o IN AUGUST. 186-'. 'Ii:*#»- i mm Pft OB u uv^ L:m ^ -mf v'^^Wv^^i \^*^4 M i\ / I' LIEUT. GEN-L JURAL A. EARL Class, E47J .n Book >E (3 LIEUT. GEN'L JUBAL A. EARLY 'SO D III STPO PP 1 u IN ALKiUST, 1862. AN ADDRESS -BY— Lieut Gen'lJUBAL A. EARLY KI'.FORK THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETINC jr OV THK Associaticju of the Maryland Line, TCXiF.THKR WITH THE 1 ■"■ » 1 PROCEEDINGS AT THE THIRD ANNUAL BANQUET ^ I . % Ol'' THE S9CIETV or THE AR»7 AND NAV7 OF IHS CDKFEDEEATE STATES, IN THE STATI". Ol" MARYLAND. 1 ^ \3 J First Annual Meetinc; of the Association of the Maryland Line, at the Academy of Music, Baltimore February 22, i8S^. The meeting was called to order by Maj. Gen'l I. R. Trimble, the senior Governor of the Association, who introduced General Bradley T. Johnson, the President, who he said would bring to their attention matters of deep interest to all Marylanders and to which he invoked their serious consideration. General Johnson said : Ladies and Gentlemen : We welcome you with pleasure to this first annual meeting of the Association of the Maryland Line, and we thank you for the cordial greeting you have given us. We have organized ourselves for the purpose of collecting materials for the history of the battles and the bivouacs, the marches and the campaigns of Maryland men in the Confederate Army, and of trying to make some provision for our infirm, disabled and broken comrades, disabled by wcnmds or broken by the hard- ships of fortune and of time. We have succeeded greatly in the first object of our endeavors, for we have collected copies of the muster rolls of every Regiment, Battalion and Battery, and are engaged in gathering those of Maryland companies which served in South Carolina and Virginia regiments. Our record is approach- ing completion. The pious labor of caring for our comrades still presses us. As the march lengthens, more and more of them fall out of ranks. We have neither pensions or bounties to hope for, nor to relv on, ^Maryland has given ten millions in bounties to soldiers who enlisted in Maryland regiments on the Union side, and the Union has bestowed two hundred millions in pensions for its defenders. We can only look to ourselves, and to that kind-hearted sympathy and love, which in Maryland has never failed the unfortunate. We hope in time to found a home in which old and infirm Con- federate soldiers may be tenderly and respectfully sheltered, and that their old age and honorable scars may be spared at least the public poorhouse. We ask alms troiii no one; we beg' no obelus for Belisarius. We do desire the aid of sympathizing- hearts and generous hands. We will continue our efforts with faith in our success. After this brief e.\j)lanation of the objects of our organ- ization, I perform a duty incumbent on me, which is alike a pleas- ure and an honor, of introducing to vou a soldier whose genius and courage ha\e won for liim an illustrious ])lace in the annals of the art of war, and his devotion, sincerity and patriotism the innermost one in the hearts of his countrymen. I introduce to you Lieut. Gen. Jubal A. Early, late commander of the second cor])s ot the Armv of Northern Virginia. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Maryland Line ; MY friends and COMRADES OF THE ArMY AND NaVY OF THE Confederate States ; Ladies and Gentlemen :— When I consented to deliver an address before this Association, and selected the subject of that address, I had no thought that the campaign of August, 1S62, in Northern Virginia, would, in any way, be involved in any question or discussion that might arise in Congress, during its present session. It was, therefore, with no reference whatever to the questions which have arisen before that body that I selected my subject. I have long thought the cam- paign I refer to was not fully appreciated, even by many Confed- erate officers who participated in it ; and I know that some have entertained \ery erroneous views and made very inaccurate state- ments in regard to it. It was my fortune to bear a more active part in that campaign, from its beginning to its close, than any officer, now surviving, who was engaged in it on our side ; and I think I know more in respect to its operations, especially those conducted by him whose command bore the most conspicuous part, than any man now liv- ing. Hence it was that I selected that campaign as the subject of my address ; and I bespeak your indulgence while I attempt to describe it to you. As a matter of necessity, I shall be compelled to omit, or iiotice very briefly, many interesting events, bv reason of the limited time and space which I feel warranted in devoting to the subject on this occasion. Campaign against pope in i^ugu^t, 1862. The operations of the Army of Northern Virginia, under Gen- eral Lee, at the close of June and beginning of July, 1862, against the forces under McClellan, generally known as the "Seven days' Battles," had resulted in relieving Richmond of the siege threaten- ing that City, and forced McClellan to take refuge at his "new base" on James River, where it was impracticable to attack him except at great disadvantage. The Army then returned to the vicinity of Richmond, for the purpose of repose after its arduous and harras.'s- ing struggle, and to be convenient to the needed supplies. A new commander, Major general John Pope, had now appeared in Northern X'iroinia, East of the Hhie Ridge and North of the Rapidan, at the Iiead of an army styled the "Army of Virginia," and composed of the corps of McDowell, Banks, and Fremont — th<' latter then commanded by Sigel. General Pope, on assuming his new command, had gone to it on a train decked with banners and Hying streamers, and had issued a bombastic and vain-glorious address to his troops, in which he said : "1 have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies — from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary and beat him when found — whose policy has been attack, not defence, '^ "' '■' I presume I have been called here to pursue the same sjstem, and to lead you against the enemy." He said further to his troops: "I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases which I am sorry to find much in vogue among you. I hear constantly of taking strong positions and holding them — of lint-s of retreaL and bases of supplies. Let us discard such ideas. — The strongest position which a soldier should desire to occupy is the one from which he can most easilv advance upon the enemy. Let us study the probable lines of retreat of our opponents, and lea\e our own to take care of themselves. Let us look before and not behind. Suc- cess and gloryare in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear." He also proclaimed that his " In acl-quarters would be in the saddle." He subsequently issued an order, in w hich he directed that his troops should subsist upon the country in which their operations were carried on ; and two others of a more barbarous character, whose atrocities it is needless to specify. He was certainly pro- ducing a great commotion in the poultry yards of the worthy ma- trons of that region, whose husbands or sons were absent in the service of their state and country, when (leneral Lee sent Stone- wall Jackson to look after this redoubtable warrior. General Jackson's command, at that time, consisted of his own division of four brigades, Lawton's, Winder's, Taliaferro's, and J. R. Jones's,* Ewell's division of three brigades, Trimble's, Hays's, and my own, and twelve batteries of artillery of about four guns each. Ewell's division, which was in the advance, reached Gordonsville about the middle of July. Jackson's division soon followed, and General Jackson himself arrived on the 19th. Robertson's brigade of cavalry, of four regiments, and Captain Elijah White's indepen- dent company of cavalry, reached the vicinity about the time of Ewell's arrival. About the last of July, General A. P. Hill's division arrived, it ha\ ing been ordered to re-inforce General Jackson. In the mean- time, there had been several small skirmishes and fights with por- tions of the enemy's cavalry, which crossed the Rapidan on recon- noitring- expeditions and advanced to Orange C. H., and on one or two occasions towards Gordonsville ; but of these it is not ne- cessary to speak more particularly. On the 30th of July, General Halleck, who had been appointed General in chief of the U. S. Army, with his residence at Wash- ington, telegraphed McClellan : "A dispatch just received from General Pope says that deserters report that the ememy is moving south of James River, and that the force in Richmond is very small. I suggest he be pressed in that direction, so as to ascertain the facts of the case." On the 31st, he again telegraphed McClellan: "General Pope again telegraphs that the enemy is reported to be evacuating Rich- mond and falling back on Danville and Lynchburg." On the ist of August, General Jackson's whole command, exclu- sive of the cavalry,- but including the artillery, could not have ex- ceeded 20,000 officers and men, for duty. I have in my possession, no\A', the original monthly returns of the brigades of Ewell's division for the month of July, and the office copy of the consolidated returns for the division, all dated the 31st of the month, and these show present for duty on that day, in the infantry and artillery of the division, 4,801 officers and men, including among the officers all general and staff oflficers, and even *NOTE. — This brigade is called "Campbell's brigade" in ( Jeneral Jackson's report, from the fact tiiat it had been commanded by Colonel (Campbell ibn-ing the Valley Campaign of 18()2; but General J. 11. Jones had been assigned to it, and was in command of it during a portion of the seven days battles He was now absent sick. In some of the repoits it is called the '^ind brigade." the sui'oeons and chaplains. I ha\^e also the orig'inal return of Lavvton's brigade for the 13th of August, when it was transferred to Ewell's division, and that shows present for duty in the infantry and artillery of the brigade, 2,099 officers and men. This brigade had not been engaged in the battle of Cedar Run, and the return lullv covers its strength on the 1st of the month. The other three brigades of Jackson's division were very small, and 3,000 would probably cover their whole strength. The whole command, there- fore, did not exceed 9,900, exclusive of the cavalry, before the ar- rival of Hill's di\-ision. That division, as shown by the returns given by Colonel Walter H. Taylor, in his "Four years with Gen- eral Lee," had, on the 20th of July, the date of the last return given before the campaign against Pope, for duty, 519 officers and 10,104 enlisted men — in all 10,623. Jackson's whole command, therefore, after Hill's arrival, exclusive of the cavalry, could not have much exceeded 20,000 officers and men for duty, and its effective force, which embraces only enlisted men for duty, was considerably less. The cavalry could not have reached 1,500. Poi)e, in his testimony before the Committee on the conduct of the war, on the 8th of July, 1862, said: "I have a movable force, aside from the few troops that are here around Washington and in the intrenchments, of about 43,000 men." He further said : "I have no apprehension, with my troops sta- tioned in that position, [that is, off on the flanks of any opposing force,] although I have but 43,000 men, tliat even 80,000 of the enemy would be able to get to Washington at all." In his official report, dated January 27th, 1863, speaking of the strength of his three corps at the time he was assigned to the com- mand, (June 26th,) he says, "Their effective strength of infantry and artillery, as reported to me, was as follows : Fremont's corps, eleven thou.sand five hundred strong; Banks's corps reported at fourteen thousand five hundred but in reality only about eight thousand ; McDowell's corps eighteen thousand four hundred, making a total of thirty-eight thousand men. The cavalry num- bered about five thousand, but most of it was badly mounted and armed, and in poor condition for service." Thus he estimates his available effective strength at 43,000 men, by deducting 6,400 from Banks's official return-count that and there would be 49,400. It must be borne in mind that the effective strength of an army, embraces only the enlisted men for duty who bear arms. Tl'.c statement of Pope, that most of his cavalry "was badly mounted and armed, and in poor condition for service," is calcu- lated to elicit a smile from the survivors of our cavalry, when thev recollect that they had to furnish their own horses, and that nearly all their arms were captured from the enemy. On the 6th of August, Halleck telegraphed McClellan : "You will immediately send a regiment of cavalry and several batteries of artillery to Burnside's command at Aquia Creek. It is reported that Jackson is moving North with a very large force." Pope was now calling lustily for re-inforcements, and they were getting badly scared at Washington. Battle of Cedar Run or Slaughter's Mountain. Having been informed that a portion of Pope's force was at Culpeper C. H., on the 6th of August, General Jackson determined to advance against it, with the hope of defeating it before re-inforce- ments could arrive, and orders were given for that purpose. At this time Ewell's division was encamped near Liberty Mills, on the road to Madison C. H., Hill's at Orange C. H., and Jackson's in the vicinity of Gordonsville, while the cavalry watched the cross- ings of the Rapidan. Ewell's division moved first and crossed the Rapidan, at Liberty Mills, early on the morning of the 7th. being preceded by the 6th Virginia cavalry, under Colonel T. S. Mournoy, and White's company. The cavalry moved out in the direction of Madison C. H., while Ewell turned to the right and moved to the vicinity of Barnett's Ford, where a road to Culpeper C. H. crosses the Rapidan, and bivouacked for the night. The other divisions were to cross at