 which Elzey had passed, and under a severe fire, into a 
 position in line of battle, near Chinn's House, outflank- 
 ing the enemy's right. 
 
 At this time, about half past three 1\ M., the enemy, 
 driven bark on their left and centre, and brushed from 
 the woods bordering the Sudley road, south and we<r .>!' 
 the Henry House, had formed a line of battle of truly 
 formidable proportions, of crescent outline, reaching on 
 their left from the vicinity of Pittsylvania (the old Car- 
 ter mansion.) by Matthew's and in rear of Dogan's, 
 across the turnpike near to Chinn's house. The woods 
 and iields were filled with their masses of infantry and 
 their carefully preserved cavalry. It was a truly mag- 
 nificent, though redoubtable spectacle, as they threw 
 forward in fine style, on the broad, gentle slopes of the 
 ridge occupied by their main lines, a cloud of skirmish- 
 ers, preparatory for another attack. 
 
 But as Early formed his line, and Beckham's pieces 
 ] (laying upon the right of the enemy, Elzey's brigade, 
 Gibbon's Tenth Virginia, Lieut. Col. Stuart's First 
 Maryland and Vaughn's Third Tennessee regiments, 
 and Cash's Eighth and Kershaw's Second South Caroli- 
 na, Withers' Eighteenth and Preston's Twenty-eighth 
 Virginia, advanced in an irregular line almost simulta- 
 neously, with great spirit, from their several positions 
 upon the front and flanks of the enemy in their quarter 
 
of the field. At the same time, too, Early resolutely as- 
 sailo>l their right think and rear, ruder the combined 
 attack t lie enemy was BOOH forced, first over the narrow 
 
 platean in the southern angle made by the two roads, s<> 
 often mentioned, into a patch of woods on its western 
 slope, thence hack over Young's branch and the turnpike 
 into the fields of the Dugan farm, and rearward, in ex- 
 treme disorder, in all available directions, towards Bull 
 ^un. The route had now become general and complete. 
 
 About the time that Elzey and Early were entering 
 into action, a column of the enemy, Keye's brigade, of 
 Tyler's division, made its way across the turnpike be- 
 tween Bull run and the Robinson House, under cover of 
 a wood and brow of the ridges, apparently to turn my 
 right, but was easily repulsed by a few shots from La- 
 tham's battery, now united and placed in position by 
 Captain D. B. Harris, of the Virginia engineers, whose 
 services during the day became his character as an able, 
 cool and skillful officer, and from Alburtis' battery, op- 
 portunely ordered by Gen. Jackson to a position to the 
 right of Latham, on a hill commanding the line of ap- 
 proach of the enemy, and supported by portions of regi- 
 ments collected together by the staff officers of General 
 Johnston and myself. 
 
 Early's brigade, meanwhile, joined by the Nineteenth 
 Virginia regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Strange, of 
 Cocke's brigade, pursued the now r panic stricken, fugi- 
 tive enemy, Stuart, with his cavalry, and Beckham 
 had also taken up the pursuit along the road by which 
 the enemy had come upon the field that morning; but, 
 soon encumbered by prisoners who thronged his way, 
 the former w r as unable to attack the mass of the fast flee- 
 ing frantic federalists. Withers', 11. J. Preston's, Cash's 
 and Kershaw's regiments, Hampton's Legion and Kemp- 
 er's battery also pursued along the Warrenton road by 
 the Stone bridge, the enemy having opportunely opened 
 a way for them through the heavy abatis which my 
 troops had made on the west side o'f the bridge, several 
 days before. But this pursuit was soon recalled, in con- 
 sequence of a false report which unfortunately reached 
 us that the enemy's reserves, known to bo fresh and of 
 considerable strength, were threatening the position of 
 Union Mills Ford. 
 
 Colonel Radford, with six companies Virginia cavalry, 
 was also ordered by General Johnston to cross Bull run 
 and attack the enemy from the direction of Lewis' house ; 
 conducted by one of my aids, Colonel Chrisholm, by the 
 
p 
 
 Lewis Ford, to the immediate vicinity of the Suspensi 
 Bridge, lie charged a battery with great gallantry, took 
 Colonel Corcoran, of the Sixty-ninth New York Voli^H 
 teers, a prisoner, and captured the federal colors of thH 
 regiment, as well as a number of the enemy. He losJfl 
 however, a prominent officer of his regiment. CaptaM 
 Winston Radford. 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel Munford also led some coinpanid 
 of cavalry in hot pursuit, and rendered material service 
 in the capture of prisoners and of cannon, horses, ammu- 
 nition, &c, abandoned by the enemy in their flight. 
 
 Captain Lay's company of the Powhatan troops and 
 Itterback's Rangers, Virginia Volunteers, attached to 
 my person, did material service, under Captain Lay, in 
 rallying troops broken for the time by the onset of the 
 enemy's masses. 
 
 During the period of the momeutous events fraught 
 with the weal of our country, which were passing on the 
 blood stained plateau along the Sudlev and Warronton 
 roads, other portions of the line of Bull run had not 
 been void of action, of moment and of influence upon the 
 general result. 
 
 While Colonel Evans and his sturdy band were holding 
 at bay the federal advance beyond the turnpike, the 
 enemy made repeated demonstrations, with artillery 
 and infantry, upon the line of Cocke's brigade, with the 
 serious intention of forcing the position, as General 
 Schenck admits in his report. They were driven back 
 with severe loss by Latham's (a section,) and Rogers' 
 four six-pounders, and were bo impressed with the strength 
 of that line as to be held in check and inactive, even 
 after it had been stripped of all its troops but one com- 
 pany of the Nineteenth Virginia regiment, under Cap- 
 tain Duke, a meritorious officer. And it is worthy of 
 notice that, in this encounter of our six-pounder guns, 
 handled by our volunteer artillerists, they had Avorsted 
 such a notorious adversary as the Ayres — formerly Sher- 
 man's — battery, which quit the contest under the illu- 
 sion that it had weightier metal than its own to contend 
 with. 
 
 The centre brigades — Bonham's and Longstreet's — of 
 the line of Bull run, if not closely engaged, were never- 
 theless exposed for much of the day to an annoying, al- 
 most incessant fire of artillery of long range ; but by a 
 steady, veteran-like maintenance of their positions they 
 held virtually paralyzed, all day, two strong brigades of 
 the enemy, with their batteries (four) of rifle guns. 
 
20 
 
 m before said, two regiments of Bonham's brigade, 
 
 ^Rid and Eighth South Carolina \' olu ntc«'is. and Kem- 
 per's battery, took a distinguished part in the battle. 
 The remainder. Third Williams', Seventh Bacon's South 
 Carolina Volunteers: Eleventh ( Kirkland's) North Caro- 
 lina regiment : six companies Eighth Louisiana Volun- 
 teers : Shield's battery, and one section of Walton's hat- 
 pR*y, under Lieutenant Garnett, whether in holding their 
 post or taking up the pursuit, officers and men discharged 
 their duty With credit and promise. 
 
 Long-street's brigade, pursuant to orders, prescribing 
 his part of the operations of the centre and right wings, 
 was thrown across Bull run early in the morning, and 
 under a severe fire of artillery, was skillfully disposed 
 for the assault of the enemy's batteries in that quarter. 
 but were withdrawn subsequently, in consequence of the 
 change of plan already mentioned and explained. The 
 troops of this brigade were: First, Major Skinner: 
 Eleventh, Garland's ; Twenty-fourth, Lieutenant Colonel 
 Ilairston's ; Seventeenth, Corse's Virginia regiments: 
 Fifth North Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel Jones, and 
 Whitehead's company of Virginia cavalry. Throughout 
 the day these troops evinced the most soldierly spirit. 
 
 After the rout, having been ordered by General John- 
 ston, in the direction of Centreville in pursuit, these 
 brigades advanced near to that place, when night and 
 darkness intervening, General Bonham thought it proper 
 to direct his own brigade and that of General Longstreet 
 back to Bull run. 
 
 General D. 11. Jones early in the day crossed Bull run 
 with his brigade, pursuant to orders indicating his part 
 in the projected attack by our right wing and centre on 
 the enemy at Centres LLle, took up a position on the Union 
 Mills and Centreville road, more than a mile in advance 
 of the run. Ordered back in consequence of miscarriage 
 of the orders to General Ewell, the retrograde movement 
 was necessarily made under a sharp fire of artillery. 
 