this ford on the 8th and follow Ewell's. Early on the morning of the 8th Ewell's division moved past Barnett's Ford, and drove a cavalry picket from it. Robert- son then crossed at that ford with three of his regiments, and, passing to the front, encountered a considerable force of the enemy's cavalry, which he drove across Robertson River, on the road to Culpeper C. H., pursuing it some three or four miles beyond that river. Ewell's division crossed Robertson River early in the day, and bivouacked on its north bank, to await the arrival of the other divisions to within supporting distance. Jack- son's division crossed at Barnett's Ford late in the day, but no part of Hill's crossed until the morning of the 9th. lO On the morning of that day, Ewell's division moved to the froi-ft with my brig^ade in advance, until we reached the point to \vhicli Robertson had advanced with his cavalry, and we found it about eight or nine miles from Culpeper C. H.. confronted by a consid- erable force of the enemy's cavalry in some fields between the Culpeper road and Slaughter's Mountain on the right. Between the Culpeper road and and the base i)f the mountain, there is a valley, on a branch of Cedar Run, in which are the large fields of several adjacent farms, the valley as well as the mountain being entirely on the East or right of the road. The country on the West or left of the road, at this point, is inostly wooded, and the road crosses one or two small streams or rivulets running from the West, leaving narrow strips of woodland on the side next the valley, which is otherwise cleared of timber to and beyond the northern end of the mountain ; on the northern slope of which is the farm and dwelling of the Rev. Mr. Slaughter. Cedar Run flows beyond, in a south-easterly direction, past the base of the northern end of the mountain. After a reconnoissance of the enemy's cavalry, some pieces of artillery opened fire on it, causing it to retire; but some of the enemy's pieces, which were concealed from our view, soon re- sjionded, and the cavalry returned to its former position. My brigade w^as now moved out on the Culpeper road, to its intersection with a road from Madison C. H. about a mile from the point at which we found Robertson. It was here concealed from the view of the enemy by the woods, and his cavalry was con- cealed from my view by an intervening ridge in the field where it was posted. Trimble's brigade was moved to the right into a body of pines near the base of the mountain, Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno, being in the rear, near a house at which we found Robertson. About one o'clock, in the afternoon, I received an order from General Jackson, through a staff officer, to advance with my brigade on the road to Culpeper C. H., with the inform: tion that General Ewell would advance, on the right, over the northern slope of the mountain, with his other two brigades, and that I would be followed and supported by General Winder with three brigades of Jackson's d!\ision, Lawton's being in the rear guarding the trains; but I was directed not to begin the movement until Winder was in reach and ready to follow me. While waiting- to hear from Winder, General Robertson and myself rode out into the fields on my right, to ascertain the e.\act position of the enemy's cavalry. The road, a short distance in my front, crossed a small stream running fnjm tlie left, and then passed through a large body of woods, leaving a long narrow strip on the side next the enemy's cavalry. I could not therefore move along the road by flank in safety, and determined to move obliquely across the road upon the enemy, and then through the fields in line. ( )n my return t(j m\' command., I found a messenger from Winder, with the information that he was ready. The brigade, w hich had been diminished on the advance, in the morning, by a regiment and six companies of another detached to picket some side roads, was then moved into a meadow on the stream in my front, on the right t)f the r(jad, and from that point advanced against the enemy, with the 13th Virginia, under Colonel James A. Walker, deployed as skirmishers to cover my left flank. Colonel Walker was ordered to advance to the hunt through the woods, clear the road, and gradually oblique to the right, so as to rejoin the brigade on its left, as it nn)\ed to the front through the fields. The left of Colonel Walker's skirmish line encountered about a squadron of ca\ airy, on mo\'ing forward, which A\as driven off by a fire from that flank, and when the brigade reached the crest of the ridge, behind which the main body of the cavalry was posted, the latter was found mounted with the vedettes drawn in, the alarm of approaching danger having been given by the firing on Walker's left. A few shots from the brigade, and from the right of Walker's skirmishers, sent the enemy scampering to the rear. The brigade then wheeled to the^ left and moved forward through the fields, until it came to a farm road leading from Mrs. Crittenden's house, on the right, to and across the Culpeper road. At the point where the farm road crossed the Culpeper road, the latter emerged from the woods, and, running for about three hundred yards, with a prolongation of the main body of woods on the left and a field on its right, passed between a wheatfield on the left and a cornfield on the right, and then crossed a ridge. Walker had continued to cover my left with his skirmishei's, but he now rejoined the brigade and formed his regiment on its left flank. 12 Tlu' l)ri_o;ulc had acKanccd about a half ov throe quarters of a mik; wvv iai)i(llv, after com in t>- ujx.)!! the enemy's ca\ahy, and time was !L;i\(ii ii to breathe a few minutes. A fi'uee enelosiui; the lield in our front, and beside which the farm road ran, was then pulled down, and the brigade advanced intit the licld lo ihe crest of a low ridt^c, when a considerable body of the ememv's caxalrv was discoxered drawn up on the ridge on the opposite side of the wheatfield, in front (jf a body oi woods on that ridge ; and at the same time three batteries of artillery opened from behind the crest of the same ridge, and in our front. No iiifaiitrv had yet been seen, but it was manifest, from the bc^ldness with which the cavalry confronted us, and the opening of the batteries, that there must be a heavy force of infantry concealed bv the ridge in our front, and 1 therefore halted the brigade, and made the men cover themselves as well as they could, by moving a few steps to tlie rear and Iving clown. I then sent a request to General Winder to move up. The position which I now occupied, was in an uncultivated field in Mrs. Crittenden's farm. Immediately on my right, but a little advanced, was a clump of cedars, on the most ele\ated j)artof the gromid, from which point there was a sloi)e, to the right, to low fields or bottoms on the branch of Cedar Run, all the country be- tween us and the base of the mountain, the northern extremity ot which was oj^posite my right, consisting of cleared fields. On my left was the body of woods beside which the road ran, and in front of this woods was the wheatfield, with the shocks of wheat still standing, in the hollow between the two ridges and at the upper end of that hollow. Immediately in my front the ground sloped down to a small drain running from the wheatfield acro.ss the road, and bevond that drain was the cornfield. On the left of the road, where it cro.ssed the ridge in my front, was the body of woods in front of which the ca\alry was drawn up, but there was none on the right of the road. Immediately after sending back for Winder, I sent for some ar- tillery, but my request had been anticipated, and Captain Brown of the Chesapeake Artillery, with one gun from his battery, and Captain Di'uient of the ist Maryland Battery, with three guns, soon came dashing uj) through the fields, and were |)osted near the clump of cedars. They immediately opened on the enemy's cav- 13 airy ajid artillery, causing the former to retire speedily, through the woods over the ridge. General Winder, moving by flank along the road, soon came iq) with his ad\'ance, and some of the guns of Jackson's division were brought into action, near the point where the road emerges from the woods, under the super\ ision of Major Andrews, chief of artillery for the division. Ewell had by this time reached the plateau on the northern slope of the mountain, ancl caused two batteries with him to open also on the enemy. I had posted a regiment, the i2th (ieorgia, on the right of Brown's and Dement's guns to protect them, as there was a wide uncovered space between them and Ewell's position on the moun- tain. The cannonade had now become very brisk, ami I disco\ered that one of the enemy's batteries had been com})elled to change its position. As the brigades under Winder came up, they were moved into the woods confronting the wheatfield on the left of the road. Being in a position to obserxe the nature of the ground in front, I sent the information to General Winder that, h\ moving a force around the upper end of the wheatfield, and through the woods on the opposite ridge, he could get on the tiank of the enemv's batteries. In a few moments, howexer, I discovered, by the glistening of the muskets and Ijayonets in that wootl, though the men could'nt be seen, that the enemy was stealthily sending an infantry force to our left, and I immediately sent a stafl officer to inform General Win der of the fact, and caution him to look out for his left flank. Mv messenger found that that gallant ofticer had just been mortally wounded by a shell, and the message was deH\ere(l to General Jackson in person, he having arri\ed on the field. General Wm. B. Taliaferro now succeeded to the command of the three brigades of Jackson's division that were up. Taliaferro's own brigade, now commanded by Colonel Taliaferro, was imme- diately on my left — ^Jones's brigade, under Colonel Garnett, was on the left of Taliaferro's, facing the wheatfield, with its left extend- ing to another narrow field running back from the wheatfield. Winder's brigade, the Stonewall, under Colonel Ronald, was in reserve in rear of Garnett's left. When the artillery fire had continued about two hours after the enemy's batteries fii'st opened on my brigade, I discovered his in- u fantry acKancino in line tlii-oui^li \hc cornricUl, pri'cctlfd h\' a line ot skirmishers, hul it halted and la\- d(i\\ ii before yettint; within nuisket ranm', l>ein^ pai'lialU' roncraled 1)\- the ^mwin!^ eorn which was inoi'e' than head-hij^h. Ihis hne dI intanlr\' ii\ eiiajjped my I'is^ht llank. and 1 sent a recpiest to ("leneral [ackson for a hri- i>ade to j)ost on that tlank, and it was promised. lU-lore it arriwd, liowever, two Itatteries attached to Hill's di\ison, l^e^ram's and I'k-el's, which came npon the field in adxance of the di\ ision, snd- deiiK' dashed to the Iront ot the left o| m\' brigade, and comnicn- ced nnlinilicrino- within mnskct ranQe of the enemy's skirmisliers, which, with the line in icar, innnrdiateh' arose and advanced firing. Seeing that the gnns wonld !)<■ (-apt>n'e(l or disabled, unless sup- ported immediately, I ordered my brigade forward at a double- quick, and it arri\-ed just in time to saxc the guns. About this time, Major Snow (len Andrews, while mo\ ing some of the guns of Jack- son's di\ ision to an adxanced position, received a frightful wound Irom a bursting shell, which the surgeons pronounced mortal, but the Major determined to live, and did live and recover in spite of the doctors. As soon as the satetv of Mill's batteries was secured, the I2th (xeorgia was mo\ cd nj), and posted on the crest of a small ridge leading out Irom the main one and ai'ound in tiont of the clump of cedars, so as to haw an obli(|ue Hank tire on the r ninety, with the enemy 21 directly between you ready to fall with his superior numbers upon one or the other as he may elect : neither can re-inforce the other in case of such an attack." On the 9th he telegraphed McClellan : ''I am of the opinion the enemy is massing his forces in front of Generals Pope and Burnside, and that he expects to crush them and move forward to the Potomac. You must send re-inforce- ments instandy to Aquia Creek" After the battle of Cedar Run, the .spectre of "overwhelming numbers" at Richmond, and a speedy advance on Washington, assumed a fearful shape, and Halleck became frantic in his direc- tions to McClellan to hasten the evacuation, and send forward re-inforcements to avert the threatened disaster. Burnside, with 13,000 men from the coast of North Carolina, on his way to join McClellan, had previously been diverted from that destination and sent to the vicinity of Fredericksburg. On the 14th in response to Halleck, McClellan telegraphed : ■'Movement has commenced by land and water. All sick will be away to-morrow night. Every thing done to carry out your orders. I don't like Jackson's movements ; he will suddenly appear when least expected." There were none on that side who did like Jackson's movements, when he was on the war-path ; and on this occasion he certainly caused Richmond to be entirely relie\^ed of the danger of a threatened siege, not to be renewed for the period of two years, and until he himself was in his grave. On the 14th of August, Reno, with 8,000 men of Burnside's corps joined Pope's army. ADVANCE AGAIN.ST POPE. Having ascertained that McClellan was sending troops to re- inforce Pope, General Lee, on the 13th, ordered General Long- street, with his division, D.R. Jones's division, two brigades under (jeneral Hood, and Evans's brigade to Gordonsville. General Stuart was ordered to the same vicinity with Fitz Lee's brigade of cavalry, and General R. H. Anderson was ordered to follow Longstreet with his di\'ision. Longstreet ha\ing arrived. General Jackson's command was moved in the direction of Somerville Ford on the Rapidan, on the 15th, and camped three or four miles from '>') the ford. Tlic comnKind had not bi'cn increased since the battle of Cedar Kini, but Law ton's lirigade had been transferred to Ewell's (li\ ision, and the Louisiana briii^ade, previously under Colonel Stal- tord but now under General Starke, had been transferred from Hill's di\ision to Jackson's. A day or two before the 20th, the 49th \'ir- oiniii, under Colonel Wni. Smith, joined my brigade, and this c(mi- stitnted the sole accession to (ieneral Jackson's command ; but it did not number one-third of the loss at Cedar Run. Cencral Lee haxing arrix'ed and assumed command, a forward movement was commenced on the 20th, which was to have begun on the iSth; l)ul Pope, having learned tlie intended mo\cment from a dispatch to Stuart, which was captured by a party ot the enemy's cavalry, hastilv retired across the Rappahannock. On the 20th. (ieneral |ackson crossed at Somerville Ford, and bivouacked for the night near .Stevensburg in Culpcper County. He was preced- ed by three regiments of Robertson's ca\ airy brigade, accom- panied by General Stuart in person. ( )n the same (la\- Longstreet, preceded by Fitz Lee's brigade of ca\alry, c-rossc-d lower down at Raccoon Ford, and moved to the ^•icinity of Kelley's Ford on the Rappahannock. Robertson's cavalry encountered a superior force of the enemy's caxalry near Brandy Station, which was driven, across the Rappahannock, after a sharp engagement, h'it/ Lee also encountered a force of cavalry at Kelley's Ford, and droxe it across the river. On the 2 1 St, (ieneral Jackson moved past Brandy Station to Beverly's Ford on the Rappahannock, at which point, Stuart, who preceded the infantry column with Robertson's brigade and two regiments of Fitz Lee's, under Colonel Ro.sser, .sent Rosser across with his two regiments, and Robertson cro.ssed subsequently at a ford farther up. Tiiere was heavy artillery firing here across the river from liolh sides, but the enemy appearing on the o{>j3osite *h mk in large force, it was determined to seek a crossing farther to our left — Rosser and Robertson having been withchaw n on the ap- proach of the enemy in force. On the ne.Kt day, the 22nd, General Jackson crossed Hazel River and moved to a point opposite the Fauquier Sul])hur Springs, Ewells division being in the advance ; but Trimble's brigade was left near the crossing of Hazel River to protect the trains as they passed. In the meantime Longstreet had moved up from Kelley's Ford, in order to cover the ford at the rail-road bridge and the 2.^ crossings above, so as to mask General Jackson's movement to the left. Taliaferro had been left with Jackson's division to cover Bev- erly's F'ord until relieved, and there was again some cannonading- at that point across the river in the morning. In the afternoon, a con- siderable force of the enemy which had crossed at Freeman's Ford, above the junction of the two streams, was attacked by Trimble's brigade, supported by Hood's two brigades, which had arrived to relieve it, and, after a severe conflict, Trimble succeeded in dri\ing the enemy across the livev with se\'ere loss. Late in the afternoon, the 13th Georgia regiment of Lawton's brigade, and Brown's and Dement's batteries were crossed over the rner at the Sulphur Springs, a small force of cavalrv having retired on our ad\-ance, after destroying the bridge. Mv own iMigade was crossed over about a mile lower down, and mo\'ed to the front, where I took position in a body of pine woods. I was told that Lawton would cross ^\ith his whole brigade at the Springs, and I was directed to communicate with him. It was intended that Havs's brigade should cross at the same point at which I crossed, but be- iore I got o\er it was nearly night, and the crossing of that brigade was deferred until the next morning. It was dark before my !)ri- gacle was in ]:)Osition and pickets thrown out. I found on my left a road leading through the woods from Rappahannock Station to the Springs, and as soon as my dispositions were made I sent a volunteer aide. Major A. L. Pitzer, to find General Lawton at the Springs. It was now quite dark ; there had been a hea\y shower in the afternoon, and the muttering of thunder and flashing of light- ning foretold a storm. On reaching the vicinity of the S])rings, the Major came upon a party of cavalry-men, a sergeant and h\e privates, to whom his presence was disclosed by the flash of the lightning. He was immediately made a prisoner and disarmed, when this party, 'which passed up the road just before my arri\^al, started back with him; l)ut he so worked upon their fears that he brought in the whole party as prisoners, with 'their horses, arms and equipments. This incident prevented an\- fuithcr effort to communicate with ( xcneral Lawton that night. During the night, the threatened storm burst upon us, and the rain poured down in torrents. At light next morning I disco\ered the Rappahannock out of its banks, and I found myself cut ofl' from the rest of the army except the force at the .Springs. In a short tiiiK" I received a \trl)al iiifssa,Q:c from General Jackson, In' a sergeant of one of the batteries at the Springs, which had been comnaunicated across the ri\er : and by this I was directed to move up to the Springs, take command of all the forces there, and make preparations for defence. I was also informed that only the 13th Georgia, under Colonel Douglas, of Lawton's brigade, had crossed over at the Springs ; and that General Jackson was having the bridge repaired, and would have it in condition for infantry to pass over as soon as [)ossible. I had previously sent a note to General Ewell or General Jack- son, whichever should be hrst met with, suggesting that my brigade and the force at the Springs be moved up the rixer to Waterloo bridge, to escape capture, which seemed to be inevitable under the circumstances. This had been sent by a messenger with directions to him to swim the river, and, after the delivery of the verbal message, I received a note from General Jackson, in reply to mine, in which the verbal instructions were repeated, and I was further directed, if the enemy appeared in too heavy force for me, to move up the ri\'er along the bank to Waterloo bridge, with the assurance that he would follow on the other side with his whole force and protect me with his artillery. I mo\cd up to the Springs as soon as practicable, and posted my brigade in a woods, a short distance below, near which Colonel Douglas had already posted his regiment and the batteries. I found, north of the Springs, a stream called Great Run, which emptied into the Rappahannock below my position of the night before, and that was also imjiassi- ble, it being fortunately between us and the enemy. A bridge over it, which was partially flooded, had been destroyed by Colonel Douglas, and we were safe for a time at least. Only a small body of cavalry had at that time made its appearance on the opposite side of this stream. In order [o j)revent surprise from •below, two regiments were posted on the road from that direction, and we awaited events with great anxiety, as a matter of course. My greatest apprehension was of a movement of the enemy from the direction of Warrenton, but fortunately he had no force there at that juncture. It took longer to repair the bridge than had been expected, and in the meantime Great Run had iallen rapidly, -and in the afternoon was in a condition to be crossed. The enemy was now moving up from below in heavy force, on a road that ran f?eyond Cireat Run towards Warrenton, his trains and troops ^5 beint>- partially visible to us. My command was entirely concealed from the enemy by the woods in which it was posted, but it was evident that he was aware of the fact that a force was on that side of the river, and from the caution with which he moved he must have thought it very much larger than it really was. The day before, Stuart, with his cavalry, had crossed at Water- loo Bridge above, and made a raid at night into Pope's head-quar- ter train near Catlett's Station — he did not however get into his saddle. He captured what was supposed to be Pope's uniform, and his dispatch book, besides making captures of horses and prisoners, and then retired in safety alter having created great dismay and confusion. Fortunately for us, he did not capture General Pope himself The consternation produced by this raid doubtless con- tributed very greatlv to the safety of my command in its isolated position. Late in the afternoon, a hea\v column of infantry, accompanied by artillery, made its appearance on the heights opposite my right flank. About this time. General Robertson, who had been on the raid with Stuart, arrived with two or three of his regiments and two pieces of artillery, from the direction of Warrenton, and his pieces were posted on a ridge north of the Springs, and opened on the enemy. This tire was responded to by some of the enemy's guns, and I had two Parrot guns of Brown's battery sent to the assist- ance of Robertson's guns, when a brisk cannonade ensued which lasted until near sunset. Care had been taken to post these guns so far to my left, that the fire directed at them could not affect my infantry. After this artillery firing ceased, a column of the enemy's infant- ry advanced to the bank of Great Run, just in front of the right of the woods in which my brigade was posted, and other bodies of infantry were discovered moving around to the left, though bare- ly visible through the mist and approaching darkness. The column that had reached Great Run, moved up and formed line in front of the woods where my brigade was, and after giving three cheers and a tiger in regular style, poured a volley into the woods. Two of Dement's Napoleons were immediately run out beyond my left, and opened with cannister on the enemy, causing him to change his tunc very suddenly. The fire from Dement's 26 t^uiis had to l)c directed by tlic noise tlie i'ncin\- made, as the at- mosphere was hazy and it was i^cttiii^ daik. It was so well chrec- ted, howev'er, that the toree that made the ad\ance was thiow n into contusion, and soon retired, It was now evident that my command was confronted by a \ery iiea\ y force, and that jjreparations were being' made to sniround it. Anotlier ol Law ton's re^^iments liad b\- this lime crossed o\er on the bridge, which had been partially repaired. I sent a messenger to ( ienerals Mwell and Jackson to intorni them ol' the condition ot things, and the lest ol l.auton's l)rigade was crossed oxer after n'ght. When ( ieneral l.awlon himself arrixed, about i o'clf)ck at nigiu, he inloi med me that General Jackson had instructed (Gene- ral Kwell to cross owv himself at dax'light, and if it was exident that a hea\ V lorcx- was contronting me, t(t withdraw the two bri- gades, as it was not desired to ha\"e a genti al engagement at that j)lace. On hearing this, 1 immediatcK- (Hsi)atehed a messi-nger to Kwt'll, to inform him that there was no doubt about the size of the enem\''s force, and ii we were to be wilhdi-aw ii, the witlidrawal had better begin at oncx', as by day-break the enem\- would, in all prol)- abilitv, ha\ (• artillerx' in position to <-onunand the- bridge, the sound of moxing wheels arf)und to m\- h'ft indicating some suc-h j)urpose. A little after three o'clock, ( ieneral Kx\eil came o\er, and after consultation with (jcnerals l.awlon and mvself g.ixe the necessar\- orders lor our withdraw al, ihoiigh \ c'r\- rehictanth, as he insisted the enemy was retreating. Law ton's brigade went first, carrying e)ver tlu^ artillerv by hand, ,ind mv brigade followed just as it became fairly light. As Ewell and myself rode off in rear of my brigade, the enemy's infantry was disco\-ered ad\ aneing in line, with skirmishers in front, and the corps of Sigei, Banks, and Reno soon ])assed oxer the yery ground we had occupied, and took position near the .Sjirings. A heavy artillerx' duel then ensued between tlu' batteries of the enemy and those of Hill's dixision which enntinued lor some hours. In the afternoon, .Sigel j)ursued an imagin.uy loe in the direction ol Waterloo Bridge, as all of oiu- caxalry as well a> the iniantrx' and artiller\- had recrossed the rixer in safety. ( )n the 2ist, Halleck telegraiihed i'ope: "I hax (' just sent ( ieneral Burnside's rei)ly. (ieneral ("o.x's !''MTes are coming in from I'arkersbing, and will be liere to-morrow and 27 next dav. Dispute everv inch ol oround, and fight like the devil until we can re-inforce vou. Forty-eight hours ukuc and we can make you strong" enough. Don't \-ield an inch il you can help it." On the 23d Pope telegraphed Halleck: ■' The enemy's forces on this side, which have crcxssed at Sulphur Springs and Hedgeman's ri\ er, are cut oft trom those on the other side. I march at once with my whole force on Sulphur Springs, Waterloo bridge, and Warrenton, with the hope to destroy these forces before the rWev runs down." On the 24th, at 3.45 P. M., he wrote Halleck: " I arrived in Warrenton last night ; the enemy had left twcj hours previously. Milroy's brigade, the advance of .Sigel's corps, came upon the enemy late yesterday afternoon near ( ireat Run, about four miles from Warrenton Sulphur .Sj)rings, and near the mouth of it. A sharp action took place, which lasted till dark, the enemy being dri\en across Great Run, but destroying the bridge behind him. '■'•' '■'■' .Sigel's forces ad\anced again on the left this morning, and when last heard Irom was pursuing the enemy in the direction of Waterloo bridge. -'■ "•- '■'■■ Xo force of the enemy has yet been able to cro.ss, e.xce])t that now enclosed by our forces between Sulphur .Springs and Waterloo bridge, which will no doubt be captured, unless they hnci some means, of which 1 know nothing, ot escaping acr.iss the ri\er between these places." From these extracts, it will be seen in what a critical position I had been, and how^well Pope understood the condition of things. On the 23d, some of Longstreet's batteries, supported by two brigades of infantry, had forced a body of the enemy that were across the river at Rappahannock .Station, to recross at that