 At noon this brigade, in obedience to new instructions. 
 was again thrown across Bull run to make demonstra- 
 tions, Unsupported by other troeps, the advance was 
 gallantly made until within musket range of the enemy's 
 force — Col. Davis' brigade in position near Rocky run 
 and under the concentrated fire of their artillery. In this 
 affair the Fifth, Jenkins South Carolina, and Captain 
 Fontaine's company of the Eighteenth Mississippi regi- 
 ment are mentioned by General Jones as having shown 
 conspicuous gallantry, coolness and discipline under a 
 
 
! 
 
 combined tire of infantry and artillery. Not only did 
 return fire of the brigade drive to cover the enemy's ^M 
 fantry, but the movement unquestionably spread throu^M 
 the enemy's ranks a sense of insecurity and danger fro™ 
 an attack by that route on their rearat Oentreville. whiuji 
 served to augment the extraordinary panic which aS 
 know disbanded the entire federal army for the time. 
 
 This is evident from the fact that Colonel Davis, tin 
 immediate adversary's commander, in his official report, 
 was induced to magnify one small company of our caval- 
 ry which accompanies the brigade into a force of 2,000 
 men ; and Colonel Miles, the commander of the federal 
 reserves at Centreville, says the movement "caused pain" 
 ful apprehensions for the left wing" of their army. 
 
 General Ewell, occupying for the time the fight of the 
 lines of Bull run at Union .Mills ford, after the miscar- 
 riage of my orders for his advance upon Centre vi lie, in 
 the afternoon was ordered by General Johnston to bring 
 up his brigade into battle, then raging on the left flank. 
 Promptly executed as this movement was, the brigade, 
 after a severe march, reached the field too late to share 
 the glories, as they had the labors, of the day. As the 
 important position at the Union Mills had been left with 
 but a slender guard. General Ewell was at once ordered 
 to retrace his steps and resume his position to prevent 
 the possibility of its seizure by any force of the enemy 
 in that quarter. 
 
 Brigadier General Holmes, left with his brigade as a 
 support to the same position in the original plan of bat- 
 tle had also been called to the left, wither he marched 
 with the utmost speed, but not in time to join actively in 
 the battle. 
 
 Walker's rifle guns of the brigade, however, came up 
 in time to be fired with precision and decided execution 
 at the retreating enemy, and Scott's cavalry joined in 
 the pursuit, assisted in the capture of prisoners and war 
 munitions. 
 
 This victory, the details of which I have thus sought to 
 chronicle as rally as were fitting an official report, it re- 
 mains to record, was dearly won by the death of many 
 officers and men of inestimable value belonging to all 
 grades of our society. 
 
 In the death of General Bernard E. Bee, the confederacy 
 has sustained an irreparable loss, for with great personal 
 bravery and coolness he possessed the qualities of an 
 accomplished soldier and an able, reliable commander. 
 
 Colonels Bartow and Fisher, and Lieutenant Colonel 
 
: 3phiwm. of Hampton's Legion, in the fearless command 
 n»ln'ir moii. gave earnest of great usefulness to the Ber* 
 ^ce had they been spared to complete a career bo bril- 
 liantly 1 M\irun". Besides the ti<'l<l officers already mention- 
 Ed as bavin,-: been wounded, while in the gallant discharge 
 ^Btheir duties, many others also received severe wounds 
 Hcer equally honorable and distinguished conduct, wht- 
 Ker in leading their men forward or in rallying them 
 when overpowered or temporily shattered by the largely 
 superior force to which we were generally opposed. 
 
 The subordinate grades were likewise abundantly con- 
 spicuous for zeal and capacity for the leadership of men 
 in arms. To mention all who. fighting well, paid the 
 lavish forfeit of their lives, or at least crippled, mutilated 
 bodies on the field of Manassas, cannot well be done 
 within the compass of this paper, but a grateful country 
 aud mourning friends Avill not suffer their names and 
 services to be forgotten and pass away unhonored. 
 
 Xor are those officers and men who were so fortunate 
 as to escape the thick-flying, deadly missiles of the ene- 
 my less worthy of praise for their endurance, firmness 
 and valor than their brothers in arms, whose lives were 
 closed, or bodies maimed, on that memorable day. To 
 mention all who exhibited ability and brilliant courage 
 were impossible in this report: nor do the reports of 
 brigade and other subordinate commanders supply full 
 lists of all actually deserving of distinction. I can only 
 mention those whose conduct came immediately under 
 my notice, of the consequence of whose actions happened 
 to be signally important. 
 