point over a pontoon bridge, which was destroyed bv the enemy; and on the 24th, the ri\er slill being im[)as.sable, Longstreet's whole force had mowd np to the suppoit of (General fackson's command. The dispatch book captured by StuarL disclosed the fact that McClellan's army had evacuated Harrison's Landing, that a por- tion of it had already joined Pope, that the remainder was being s.nt to him over the Orange and Alexandria rail-road, and that Co.x's troops trom the Kanawha \ alley were being brought over the Baltimore and (Jiiio rail-road for the same purpose. General Lee, therelore, determined to send General fackson to the rear of 2^ Pope, to break the rail-road and thus separate him from the ap- proaching' re-inforcements, and to follow with I.onostreet's cf)ni- niand as s(jon as (ieneral Jackson was well on his way. MOVEMENT TO POPE'S REAR. The necessary orders having been oi\ en the (la\' before, early on the morning- of the 25th, General Jackson mo\t(l with his (Com- mand to Hinson's Mill, some miles above Waterloo Bridge, and crossed the ri\'er, called here Hedgeman's River. Then mo\ing by Orlean, the command reached the vicinity of Salem in Faucjiiier Coiintv, and bivouacked tor the night. All baggage wagons liad been left bi'hind, and no vehicles were allowed exce))! ordnance and h()S])ital wagons, and ambulances, — the men carrying three days' cooked rations in their haxersacks. The 2(\ X'irginia cavalry, under Colonel Munlbrd, preceded the command, picket- ing the side roads as the column passed on. Resuming the march early on the 26th, we passed White Plains, moved through Thoroughfare (iap in the Bull Run Mountain, and passing Hay- market, reached (iainesville, where the Manassas (jap rail -road crosses the Warrenton turnpike. .Stuart, with llie rest of the ca\alry of Fitz Lee's and Robertson's brigades, overtook us here in the afternoon, having very early that morning left the south bank of the Rappahannock, and followed General Jackson's route. F"rom this point, the column moxed towards Bristoe Station on the rail-road, preceded by Munford's regiment, which was Ibl- lowed by Hays's brigade, Ewell's division being in the advance. .Stuart's cavalry moved on the flank so as to protect the column from surprise or attack from the direction of the Rappahannock or Warrenton. Munford reached the station near night and found it guarded by a company of cavalry and a company of infantry. The cavalry galloped off, but the infantry took to the houses, and while Munford's command was skirmishing with it, a train ap- proached from the direction of the Rappahannock, which he cndea\'f)red to stop or throw from the track by placing cross-ties in front, but the train ran over all obstacles, and escaped in the direction of Manassas. Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno.soon arrived, and two other trains that were following were stopj^ed and captured by it. Munford captured some prisoners and hor.ses. The attention of General Jackson was now directed to the stores 29 and munitions at Manassas, about four miles from Bristoe, where it was learned a large supply had been collected. In regard to its capture, I give General Jackson's own word^ — He says : "Not- withstanding the darkness of the night, and the fatiguing march which would, since dawn, be over thirty miles, before reaching the Junction, Brigadier General Trimble volunteered to proceed there forthwith, with the 2ist North Carolina (Lieutenant Colonel Fulton commanding) and 21st Georgia (Major Glover commanding), in all, about 500 men, and capture the place. I accepted the gallant offer, and gave him orders to move without delay. In order to increase the prospect of success, Major General Stuart; with a por- tion of his cavalry, was subsequently directed to move forward, and, as the ranking ofhcer, to take command of the expedition. This duty was cheerfully undertaken by all who were assigned to it, and most promptly and successfully executed. Notwithstand- ing the Federal fire of musketry and artillery, our iniantry dis- persed the troops placed there for the defense of the place, and captured eight guns, with seventy-two horses, equipments, and ammunition complete, immense supplies of commissary and quar- termaster stores, upwards of two hundred tents; and General Trimble also reports the capture of o\er three hundred prisoners, and one hundred and seventy-five horses, exclusive of those be- longing to the artillery, besides recovering over two luuulred negroes." On the next day, the 27th, General Trimble occupied, with his brigade, the works constructed by our troops the yc;u- before. Ewell's division had reached Bristoe Station \ery late, and as soon as the place was secured and the trains caj:)tured, the three brigades left after Trimble was detached, were posted so as to cover the approaches along the rail-road from the direction ol Warrenton Junction. The other divisions. Hill's and Jackson's, bivouacked in the vicinity, and next morning were moved to the Junction. Soon after their arrival, a body of the enemy s infantry arrived on a train from Alexandria, and having gotten off the train, moved towards the Junction for the purpose of driving off the "raiding party." It was met by the fire oi two batteries and several brigades ot Hill's dixision, and driven back and pursued for some d. stance, the train on which it arrived being captured and destroyed, as was the rail-road bridge over Bull Run. 30 Ewell had bi-in left at Bristoe Station, with Lawton's. Hays's, and my bri^aclcs, to jjuaid tht ai)prt)ach from the direction of Warrenton Junrtion; but with instructions to retire in the direc- tion ot Manassas if a superior force ad\anced against him, as it was not desired to bring on a general engagement at that point. Lawton's brigade was posted on the left of the rail-road in advance of the station, Hays's on the right of it, and mine to the right of Hays's, but retired so as to be in echelon with it. The batteries were posted so as to command the front and flanks. Rosser, with his regiment of cavalry, was on out-post duty on our right flank. Colonel Forno, with some of his regiments, was sent on the morn- ing of this day, to destroy the bridge over Kettle Run and tear up the rail-road back towards the Station. He Ibund a train of cars beyond Kettle Run, which had just brought up a bodv of infantry, Init a few shots fiom a piece of artillery he had with him, soon sent the train back. He then left one regiment on picket in front, and set another to tearing up the track of the rail-road. It was thus that, while Pope had been resolutely looking to the front, without thought for his line of retreat or base of supplies. General Jackson had suddenly got on his line of retreat and cut him off from his base of supplies. As may well be conceived, this state of things created great confusion at Pope's head-quarters, and great consternation and dismay at Washington. Pope at first sui)j)osed it was a mere cavalry raid in small force, and caused one of his aides to send to Heintzelman, who had now joined him, the following order: " The Major General command- ing the army of \irginia directs me to send you the enclosed communication, and to request that you put a regiment on a train of cars and send it down immediatelv to Manassas, to ascertain what has occurred, repair the telegraph wires, and protect the rail-road there until fiu'ther orders." He was, however, soon undeceived, and thought perhaps it would be well to pay some attention to his own line of retreat, and leave ours to take care of itself He had now a very forcible illus- tration of the truth of his own declaration, that "disaster and shame lurk in the rear." Reynolds's dixision of Pennsylvania Reserves, and Heintzel- man's and Porter's corps from McClellan's army, and Piatt's brigade of Sturgis's division from Washington, had joined Pope 31 before this time. Other troops had evidently arrived, for in a letter to Halleck, dated the 25th, Pope said : "The troops arriving- here come in fragments. Am I to assign them to brigades and corps ? I would suppose not, as several of the new regiments coming have been assigned to army corps directly from your office." In his official report, he says: " As was to be expected, under such circumstances, the num- bers of the army under my conmiand had been greatly reduced by death, by wounds, by sickness, and by fatigue, so that, on the morning of the 27th of August, I estimated my whole effective force (and I think the estimate was large) as follows : Sigel's corps, nine thousand ; Banks's corps, five thousand ; McDowell's corps, including Reynolds's dixision, fifteen thousand five hun- dred ; Reno's corps, seven thousand ; the corps of Heintzelman and Porter (the freshest, by far, in that army,) about eighteen thcmsand men; making in all fifty-four thousand five hundred men. Our cavalry numbered, on paper, about four thousand ; but their horses were completely broken down, and there were not fi\e hundred men, all told, capable of doing such service as should be expected from cavalry," His own official return of the 31st of July had shown 41,140 in- fantry and artillery present for ciuty on that day, after the deduc- tion for the troops at Winchester and Front Riwal, and Reno had joined him with 8,000 men, making 49,140. Piatt's brigade num- bered 3,500, according to Pope's testimony on the trial of General Porter ; Reynolds's division numbered 2,500 when it joined him ; and putting Heintzelman's and Porter's corps at 18,000 — though, on the 20th of July, according to McCIellan's official return of that day, they numbered 37,353 aggregate for duty— and Pope's force of infantry and artillery should have been 73,140 effectives, with- out counting the new regiments he mentions. There must, there- fore, have been a loss of 18,640. Of that loss, 6,400 may be attri- buted to the confused state of Banks's mind, and, I presume, 3,000 more to the loss at Cedar Run. What became of the balance? His cavalry, on the 31st of July, numbered 8,738, with 3,000 unfit for service ; but it now numbered only 4,000 on paper, with 3,500 unfit for cavalry service. What had become of the other 4,738? 32 1 can't understand liow tlu- Fedciul annits always nunibt-rt'd so large on paper, and so small in the tield, as was generally the case according to their commanders. In the afternoon ot the 27th. a considerable force, which came up from the direction of Warrenton Junction, and proved to be Hooker's division of Heintzelman's corps, moved across Kettle Run against our adxanced regiments at Bristoe. One or two columns, apparently of brigades, were driven back, when the enemy commenced moxing towards our right, over open ground beyond the range of our guns, and the force whicli came in view was evidently much larger than the force Ewell then had. He, therefore, in accordance with his instructions, ordered a with- drawal, and directed me to cover that withdrawal with my brigade. Lawton's and Hays's brigades were successively withdrawn in good order, and then my brigade was withdrawn, taking successive lines of battli' back to the ford on Broad Run near the rail-road bridge- Lawton's brigade hatl first crossed the Run 'and formed line oi battle on the nortli bank, w ith some batteries in position, and then Hays's brigade crossed antl was t)rdered to Manassas. All the artillerv was safely withdrawn, a part crossing at a lord several hundred yards aboxc the bridge, where also one ot my regiments crossed. My brigade was then crossed, its rear being covered by Colonel Walker's regiment tieployed as skirmishers. As soon as my brigade was over, it was moved about a mile towards Manassas, by of order General Ewell, and formed in line of battle across the road, on high ground, in full view of the enemy, whose advance had now reached the station. General Ewell then moved back through my line with Lawton's brigade, and directed me to remain in position until orders were sent to me to retire, and to move one or two of my regiments from the flanks alternately with colors elevated, so as to present the appearance of the arrival of re-inforcements. This was done, and the enemy did not advance farther. The rail-road bridge and the captured trains had been destroyed in the morning. Shortly after dark, under orders from General Ewell, 1 moved to Manassas to re-join the division. Our loss in this affair was light ; and this is the occasion on which Pope claims that Hooker's division drove Ewcll'sback along the rail -road. 33 On arriving at the Junction, my men filled their haversacks with hard bread and salt meat, the other troops having appropriated the provisions of a more enticing character. After broiling enough of the salt meat to satisfy the hunger with which the men were oppressed, the brigade was moved out on the plains towards Black- burn's Ford on Bull Run, and bivouacked. The other brigades were bivouacked at intervals on the road to the same ford. During the night Stuart set tire to the cars and the stores that could not be carried off, and they were destroyed, amid a terrible explosion of shells that were in some of the cars. In the early part of the night, General Taliaferro mo\ed with Jackson's division and all the trains of the command on the Sudley road, across the Warrenton turnpike to the vicinity of the battlefield of first Manassas, and at one o'clock at night General Hill moved with his division to Centreville. Very early on the morning of the 28th, General Ewell moved with his division across Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford, and then up the Run to the vicinity of Stone Bridge, and there crossed over and joined Jackson's division. Hill's division subsequently came up from Centreville, and the whole command was re-uniteci north of the Warrenton turnpike, and facing it. These movements had been covered by portions of the cavalry, and were designed to mislead the enemy, in which object there was perfect success, On the 27th, Fitz Lee, with three regiments of his brigade, went on a raid around by Fairfax C. H. to Burkes Station on the rail-road, and did not return until the afternoon of the 2gth. On the 27th, Pope commenced the mo\'ement of his troops to the rear, for the purpose of looking after his line of communica- tions. McDowell's and Sigel's corps moved along the Warrenton turnpike in the direction of Gainesville, while the other corps moved on his right towards Manassas and Bristoe. In the mean- time, Longstreet had crossed the river at Hinson's mill on the 26th, and was following the same route taken by General Jackson, An- derson, who had arrived with his division, having relieved Long- street on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Longstreet reach- ed White Plains on the 27th, and on the morning of the 28th his advance reached Thoroughfare Gap, where a part of McDowell's force was posted to dispute his passage. 34 He succeeded, however, in forcing a ]")assage, by sendiuij a force diiectly on the road tlirough the Gap, while other troops were l).'..ssed over the Mountain on the north or left of the Gap, so as to turn the tlank of the enemy ; and a part of his command passed through the Gap that evening. Rosser, with his regiment, was on the south of the turnpike, watching the enemy from the direction of Manassas, and Colonel Brien with the ist \'irginia Cavalry was on the turnpike watching in the direction ol Gainesville, while Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, in connnand of Jones's brigade of Jackson's division, was near ( iroveton with the brigade, picketing the turnpike in the direction of (iainesville, and a road leading from Bristoe Station across the turnpike towards Sudley. Stuart, with portions of Robertson's and Fit/c Lee's brigades, this day moved to our right to Haymarket, where he had a skirmish with a bodv ol the enemv while Lony- street's troops were engaged in Thoroughfare Gap. The main body of Pope's troops were now converging on Manas.sas, where he expected to find General Jackson's force and destroy it. Here is what he says in his report : " At 9 o'clock on the night of the 27th, satisfied of Jackson's position, 1 sent orders to General McDowell to push forward at the very earliest dawn of day towards Manassas Junction from Gainesville, resting his right on the Manassas Gap rail-road, and throwing his left well to the east. I directed General Reno to march at the same hour from (Greenwich, direct upon Manassas Junction, and Kearney to march at the same hour upon Bristow. This latter order was sent to Kearney to render my right at Bristow perfectly secure against the probable movement of Jackson in that direction. Kearney arrived at Bristow about 8 o'clock in the morning. Reno being on the left, and marching direct upon Manassas Junction, I immediately pushed Kearney forward in pursuit of Ewell, towards Manassas, followed by Hooker." But the bird he expected to trap had Hown, and Pope ther, directed his troops to move on Centreville. McDowell in moving towards Manassas had his left on the turn- pike, and in the forenoon the advance on that flank appeared in front of Johnson, when there was some skirmishing and fighting with it, in which artillery was used. Rosser also had some skir- mishing, and used some artillery borrowed from Johnson on some trains that were discovered moving in the direction of Manassas. 35 The approach of the enemy having been reported to General Jackson, he made preparations for attacking him, upon the sup- position that he would move along the turnpike in the direction of Centreville, but discovering, late in the afternoon, that the enemy was turning oft' in the direction of Manassas before reaching our front, three brigades of Jackson's division were moved to the right, through a body of woods and across a track that had been graded and excavated for a rail-road, into some fields beyond, near Braw- ner's house. These brigades were closely followed by Ewell's division, Lawton's and Trimble's brigades being moved, under General Ewell's immediate command, out into the fields and form- ed on the left of the brigades of Jackson's division, while my own brigade and Hays's were held in reserve, under my command, in the edge of the woods, with the left oi each brigade near the rail- road grade, Hays's being in the rear of mine. Johnson had retired from his position near Groveton, but had not rejoined Jackson's division. The line, as now formed, was parallel to the turnpike, and just before sunset a column of the enemy commenced moving past, when the three brigades of Jackson's division and the two with Ewell advanced to the attack. And obstinate and sanguina- ry engagement ensued, which lasted until after dark, artillery as well as infantry being used on both sides. At the close of the engagement, both sides maintained their ground, the enemy consisting of King's division of McDowell's corps which was bringing up the rear of McDowell's left, having been heavily re-inforced. An artillery fire was kept up for some time, but during the night King's division retired. The loss was heavy on both sides. The two brigades with me were not engaged, but were ordered to advance by General Jackson just before the close of the action, and my own brigade was exposed to a severe shelling as it moved into position near the left of Trimble's brigade. The advance on our part had ceased by this time, as the darkness, coupled with the nature of the ground in front, rendered such ad- vance very hazardous. Rosser had taken position on Taliaferro's right, with his cavalrv regiment, and rendered A-ery efficient service. Stuart had returned from Haymarket, but did not reach the right of the line until the fighting was over. None of Hill's troops were engaged, but some of his brigades were moved up to the vicinity of the battlefield, though they did not arrive to within supporting distance until alter the close of the engagement, (ienerals Ewell 3^ and 'raliallrici were wounded, the former ha\in^ to sufter amputa- tion t)t a let;. CJeneral Lawton now succeeded to the command ol Kwell's division, and Cieneral Starke to the command of Jackson's 1 )i\ision. Early on the nioiiiing ol" the 2gth, the enemy began to approach in hea\y force from the direction of Manassas and Centreville, it having been discovered that General Jackson was not to be found at either point. To meet the approaching forces, our troops were at tirst moved from the positions they occuj^ied at the close of the action the night before, and formed in line on a ridge which the rail -road grade crossed, with Ewell's division on the right, Hill's on the left, and Jackson's in the centre. In this position our line crossed the rail -road grade, with the right resting near the turnpike- and the left extending towards Sudley. There was some artillery firing from the enemy, iit long range, at this time. Stuart again moved out in the direction of Haymarket and Gainesville with the cavalry. As soon as the enemy's movements began to be devel- oped, General Jackson re-arranged his line so as to conform to them. Jack.son's division, under Starke, was formed on the right in the woods through which the rail-road grade ran, a little in rear of that grade, Hill's division on the left, with the brigades of Field, Thomas and Gregg in the front line on the rail-road grade, and Archer's, Pender's and Branch's in their rear as supports, and Lawtons and Trimble's brigades of Ewell's division in the centre. Trimble's brigade taking position on the rail-road grade, while Lawton's, under Colonel Douglas, was in the rear in the woods. My own and Hays's brigades, under my command, were moved about a mile to the rear of the right of the line, and posted on a ridge on the west side of a road called the Pageland road, which crosses the Warrenton turnpike. This })Osition commanded a view of the turnpike in frcait and large fields between it and the turnpike as w^ell as the Pageland road on the left. A considerable force of the enemy had been reported by the cavalry to be ad\'ancing on the road from Manassas towards Gainesville, thus threatening our right Hank and rear, and my orders were to watch that force and hold it in check. A battery of artillery had accompanied my com- mand, and was posted so as to command the ground in front, the 13th and 31st Virginia regiments being posted by General Jackson, in person, beyond the turnpike in my fornt, in order to apprise me of the approach of the enemy. 37 Longstreet's command was now known to be approaching from the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, and the object of posting me in this position was to keep open communication with him, as well as to protect our right and rear. Several l^atteries from Ewell's and Jackson's divisions were post- ed behind the crest of the ridge, in the fields on the right of the line, and the batteries of Hill's division were posted on a ridge in some fields in rear of the left of his front line of infantry, — the na- ture of the ground beyond that flank over which the rail-road grade ran, rendering that grade an unsafe line to occupy, as the slope was towards Hill's position, and the grade here ran through fields. ''The manoeuvring of General Jackson, after he got upon Pope's line of communications to the rear, upon the approach of the enemy, furnishes an exhibition of what is known as "Grand Tactics" which is unsurf)assed in the annals of war. By his movements, he had completely baffled Pope's efforts to crush him with a vastly superior force, and bewildered him as to his own locality, until he had placed his command in a strong position, where it could be joined by Longstreet's approaching forces, and the army be thus re-united under General Lee. But Pope was not the only one that General Jackson had mysti- fied on this occasion, and to show the bewilderment of the author- ities in and about Washington, a few extracts from the official dis- patches are given. McClellan had arrived at Alexandria on the night of the 26th, and on the 27th he telegraphed Heintzelman and Porter, though the telegram was not received, perhaps : "Where are you, and what is the state of affairs — what troops in your front, right and left ? Sumner is now landing at Aquia. Where is Pope's left, and what of enemy ? Enemy burned Bull Run bridge last night with cavalry force." On the 28th. Halleck telegraphed McClellan : "I think you had better place Sumner's corps, as it arrives, near the guns, and particularly at the Chain Bridge. The principal thing to be feared now is a cavalry raid into this city, especially in the night time. Use Cox's and Tyler's brigades, and the new troops for the same object, if you need them." On the 29th, he telegraphed McClellan : "Meagher's brigade ordered up yesterday. Fitzhugh Lee was, it is said on good authority, in Alexandria on Sunday last tor three hours." On same day, Mr. Lincoln telegraphed McClellan : "What news from direction of Manassas Junction ? What gen- erally ?" On same day, McClellan telegraphed Halleck : "Colonel W'agner, 2nd New York, artillery, has just come in from the front. He reports infantry and cavalry force of rebels near Fairfax Court House. Reports rumors from various sources that Lee and Stuart, with large forces, are at Manassas. That the enemy, with 120,000 men intend advancing on the forts near Arlington and Chain Bridge, with a view of attacking Washing- ton and Baltimore.'' Even Burnside, down at Falmouth opposite Fredericksburg, had got badly .scared, and at 6 P. M. on the 29th, telegraphed Halleck: "A large body of the enemy reported opposite. I am prepar- ing, and will hold the place until the last. The only fear I have, is a force coming from Manassas Junction." SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS. Early in the day, on the 29th, the enemy opened a heavy fire of artillery on General Jackson's right, and it was vigorously responded to by our batteries on that flank, which were moved to the front for the purpose, when a fierce cannonade ensued that lasted for several hours. The enemy also pushed forward col- unnis of infantry, on our left, into a body of woods that bordered on the rail-road grade all along the front of that portion occupied by our troops. There ensued a good deal of desultory fighting on that part of the line, in which the brigades of Thomas, Gregg, and . Branch were principally engaged on our side, and Sigel's corps on the other side — the latter being finally driven from our front about noon. ]n the meantime, about or a little before 11 A. M. the head ot Longstrcet's command, composed of Hood's two brigades, was seen a(l\a:.cing along the turnpike in my front, in line of battle, .19 and the rest of the command soon came following close in the rear, when the whole commenced taking position on both sides of the turnpike, and to the rear of Jackson's right. It was very apparent to me now, that the purpose for which I had been posted at the point I occupied had been completely sub- served by the interposition of Longstreet's forces between me and the force of the enemy reported to be advancing in that direction from Manassas, and that there was no further need for my pres- ence there. I therefore determined to withdraw, without waiting for orders, and move to the left, where I was satisfied there was need for the two brigades under me. Hays's brigade was at once sent to the leit to rejoin the division, and I proceeded to withdraw my two regiments from the front, which had been skirmishing, during the morning, with small bodies of the enemy that approach- ed them. As soon as they arrived, I moved the brigade to the woods in rear of the centre of our line on the rail -road grade, and reported to General Lawton. The brigade was here held in reserve for some time, having been joined on its left by the 8th Louisiana regiment of Hays's brigade, which had not been with its brigade during the morning. In the afternoon, the enemy concentrated large bodies of infantry in the woods in front of Hill's position, and after a fierce artillery fire from numerous batteries on that flank, which was responded to with effect by Hill's batteries, the enemy's columns of infantry advanced against the position on the rail-road grade occupied by Hill's brigades, when a fierce and obstinate engagement, or rather series of engagements ensued, which lasted until very late in the afternoon. The troops most heavily engaged on this part of the line, were the brigades of Gregg, Thomas, and Field, but the other brigades of Hill's division went to their support and became also heavily engaged at different periods. The attacks of the enemy were persistent and repeated several times, new columns moving forward when others had been repulsed. General McGowan, who subsequently succeeded to the command of Gregg's brigade, and General Hill, report that there were seven separate and distinct attacks made at this point. In one of these attacks, a force of the enemy succeeded in penetrating a short uncovered interval between Gregg's right and Thomas's left, but was repulsed after a fierce struggle, in which at one time the fire of the opposing forces was delivered at ten paces. Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno, 40 went to the assistance of Hill's brigades soon after its arri\al from the right and aided mo^t gallantly in repulsing the enemy. Far- ther to the right, the enemy at another time succeeded in cross- ing the rail-road grade, when the brigades under Johnson and Stafford, respectively, moved forward to the attack, droxe tliis force back and crossed the grade in pursuit. The brigade under Johnson captured a piece of artillery and the two then returned to their former positions. About or a little after 4 P. M.,the eneni}' made his seventh and last assault upon ("iregg and Thomas with great fury, when, after a tierce struggle, their ammunition having become exhausted, they retired a short distance to the rear with the determination of using the bayonet. The enemy then crossed the rail-road grade, which at this point had a \ery deep cut, and occupied a skirt of woods adjoining it. Just at this time, one of General Hill's couriers came to me, w ith the information that the two l)rigades had been compelled to fall back from want of ammunition, and that the enemy was in possession of the cut. and requested me to go to the support of Ciregg and Thomas and recover their position, at the same time informing me that the orders were not to cross the line of the grade, but to hold that line. I immediatelv moved forward with m}^ Ijrigade and the 8th Louisiana, through an opeji held in front, and, being joined by the 13th Georgia on m\' right, which was preparing to move forward, passed the brigades of Gregg and Thomas, and attacked the enemy. After a very brief struggle the enemy was driven across the cut, and the brigade, without having halted, followed in pursuit some two hundred yards beyond the grade, before I succeeded in stop- ])ing it. It was tiien moved back and occupied the position from which Gregg and Thomas had retired. The 13th Georgia on my right and the 8th Louisiana on my left, had crossed at the same time with my brigade. After our return, the enemy opened a furi- ous fire from the front with cannister, but made no further advance with infantry. This was the last attack on Jackson's line on the 29th, and the enemy had been defeated and foiled in all of his attacks. His troops engaged in these assaults in the afternoon, were the corps of Heintzelman and Reno, supported by Reynolds's division on their left^ — ^Sigel's corps had been so badly worsted in the forenf>on that it was not able to unite in these attacks. 41 General Lee had ordered Longstreet to attack the enemy's left, on his arrival on the field about noon, but the latter, according to his own statements of recent date, had insisted on taking time to reconnoitre. Some of his batteries, however, were placed in position, and opened on . the enemy, who withdrew from his immediate front. Hood's brigades then took position across the Warrenton turnpike, west of Groveton, and were supported by Evans's brigade. Wil- cox, with three brigades under him, took position on the north of the turnpike, in rear of Hood's left, and Kemper, with three other brigades, took position on the south of the turnpike, in rear of Hood's right, while D. R. Jones, with three other brigades, was posted on the Manassas Gap rail-road, to the right of Kemper, and in echelon with respect to him. A number of Longstreet's batter- ies were now posted on a commanding position between General Jackson's right and Longstreet's line, and engaged in the pending artillery duel with those of the enemy. The advance of the enemy on the right from the direction of Manassas, which was made by Porter's corps, having been reported, Wilcox's brigades were sent to re-inforce Jones, but the enemy retired after firing a few shots, and Wilcox returned to his former position. Stuart, who confront- ed Porter's corps with his cavalry, on the road from Manassas to Gainesville, had amused himself by having brush dragged up and down the road from the direction of Gainesville, to raise a dust, occasionally varying the amusement by firing a shot or two from his artillery in the direction of the enemy. Fitz Lee returned in the afternoon from his raid on the enemy's communications in the direction of Alexandria, and took position on our left near Sudley Mills, to protect the trains, which had been endangered during the day. About sunset. General Longstreet ordered Hood to advance with his two brigades, supported by Evans's, along the turnpike and attack the enemy, but before Hood moved he was himself at- tacked by a column of the enemy which was moving along the turnpike in the direction of Gainesville. McDowell's corps, which had been with Porter's on the road from Manassas to Gainesville, had moved to the right and taken position on Pope's left, and, about sunset, Pope ordered McDowell to push out on the turnpike towards Gainesville and cut off Jack- son's retreat, under the hallucination that the latter had been de- 42 (eated King's division, being in the advance, encountered Hood just as ho was about to move forward, and a sharp action ensued, the enemy being driven back and pursued for some distance until the darkness compelled Hood to halt. At 12 o'clock at night he returned to his former position, and thus ended the fighting on the 29th, our troops remaining masters of the field on every part of it. It is rather amusing to read some of Pope's statements about the fighting on this day. In his report, he says : "Sigcl attacked the enemy about daylight on the morning of the 29th, a mile or two east of Groveton, where he was soon joined by the divisions of Kearney and Hooker. Jackson fell back several miles, but was so closely pressed by these forces that he was com- pelled to make a stand, and to make the best defence possible.'' Speaking of the attack by Hointzelman and Reno in the after- noon, he says : "The attack was made with great gallantry, and the whole of the left of the enemy was doubled back towards his centre, and our own forces, after a sharp conflict of an hour and half, occupied the field of battle, with the dead and wovmded of the enemy in our hands." At 5 A. M., on the 30th, he telegraphed Halleck in regard to the battle of the day before : "\W have lost not less than eight thousand men killed and wmmdod : but from the appearance of the field the enemy lost at least two to one." ( General Jackson's force must have been wiped out. then. In the same dispatch he further says : "The news just reaches me from the front that the enemy is re- tiring towards the mountains : I go forward at once to see. We have made great captures, but I am not able yet to form an idea of their extent." He had certainly caught a Tartar. In his report, he says : "Every indication, during the night of the 29th. and up to 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th. pointed to the retreat of the enemy from our front. Paroled prisoners of our own. taken on the evening of the 29th, and who came into our lines on the morn- ing of the 30th, reported the enemy retreating during the whole night in the direction of and along the Warrenton turnpike ; Generals McDowell and Heintzelman, who reconnoitred the posi- tions held by the enemy's left on the evening of the 29th, confirming this statement." Why were we parolling prisoners ? The most remarkable thing, however, connected with the battle of the 29th, is, perhaps, the fact that one of Pope's corps commanders, General Porter, was court- martialed and cashiered, for not marching over Longstreet's whole command, and cutting off Jackson's retreat, after the latter had defeated and repulsed three corps of Pope's army that largely more than doubled Porter's entire force. On the morning of the 30th, our troops occupied the positions they held at the close of the battle the day before, with some slight shifting of the brigades on the rail-road grade, not necessary to mention. There was some heavy skirmishing in the forenoon along Jackson's line on the rail-road grade, especially on the left, but there was no assault at that time, the enemy being kept at bay. There was also some artillery firing on the right, which continued until the afternoon. At noon Pope issued the following order to his troops : "August 30th, 1862, 12 M. " The following forces will be immediately thrown forward in pursuit of the enemy, and press him vigorously during the whole day. Major-General McDowell is assigned to the command of the pursuit. Major-General Porter's corps will push forward on the Warren- ton turnpike, followed by the divisions of Brigadier-Generals King and Reynolds. The division of Brigadier-General Ricketts will pursue the Hay- market road, followed by the corps of Major-General Heintzelman ; the necessary cavalry will be assigned to these columns by Major- General McDowell, to whom regular and frequent reports will be made. The general head-quarters will be somewhere on the Warrenton turnpike." V In the afternoon, there was a slight change in the programme, and Porter's corps supported by King's division advanced against Jackson's right and Heintzelman's and Reno's corps supported, for a time by Ricketts's division, advanced against our left. The 44 assaults began about t, P. M., and were very fierce and determined, especially on rhc rij^ht where Jackson's division was posted but. were met with equal determination. There were at least three assaults on Jackson's division, follow- ing each other in succession, which were repulsed, some of the men of the brigades commanded by Stafford and Johnson, using stones when their ammunition was exhausted. I.ongstreet's bat- teries, by a well directed fire from the right on the Hank of the attacking cohmins, contributed largely to their repulse. The as- saults on the left were also fierce, but were successfully resisted by the brigades of Archer and Thomas, supported by those of Pender and Fields. There was no serious attack on the centre occupied by Ewell's division, but as one of the attacking columns was retir- ing from the right past our front, one or two heavy volleys were poured into it, and three of my regiments that were on the rail- road grade, suddenlv dashed across it, in pursuit, without orders, but were soon brought back. R. H. Anderson's division had arrived during the forenoon, and joined Longstreet's command ; and finally, about 4 P. M., after the last attack on Jackson's right had been repulsed, Longstreet order- ed his infantry to attack the enemy's left, and his troops moved forward, with Hood in the lead closely followed by Evans. The\- were rapidly supported by Anderson's di\ision, and the brigades under Kemper, D. R. Jones, and Wilcox. The enemy was assail- ed with great vigor, and he was steadily driven before Longstreet's advancing lines, from successive positions which he occupied, though at some points the assaults were stubbornly resisted for a time. General Jackson's command had also advanced at the same time in pursuit of the troops that had been repulsed, and some of Hill's brigades encountered and engaged a part of the retreating forces on the left, which they pursued to Bull Run, capturing a number of pieces of artillery. Jackson's and Ewell's divisions did did not become engaged with the enemy in the pursuit. Long- street's command continued to press the enemy on the right until his whole army was driven across Bull Run, when darkness put an end to the pursuit. This command captured several batteries of artillery. Near the close of the batde on this day. General Robertson, with a portion of his cavalry, attacked and routed a body of the enemy's ca\alry on the extreme right. 