 It is tit that I should in this way commend to notice 
 the dauntless conduct and imperturbable coolness of Colo- 
 nel Evans, and well indeed was he supported by Colonel 
 Sloan and the officers of the Fourth South Carolina regi- 
 ment, as also Major Wheat, than whom no one displayed 
 more brilliant courage until carried from the field, Bhot 
 through the lungs, though happily not mortally stricken. 
 But in the desperate unequal contest, to which those 
 brave gentlemen were for a time necessarily exposed, 
 the behavior of officers and men generally was worthy 
 of the highest admiration, and assuredly hereafter all 
 those present may proudly say, "We were of that band 
 who fought the first hour of the battle of Manassas." 
 Equal honors and credit must also be awarded in the 
 pages of history to the gallant officers and men w T ho, 
 under Bee and Bartow, subsequently marching to their 
 
23 
 
 side, saved them from destruction, and relieved thlH 
 from the brunt of the enemy's attack. 
 
 The conduct of General Jackson also requires month 
 as eminently that of an aide, fearless soldier, and sag* 
 cions commander, one lit to load his brigade; his of 
 cient, prompt, timely arrival before the plateau of tl 
 Henry house, and his judicious disposition of his troops 
 contributed much to the success of the day. Althougl 
 painfully wounded in tho hand, he remained on the fiek 
 to the end of the battle, rendering invaluable assistance. 
 
 Colonel William Smith was as efficient as self-pos 
 and brave; the influence (^\' bis example ami his words 
 of encouragement was not confined to his immediate 
 command, the good conduct of which is especially ao- 
 ticeable inasmuch as it bad been embodied but a day or 
 
 tWO before the battle. 
 
 Colonels Harper, Hunton and Hampton, commanding 
 regiments of the reserve, attracted my notice by their 
 soldierly ability, as with their gallant commands they 
 restored the fortunes of the day, at a time when the ene- 
 my, by a last desperate onset, with heavy odds, had 
 driven our forces from the fiercely contested ground 
 around the Henry and Robinson houses. Veterans could 
 not have behaved better than those well led regiments. 
 
 High praise must also be given to Colonels Cocke, 
 Early and Elzey, brigade commanders; also to Colonel 
 Kershaw, commanding for the time the Second and 
 Eighth South Carolina regiments. Under the instruc- 
 tions of Genera] Johnston, these officers reached the field 
 at an opportune, critical moment, ami disposed, handled 
 and fought their respective commands with sagacity, de- 
 cision and successful results which have been described 
 in detail. 
 
 Colonel J. E. II. Stuart, likewise deserves mention for 
 his enterprise and ability as a cavalry commander. 
 Through his judicious recounoissance of the country on 
 our left flank, he acquired information, both of topographi- 
 cal features and the positions of the enemy, of the utmost 
 importance in the subsequent and closing movements of 
 the day on that flank, and his services in the pursuit were 
 highly effective. 
 
 Captain E. P. Alexander, C. S. Engineers, gave me 
 seasonable and material assistance early in the day with 
 his system of signals. Almost the first shot fired by the 
 enemy passed through the tent of his party at the Stone 
 Bridge, where th'-v subsequently firmly maintained their 
 position in the discharge of their duty — the transmission 
 
■P" ^ 24 
 
 i the enemy's movements — for several 
 ■purs under tiro. Later, Captain Alexander acted as m\ 
 lid-de-camp in the transmission of orders and in obser- 
 vation of the enemy. 
 
 , Iwasmost efficiently Berved throughout the day by 
 m\ volunteer aids, Colonels Preston, Manning, Chesnut, 
 Miles, Rice, Heyward, and Chrisholm, to whom 1 tender 
 my thanks for their unflagging, intelligenl and fearless 
 discharge of the laborious, responsible duties entrusted 
 to them. To Lieutenants. W. Ferguson, A. D. C, and Col. 
 Heyward, who were habitually at my side from twelve 
 noon until the close of the battle, my special acknow- 
 ledgements are due. The horse of the former was killed 
 under him by the same shell that wounded that of the 
 latter. Both were eminently useful to me, and were 
 distinguished for coolness and courage, until the enemy 
 gave way and fled in wild disorder, in every direction, a 
 scene the President ^of the Confederacy had the high 
 satisfaction of witnessing, as he arrived upon the field 
 at that exultant moment. 
 
 I also received, from the time I reached the front, such 
 signal service from II. E. Peyton, at the time a private 
 in the Loudoun cavalry, that 1 have called him to my 
 personal staff. Similar services was also rendered me 
 repeatedly during the battle, by T.J. Randolph, a volun- 
 teer acting aid-de-camp to Colonel Cocke. 
 
 Captain Clifton If. Smith, of the general staff, was also 
 present on the field, and rendered efficient service in the 
 transmission of orders. 
 
 It must be permitted me here to record my profound 
 sense of my obligations to General Johnston, for his gene- 
 rous permission to carry out my plans, with such molli- 
 fications as circumstances had required. From his ser- 
 vices on the field — as wo entered it together — already 
 mentioned, and his subsequent watchful management oi 
 the reinforcements as they reached the vicinity of the 
 field, our countrymen may draw the most auspicious 
 auguries. 
 
 To Colonel Thomas Jordan, my efficient and zealous 
 Assistant Adjutant General, much credit is due to his 
 able assistance in the organization of the forces undermy 
 command, and for the intelligence and promptness with 
 which he Iras discharged all the laborious ami important 
 duties of his office. 
 
 Valuable assistance was given to me by Major Cabell, 
 chief officer of the Quartermaster's Department, in the 
 sphere of his duties — duties environed by far more than 
 
f 
 
 the ordinary difficulties and embarrassments attending 
 the operations of a lon^ organized regular estaldislmienwj 
 
 Colonel B. B. Lee, Chief of Subsistence DepartmenJg 
 had but just entered upon his duties, but his experience 
 and long and varied services in his department, made him 
 as efficient as possible. 
 
 Captain W. II. Fowle, whom Colonel Lee had relieve^B 
 had previously exerted himself to the utmost to earrjH 
 out orders from these headquarters, to render his depart^ 
 ment equal to the demands of the service ; that it was 
 not entirely so, it is due to justice to say. A\as certainly 
 not his fault. 
 
 Deprived by the sudden severe illness of the Medical 
 Director, Surgeon Thomas II. Williams, his duties were 
 discharged by Surgeon II. L. Brodie, to my entire satis- 
 faction : and it is proper to say that the entire medical 
 corps of the army, at present embracing gentlemen of 
 distinction in the profession, who had quit lucrative 
 private practice, by their services in the field and subse- 
 quently, did high honor to their profession. 
 
 The vital duties of the Ordnance Department were 
 effectively discharged under the administration of my 
 Chief Artillery and Ordnance, Colonel S. Jones. 
 
 At one time, when reports of evil omen and disaster 
 reached Camp Pickens, with such circumstantiality as to 
 give reasonable grounds of anxiety, its commander, 
 Colonel Terrett, the commander of the entrenched bat- 
 teries, Captain Sterrett, of the Confederate States Navy, 
 and their officers, made the most efficient possible prepa- 
 rations for the desperate defence of that position in ex- 
 tremity ; and, in this connection, I regret my inability to 
 mention the names of those patriotic gentlemen of Vir- 
 ginia, by the gratuitous labor of whose slaves the en- 
 trenched camp at Manassas had been mainly constructed, 
 relieving the troops from that laborious service and giving 
 opportunity for their military instruction. 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas II. Williamson, the engineer 
 of these works, assisted by Captain D. B. Harris, dis 
 charged his duties with untiring energy and devotion, as 
 well as satisfactory skill. 
 
 Captain W. II. Stevens, Engineer Confederate Army, 
 served with the advanced forces at Fairfax Court House 
 for some time before the battle; he laid out the works 
 there in admirable accordance with the purposes for 
 which they were designed, and yet so as to admit of ulti- 
 mate extention and adaptation to more serious uses as 
 means and part of a system of real defence when deter- 
 
 l 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 Hincl iijion. lie has shown himself to be an officer of 
 
 M^rgy and ability. 
 