45 At the close of the battle we were masters of the entire field ; and, in the series of eng-agements on the plains of Manassas, we had captured more than 7,000 prisoners, besides 2,000 wounded left on our hands, thirty pieces of artillery, upwards of twenty thousand stand of small arms, a number of regimental colors, and a considerable amount of stores. Our own loss in killed and wounded was 7,224, including a number of valuable officers, some of them of high rank. Pope's army retired to Centreville that night, where it was re- inforced by Sumner's and Franklin's corps of McClellan's army. In his report, after having previously stated that : "Every indi- cation during the night of the 29th, and up to 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th, pointed to the retreat of the enemy from our front ;" he says, two pages further on : "During the whole night of the 29th, and the morning of the 30th, the advance of the main army, under Lee, was arriving on the field to re-inforce Jackson, so that by 12 or i o'clock in the day we were confronted by forces greatly superior to our own ; and these forces were being every moment largely increased by fresh arrivals of the enemy from the direction of Thoroughfare Gap." The Confederate soldier, though ragged, nearly barefooted, and often hungry, had a wonderful faculty of multiplying himself on the field of battle, so as to present the appearance of "overwhelming numbers" to a frightened enemy. On'the night of the 30th, at 9.45 P. M., Pope telegraphed Haileck : "We have had a terrific battle again to-day. The enemy, largely re-inforced, assaulted our position early to-day. We held our ground firmly until 6 o'clock P. M. when the enemv ma.s^ing very heavy forces on our left, forced back that wing about half a mile. At dark we held that position. Under all circumstances— both horses and men having been two days without food, and the enemy greatly outnumbering us— I thought it best to move back to this place at dark. The movement has been made in perfect order and without loss. The troops are in good heart, and marched off the field without the least hurry or confusion. Their conduct was very fine. The battle was most furious for hours without cessation, and the losses on both sides very heavy. The enemy is badly whipped, and we shall do well enough. Do not be uneasy. We will hold our own here." 46 At II A. M. next day, Halleck telcsJiaiilud IV.pe : "My Dear General: You have done lujblv. Don't yield another inch if you can avoid it. All reserves are being sent forward." Before this, at 10.45 A. j\I.. Pope had telegraphed Halleck: "Our troops are all here, and in position, though much used up and worn out. I think perhaps it would have been greatly better if Sunnier and Franklin had been here three or four days ago ; but you may rely upon our giving them as desperate a hght as I can force our men to stand up to. I should like to know whether you feel secure about Washington, should this army be destroyed. 1 shall hght it as long as a man will stand up to the work." What a wonderful collapse from the tone of his salutator)- ad- dress to his troops is here exhibited. He had by this time learned a thing or two ; but his mind seems to have become as confused by this newly acquired knowledge as Banks's. On the 31st. Longstreet, with his conmiand including Ander- son's division, was left on the battlefield to engage the attention ot the enemy, and cover the burial of the dead and the remo\al of the wounded, while General Jackson moved his command across Bull Run at and below Sudley Ford, for the purpose of turning the enemy's right and intercepting his retreat. Moving to the left over counti'y roads, we reached the Little River turnpike, leading from Aldic past Germantown and Fairfa.x C. H. to Alexandria, late in the altcrnoon : and after moving on that road for a short distance we bivouacked for the night. On the next morning (ist of Sep- tember) the march was resumed, Hill's division being in the ad- vance. At Ox Hill, near Chantilly, a large force of the enemy was encountered, in the afternoon, which had been moved out in thai direction to cover Pope's retreat along the turnpike from Centre- ville to Fairfax C. H. He had now ascertained that it was very necessary to look out for his line of retreat, as well as his base oi' supplies. Hill at once attacked the enemy with a part of his divi- sion, and Ewell's division also moved up and became engaged. There was a sharp conflict which lasted until near night, in which the elements took part with a severe thunder-storm ; and two of the Federal Generals, Kearney and Stevens, were killed. At tin- close of the fight, we held po.ssession of the field, and tlie enemy 47 retired during the night. The troops encountered on this occasion belonged to McDowell's and Reno's corps, and Kearney's division, there being also some troops newly arrived from Alexandria and Washington, of which Hooker had command. Longstreet's com- mand came up at night after the action had closed. The next morning it was discovered that Pope had now learned the art of retreating so well, that it was impracticable to intercept him, and he was permitted to take refuge in the fortifications of Washington, without further molestation. Thus endeci the campaign of August, 1862. In a few days Pope was relieved from his conimand, and sent to the Northwest to look after the Indians in that quarter, so that he never again had the opportunity to look at the backs or laces of the "rebels." Sitting Bull had not then made his appearance on the theatre oi war, or we might never more have heard of Major General John Pope. RESUME OF THE CAMPAIGN. It is impossible at this day to give the exact strength of the forces engaged on our side in this campaign, from the Rapidan to Ox Hill, as the returns, if regularly made, have been lost or destroyed. I have given the estimate of General Jackson's strength at the bat- tle of Cedar Run, and in the subsequent campaign it could not have exceeded that estimate — that is, about 20,000 officers and men for duty, in his infantry and artillery. His effective strength, that is, enlisted men for duty who bear arms, was probably about 18,500. General Longstreet's command consisted of his own division of six brigades, divided into two sub-divisions of three brigades each, D. R. Jones's division of three brigades, Hood's division of two bri- gades, and Evans's brigade. On the 2oth of July, according to the official returns as given by Colonel Walter H. Taylor, in the work 1 have referred to, the strength of that command, with the exception of Drayton's brigade which had been added to Jones s division, and Evans's brigade. 48 both oJ which arrived from the South alter the 20th ol July, was as follows ; Longstreet's division, D. R. Jones's division, Hood's [Whiting's] dixision, Officers. Enlisted Men 557 7.929 213 3.500 252 3,600 Total, 1,022 15,029 General Mvans, in his report, says that his brigade had an aggre- gate for duty, on the 30th of July, of 1,862, which was subsequently increased to 2,200 by the addition of the 23rd South Carolina reg- iment. There is no return of the strength of Drayton's brigade, but Colonel Taylor, on the authority of the Adjutant General of the brigade, puts the aggregate tor duty of that brigade and Evans's at 4,600,* of which at least 350 must have been officers. Long- street's strength, therefore, before the arrival of Anderson's division, was about 1.372 officers and 19,279 enlisted men, or an aggregate of 20,651. Anderson's division, according to the return of July 2oth. was 357 officers and 5,760 enlisted men for duty, which would give Longstreet, with Anderson's division added to his command, 1,729 officers and 25,039 enlisted men, or an aggregate of 26,768 for duty. Colonel Taylor estimates the artillery at 2,500 and the cavalry at the same number, which would give an aggregate of the entire force of 51,768, and an effi^ctive force of less than 49,000, without making any deduction for losses. The divisions of D. H. Hill and McLaws, two brigades under ]. (1. Walker, and Hampton's brigade of cavalry ,t which had been left near Richmond, and were ordered up after the entire evacua- tion of Harrison's Landing, did not join us until after the fight at Ox Hill, and Pope had taken refuge under the fortifications of W'ashington. *NOTE. — This must be an over-estimate, as Drayton's brigade had only three regiments and a batallion. The estimate would give tliat brigade 2,400, or an average ot 600 for the three regiments and one batallion. Rather too much tor Confederate regiments at that day. The lirigade was so small after Sharps- burg, though its losses had not been severe in the canijiaign, that the regiments and batallion of" which it was compo.sed were distributed among other brigades. fNOTE. — General Hampton has informed me that his brigade wiis up by the Ist of September; but it had not arrived in time to take part in any of the pre- vious actions, and tlie other commands, being inlantrv, did not arrive until the 2nd, General McClellan, in his official report, shows that, by the ist of March 1862, he had organized an army of 193,142 men for duty, who were in and about Washington, or within easy reach thereof He had carried largely more than 100,000 of that army to the Peninsula, leaving the rest to defend the Federal Capital. Fre- mont had brought his corps, which was largely from Missouri and the West, to the Valley in the month of May, and his corps num- bered 15,000 or 20,000. Burnside, in July, had brought about 13,000 men from North Carolina to the vicinity of Fredericksburg, 8,000 of which had been sent to Pope on the 14th of August. The whole of McClellan's army, which he had at Harrisons Landing, except one division of Keys's corps, had been sent to Pope, though Sumner's and Franklin's corps did not reach him until the 31st of August, and Couch's division of Keys's corps joined him at Fairfax C. H. on the ist of September, the day of the fight at Ox Hill. Moreover, Cox had arrived from the Kanawha Valley with 7,000 men. It was then what was left of some 220,000 or 230,000 men, that General Lee's army of about 50,000 men had forced to take refuge in the defences of Washington to escape destruction.* What had become of the balance ? It may be said that a great many had been lost in the previous campaigns, in the Valley and around Richmond. But McClellan's official return of the 20th of July shows more than 90,000 men for duty, exclusive of Dix's corps at Fortress Monroe. Pope acknowl- edges that he had 43,000 in the beginning, after striking off 6,400 men for Banks's corps from his own official return, and he had been joined by 8,000 men under Reno and 3,500 under Piatt. Here then were at least 140,000, after making an allowance for Keys's absent division, and not counting Cox's 7,000, the balance of Sturgis's command, or the new troops mentioned by Halleck and Pope. But Pope says his men and horses were much used up and worn out, and without food. Well, I suppose the poor "rebels" were living in clover all this time. There is one advantage we *NOTE. — The army of General Lee in the campaign against McClellan did not exceed 80,000 officers and men, as I have demonstrated on another occasion. The only re inforcements he received from the South, or any other quarter, after that campaign and previous to the campaign against Pope, consisted of the brigades of Evans and Drayton, and perhajjs two Alabama regiments. Some of the troops engaged in the "Seven Days Battles," besides the divisions of D. H. Hill, McLaws, and J. G. Walker, were left near Kichmond, and did not participate at all in the campaign against Pope, or that into Maryland. 50 had over Pope very certainly — we had nothing- for him to capture, and we got into his supply train at Manassas; l)ut even tliat did not last very long. On the night of the ist of September, at Ox Hill, I made my dinner and my supper on two ears of green corn, w hich I roasted by the fire while sitting on the damp ground ; and on the next day, while pass ng through my brigade, I saw the rations being issued to my men, and they consisted exclusively of cold boiled fresh beef, without salt or bread. I helped myself to a small chunk, which I munched to still the cravings of hunger. There were few, if any, in our army, from the highest to the lowest, any better off than I was. I will give you one more and the last quotation from Pope's official report. He had said in his address to his troops : "I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen th.e backs of our enemies — from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary and beat him when found, whose policy has been attack and not defence;" and in a dispatch to Kearney at 9 P. M. on the 27th: "Jackson, A. P. Hill, and Ewell are in front of us. Hooker has had a severe fight with them to-day. McDowell marches upon Manassas Junction from Gainesville to-morrow at day-break. Reno upon the same place at the same hour. I want you here at day-dawn, if possible, and we will bag the whole crowd." Yet he has the following doleful reflections in the concluding part of his official report : "To confront, with a small army, vastly superior forces ; to fight battles without hope of victory, but only to gain time, and to em- barrass and delay the forward movement of the enemy, is of all duties, the most hazardous and the most difficult that can be im- posed upon any General or any army. While such operations re- quire the highest courage and endurance on the part of the troops, they are, perhaps, unlikely to be understood or appreciated, and the results, however successful, have little in them to attract popu- lar attention and applause. At no time could I have hoped to fight a successful battle with the immensely superior force of the enemy which confronted me, and which was able at any time to out-flank me and bear my small army to the dust." "O, what a fall was there, my countrymen !" The result of this campaign was that Virginia was cleared of the invading army, except at Fortress Monroe and its vicinity, Norfolk 51 where the enemy's men-of-war and gun-boats enabled him to hold his position, the fortifications covering Washington on the South, and North-western Virginia, where traitors and renegades, under the protection of Federal bayonets, had established a bastard State Government. Even the Kanawha Valley had been cleared of the enemy, as the withdrawal of troops from that quarter, for the defence of Washington, had enabled Loring to penetrate into the Valley and drive the enemy from it. There have been criticisms of the strategy employed by General Lee in sending Jackson to the rear of Pope, thus dividing his army and placing the smaller portion between two hostile forces of supe- rior numbers. This is said by some to have been in violation of the established rules of war. Genius is trammelled by no arbitrary rules, but is able to burst the fetters which bind ordinary intellects. With vastly inferior forces and resources, if General Lee had conformed to the ordinary rules of war, he would, perhaps, have taken some defensive position and waited until the enemy had accumulated forces sufficient to overwhelm him, or retired before the enemy's superior numbers, thus giving up the whole country his troops were fighting for, and gradually losing his army by exhaustion and desertion. But