 ■Major Thomas G. Rhett, after having discharged for 
 several months the laborious duties el' Adjutant General 
 to the commanding officer of Camp Pickens, was detached 
 to join tin 1 army of the Shenandoah, just on the eve of 
 tin- advance of the enemy ; but, volunteering his services, 
 Iras ordered to assist <>n the staff of Genera] Bonham, 
 joining that officer at Centreville on the night of the 17th, 
 before the battle of Bull run, where he rendered valuable 
 services, until the arrival of General Johnston, on the 
 20th of July, when he was railed ro the place of Chief 
 of Staff of that officer. 
 
 It is also proper to acknowledge the signal services 
 rendered by Colonel B.F.Terry anaT. Lubbock, of Texas, 
 who had attached themselves to the staff of General 
 Longstreet. These gcntlemeu made daring and valuable 
 reconnoissances of the enemy's positions, assisted by 
 Captains Goree and Chichester. They also carried orders 
 to the field, and on the following day, accompanying- 
 Captain Whitehead's troops to take possession of Fairfax 
 Court House, Colonel Terry, with his unerring rifle, 
 severed the halliard, and thus lowered the federal flag 
 found still floating from the cupola of the Court House 
 there. He also secured a large federal garrison flag, 
 designed, it is said, to be unfurled over our entrenchments 
 at Manassas. 
 
 In connection with the unfortunate casualties of the 
 day — that is, the miscarriage of the orders sent by cou- 
 rier to General Holmes and Ewell to attack the enemy 
 in flank and reverse at Centreville, through which the 
 triumph of our arms was prevented from being ^ still 
 more decisive — I regard it in place to say, a divisional 
 organization, with officers in command of divisions, with 
 appropriate rank as in European services, would greatly 
 reduce the risk of such mishaps, and would advantage- 
 ously simplify the communications of a general in com- 
 mand of a field with his troops. 
 
 While glorious for our people and of crushing effect 
 upon the morale of our hitherto confident and overween- 
 ing adversary, as were the events of the battle of Man- 
 assas, the field was only won by stout fighting, and, as 
 before stated, with much loss, as is precisely exhibited 
 in the papers herewith, marked F, (i, and H, and being 
 lists of the killed and wounded. The killed outright 
 numbered 200, the wounded 1,483—making an aggre- 
 gate of 1,852. 
 
The actual loss of the enemy will never lie known: ifl 
 may now only be conjectured. Their abandoned dead, as 
 they were buried by cur people where they fell, un«l 
 fortunately were not enumerated : but many parts ofj 
 the field were thick with their corpses, as but few 
 battle fields have ever been. The official reports of the! 
 enemy are studiously silent on this point, but stilli 
 afford us data for an approximate estimate. Left almost 
 in the dark in respect to the losses of Hunter's and Heinfc- 
 zelmaU's divisions — first, longest and most hotly en- 
 gaged — we are informed that Sherman's brigade — Tyler's 
 division — suffered in killed, wounded and missing, 609 — 
 that is, about eighteen per cent of the brigade. A regiment 
 of Franklin's brigade — Gorman's — lost twenty-one per 
 cent. Griffin's (battery) loss was thirty per rent, and 
 that of Keye's brigade, which was so handled by its com- 
 mander as to be exposed to only occasional volleys from 
 our troops, was at least ten percent. To these facts and 
 the repeated references in the reports of the more reti- 
 cent commanders, to the "murderous" fire to which they 
 were habitually exposed — the '"pistol range'' volleys 
 and galling musketry, of which they speak, as scourging 
 their ranks, and we are warranted in placing the entire 
 loss of the federalists at over forty-five hundred in. killed, 
 wounded and prisoners. To this may be legitimately 
 added, as a casualty of the battle, the thousands of fugi- 
 tives from the field, who have never rejoined their regi- 
 ments, and who are as much lost to the enemy's service 
 as if slain or disabled by wounds. These may not be in- 
 cluded under the head of ''missing," because in every 
 instance of such report we took as many prisoners of those 
 brigades or regiments as are reported '■missing.'' 
 
 A list appended exhibits some 1,460 of their wounded 
 and others who fell into our hands and were sent to Rich- 
 mond. Some were sent to other points, 80 that the num- 
 ber of prisoners, including wounded who did not die, may 
 be set down at not less than 1.G00. Besides these, a con- 
 siderable number who could not be removed from the 
 field died at several farm houses and field hospitals within 
 ten days following the battle. 
 
 To serve the future historian of this war, I will note 
 the fact, that among the captured federalists are officers 
 and men of forty-seven regiments of volunteers, besides 
 from some nine different regiments of regular troops, 
 detachments of which were engaged. From their official 
 reports, we learn of a regiment of volunteers engaged. 
 six regiments of Miles' division, and the five regiments 
 
Bf Runyon's brigade, from which we have neither Bound 
 or wounded prisoners. Making all allowances for mis- 
 takes, we are warranted in saying that the federal army 
 
 consisted of at least fifty-live regiments of volunteers, 
 eight companies of regular infantry, four of marines, 
 nine of regular cavalry, and twelve batteries, one hun- 
 dred and nineteen guns. These regiments, atone time, 
 as will appear from a published list appended, marked 
 " K," numbered in the aggregate 54,140, and average 
 904 each; from an order of the enemy's commander, 
 however, dated July 13, we learn that one hundred men 
 from each regiment were ordered to remain in charge of 
 respective camps — some allowance must further be made 
 for the sick and details, which would reduce the average 
 to eight hundred — adding the regular cavalry, infantry 
 and artillery present, an estimate of their force may be 
 made. 
 
 A paper appended, marked "L," exhibits, in part, the 
 ordnance and supplies captured, including some twenty- 
 eight field pieces of the best character of arm, with over 
 one hundred rounds of ammunition for each gun, thirty 
 seven caissons, six forges, four battery wagons, sixty- 
 four artillery horses, completely equipped, five hundred 
 thousand of small arm ammunition, four thousand five 
 hundred sets rounds of accoutrements, over five hundred 
 muskets, some nine regimental and garrison flags, with 
 a large number of pistols, knapsacks, swords, canteens, 
 blankets, a large store of axes and entrenching tools, 
 wagons, ambulances, horses, camp and garrison equi- 
 page, hospital stores, and some subsistence. 
 
 Added to these results may rightly be noticed here 
 that by this battle an invading army superbly equipped, 
 within twenty miles of their base of operations, has been 
 converted into one virtually besieged, and exclusively 
 occupied for months in the construction of a stupendous 
 series of fortifications for the protection of its own capi- 
 tal. 
 
 I beg to call attention to the reports of the several sub- 
 ordinate commanders for reference to the signal parts 
 played by individuals of their respective commands. — 
 Contradictory statements, found in these reports, should 
 not excite surprise, when we remember how difficult, if 
 not impossible, it is to reconcile the narrations of by- 
 standers, or participants in even the most inconsiderable 
 affair, much less the shifting, thrilling scenes of a battle 
 field. 
 
 Accompanying are maps showing the positions of the 
 
>><> 
 
 armies on the morning of the 21st July, and of threM 
 several stages of the battle ; also of the line of Bull run> 
 north of Blackburn's Ford. These maps, from actuafe 
 surveys made by Captain D. B. Harrison, assisted bj 
 Mr. John Grant, were drawn by the latter -with a rare 
 delicacy worthy of high commendation. 
 
 In conclusion, it is proper, and doubtless expected, 
 that through this report my countrymen should be made 
 acquainted with some of the sufficient causes that pre- 
 vented the advance of our forces, and prolonged vigorous 
 pursuit of the enemy to and beyond the Potomac. The 
 War Department has been fully advised long since of all 
 of these causes, some of which only are proper to be 
 here communicated. An army which had fought like 
 ours on that day against uncommon odds, under a July 
 sun, most of the time without water and without food, 
 except a hastily snatched meal at dawn, was not in con- 
 dition for the toil of an eager, effective pursuit of an 
 enemy immediately after the battle. 
 
 On the following day an unusual heavy and uninter- 
 mitting fall of rain intervened to obstruct our advance 
 with reasonable prospect of fruitful results. Added to 
 this, the want of a cavalry force of sufficient numbers, 
 made an efficient pursuit a military impossibility. 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 G. T. BEAUREGARD, 
 
 General Commanding. 
 
 To General S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector General, 
 Richmond, Va. 
 
 R. H. CHILTON, Adjutant. 
 
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