he knew that it was necessary to make up for the deficiency in other respects by activity, energy, genius. We are told that, when the young Napoleon made his first cam- paign in Italy, he startled the European Generals of the old school by his disregard of the recognized tactics and science of war, and they thought him wild and crazy, but he defeated his opponents nevertheless. And so some military critics, of the red tape order, may think General Lee committed a great blunder on this occasion, but it was a very successful blunder, A General should be able to understand his opponent, as well as the instruments he himself employs. General Lee thoroughly understood Pope, and he knew, and fully appreciated General Jackson. In a letter to General Porter, written in July, 1870, General Lee, in a very few plain words, ex- pressed volumes — he said : " I had no anxiety for Jackson at 2nd Manassas. I knew he could hold on till we came, and that we should be in position in time." .52 There was no man in all our armies who was so bold and daring; in his strategy and his operations as General Lee, and the difficulty he labored under was to tind agents to carry out the plans he designed. General Jackson was just the man he wanted. What- ever General Lee devised or suggested, General Jackson was ready to carry out promptly and without question or cavil as to its feasi- bility. The confidence they had in each other was mutual, and there was no man in all the South, whether in or out of the army, upon whom the loss of General Jackson fell so heavily as upon General Lee. In this campaign against Pope, General Jackson displayed greater ability and resources than on any other occasion, because the circumstances by which he was surrounded required such display ; and he fully justified the confidence reposed in him by General Lee. And now, my comrades, when called upon for a defence or justification of the cause in which you were enlisted, you can point proudly and confidently to the characters of the great leaders whom you followed — Lee and Jackson — for your complete vindi- cation. When the captive Israelites sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept, the sacred psalmist put into their mouths the following language : " If I forget thee, O, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning." " If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." I trust that every faithful soldier of the Army of Northern Vir- ginia is ready to exclaim with me : " If ever I disown, repudiate, or apolog'ze for, the cause for which Lee fought and Jackson died, let the light nings of Heaven blast me, and the scorn of all good men and true women be my portion." MAJ. GEN'L I. R. TRIMBLE. T[iE jp^ ^m ^^m -OF THE- bI tfe Ir & 0F THE CBNFEDE^^'FE ^T^TE^ IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. HELD AT THE CARROLLTON HOTEL, F:EBIlTIj^Rir 22, 1SS3. The ^ocietij of the J^mij \M^ of the donfeder^ate ^tiate^ IN THE STATP: ok MARYLAND. The Society of the Army and Na\y of the Confederate States in the State of Maryland is the Maryland Divisicjn of the Associa- tion of the Ami}- of Northern Virginia, formed at Richmond, Virginia, in 1S70, of which the Dixision of Louisiana, at New Orleans is a strong and enthusiastic auxiliary. The Society in Maryland was organized so as to embrace all Confederates, without regard to the branch or locality of service. It has recently added a Beneficial Society to its machinery, and an awakening enthusiasm, and interest, has been aroused, which will largely increase its membership and consequent usefulness. The Third Annual Banquet of the Society took place at the Carrollton Hotel, after the conclusion of General Early's address and w^as attended by a large and enthusiastic assemblage — about one hundred and seventy five gentlemen sat down to the entertain- ment. It was presided over by General Bradley T. Johnson, the Pres- ident, with General Early on his right, General Wade Hampton on his lelt. General Trimble, General Stuart, Lt. Col. J. R. Her- bert, Captain Waddell, Colonel Herbert, late of the 8th Alabama, now Member of Congress from that State, Rev. W. M. Dame, Hon. J. F. C. Talbott, late private 2nd Maryland Cavalry, now Member of Congress from Maryland, Major H. Kyd Douglas, Colonel J. Lyle Clarke, Captain McHenry Howard and many other prominent Confederates from the State. After an earnest discussion of the Bill of Fare, the President arose and called the meeting to order and read the Toasts. ®xix Tnvdnfvi\, Witli hearts as li^lit as tlu>ir haversacks, l)ia as true and stead fast as the l)arrels of their muskets, thev fouji;lit hunger, lianl- ship aud overwhelniinn nuiiiliers for four years; tlie sim- ple reeital of their deeds is their higliest enciitnium. HKSI'ONDKI) TO 15 V TRIMBLE'S Division, A. N. Va (Bxw ©aaiulr^. First ill the front, hist in tiie rear. The Artillery rested some- times ; the Infantry rarely; tlie Cavalry, never. Rf^POXDKI) TO BY A. A. G. CusTis Lee'S Division, A. N. Va. Thougli occasionally their room was better than their company. by rea.son of the marked attention wliich they attracted from the enemy, a.s a rule the}' were very welcome — except to the people ojjposite. RKSI'ONDKD TO BY McIntosh's Battalion Artillery, A. N. Va. Ready for service wherever duty called ; in tiie batteries at .\c(piia Creek, or in the breast-works at Petersburg; from Hampton Roads to Moliile Bay, in tlic houi- of disa.ster not less than in the day of victory ; tliey added lustre to the cause they loved ; they made all seti^s acquainted witli our flan; ; they bore it farthest and they furletl it last. RESPONDED TO BY C. S. S. S. Shenandoah. OUR DEAD. RESPOXDKI) TO BY Private 1st Richmond Howitzers, A. N. Va. Mr. Dame made a telling speech, but it was not repnrtei ''OUR INFANTRY." " WM heai'ts as light as their haversacks, but as true and steadfast as the barrels of their rmiskets, they fought hunger, hardships and overivhelviing numbers for four years ; the simple recital of their deeds is their h ighest encoin iu m . ' ' Mr. President, Comrades and Friends. I was at a loss at first, to understand why the Committee selected me — a mounted officer — to speak for the Infantry. For t7('o out of four years of the war, I had but one foot I could call my own ; the other being in the hands of the manufacturers. But I discovered the delicate irony intended to cover my defect ; that being literally a foot soldier it was appropriate that I should speak for the Infantry. Our Infantry ! What a theme for the orator, the historian and the poet ! No one has done nor for a long time can do it justice. From the igth of April, 1861, when volunteers began singly and in squads to cross that Ri\er, which only divides, but does not separate Maryland from grand, glorious Old Virginia ; and to hasten from the Ranches of Texas ; the glades of Louisiana ; the cotton fields of Mississippi and Alabama, of Oeorgia, of Florida, and South Carolina, and from the dark mountains and sombre pines of the "Old North State ;" to the day they laid down their arms under the apple tree at Appomattox ; the exploits of the Infantry surpassed in heroism and endurance those of any record- ed in the history of modern warfare. What marching and fighting ! What privations in food and clothing ! What sublime endurance in unprotected camps and in long marches in drenching rains, in winter's cold and in summer's heat! What enthusiasm exhibited as engagements with the enemy approached and with what intrepid valor in the shock ot conflict! These deeds have given the Infantry of the South, a name not inferior to anv of modern limes, and that will li\'e in history and verse, as long as chivalric deeds shall excite the admiration ot mankind. No voice nor pen can do justice to the wonderful exj^loits of the Southern Soldier; to brave, patient, indomitable "Johnny Reb." I know that I am no orator, but why should I not try to extol his prowess ? We marched together ; we fought together ; we starved together. That superb Brigade (the 7th) composed of the 2ist Georgia, 21st North Carolina, 15th Alabama and i6th Mississippi, with that unmatched battery of the "boy" Latimer — the peer of any in the service — all by their splendid fighting, made me a Major General. I therefore owe them something. From the day I first led them into battle in Jackson's glorious campaign and only left them when wounded at 2d Manasses ; it was their splendid behavior there, and in after batdes, which promoted from their officers, 7 Brigadiers and 6 Major Generals. Yes my comrades ; but it was not the 7th Brigade alone which conferred such honors. It was the me}i of the Brigades every- where; who by their courage and "dash" made all our command- ers in the Army of Northern Virginia and in the South and West, save Lee and Jackson. They were Nature's Heroes. They were made by the hand of the Great Father above, who commands the Armies in Heaven and on Earth. Yes, although able chieftains planned campaigns and directed skillful manoeuvres in the field, it was "Johnny Reb" who won the battles, and yet was never promoted. I think I will attempt this evening to do him tardy jusdce, and appoint him, over all grades, to the rank of " General Johnny Reh." He was as great as any of our chieftains ; and if there was any one greater than he, it was "Johnny Reb's" wife. Did not she enlist nearly all our soldiers, xvithout paying one dollar of ''bounty" and send them to the field to join hands and hearts with the sons of glorious Old Virginia ? And if they had not "marched pretty quick," there would have been fought more domestic "scrimmages" "away down South in Dixie," than Lee and Jackson fought in Virginia. Well ! they did "obey orders," and come. And who of us here, my comrades, would not have done the same, and freely shed the last drop of his blood lor woman's protection and a mother's approving- smile. Yes ! they came with high resolve to defend a cause which they believed to be right. How many of them came too, to fill "unnamed" graves ? But what a picture, in general, did they present when first among us in Richmond ? No gay uniforms ; no martial step ; no florid faces ; no erect forms ; true some from cities did come "bedecked in all the panoply of war." Who that had seen the gaudy splendor of "trained armies," could suppose that these half bent, lounging forms would ever make good soldiers. I confess I had my doubts and only hoped for success in their proverbial bravery and their sure skill with the musket. "Johnny" could shoot deer and squirrels at home with the rifle, then why could he not hit a Federal Soldier ? How were we all mistaken in their fighting and marching qual- ities, and in their almost sublime patience under bitter hardships of all kinds ? In after days when they won battles, well might Swinton, a Northern historian, call them ''that incomparable Infantry with bright muskets and ragged jackets." Well ! so "our Johnny Rebs" were drilled in haste and formed into Regiments and Brigades, the greater number armed with old flint-lock muskets, converted into percussion locks ; but in every battle he picked up better arms, dropped in a hurry, by Yankee "braves." The Brigades of the Army were the proper nucleus of its organization and strength; of its "Esprit de Corps"; its reliance in the stern conflict and for the dashing charges that won the day. Brigades were handled with more facility and expedition on the march and in the battle. The men knew well their Brigade com- manders who were ever present with them, to share the toils and exposures of the service, as well as the perils of battle. And if "Johnny" had faith in his Brigadier; could hear his voice, or see his form ; things always "went right." ■ I have said the men of Brigades made all our Generals. They also did some discourteous things in anotherzvay. They cashiered in a very reckless manner ; without intending to hurt their feelings, some six or seven commanding Generals on the Federal side, and made "Old Joe Hooker" and others of that sort "get out of the way." When was it that some Brigade was not called on to repel an advance? or by a charge to end a battle? and where was it tliat with such officers as Taylor, Gordon, Winder, Hoke, Wilcox, Lane, Early, Hampton, Johnson and Herbert, and a score of others like them; that the Infantry ever failed to win the day? How was it at \}^^ first and second Manassas ? How in Jackson's Valley Campaign? How at Coal Harbor? How at Fredericks- burg ? How at Chancellorsville ? And how in that indomitable struggle in the wilderness and at Spottsylvania Court House against odds of 3 to I ? How everywhere in a charge, save at Malvern Hill and Gettysburg, where impossibilities were attempted, but where the "boys" could show how they scorned death if they could not conquer? And how was it my comrades, when that Brigade cheer "that appalling rebel yell" as Yankees called it — once heard, never forgotten — which for four years of bloody strife sent back its echos to every battlefield in "Old Virginia?" There is no need to answer these questions. Time and just his- tory have answered them all ; and told that this triumphant cheer was everywhere the harbinger of victory ; and when heard afar amid the discords of battle, "we-uns" knew that "you-uns" had finished the work in hand. THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. Some of us Marylanders were in that brilliant campaign of Jack- son, and we knew that some "pretty tall" marching as well as fighting was done there. It was there that the Southern Soldier, unused at home to walking any distance, or "toating" any burden, (always choosing to saddle his horse tor a long ride of half a mile to visit a neighbor,) first exhibited his wonderful powers of endur- ance and resolution. Such marching quahties introduced that new feature in the organization of an army. — The Foot Cavalry. DISTANCE MARCHED BY JACKSON. On a fair computation of the distances marched from the battle of Kearnstown to McDowell and thence back and forth to the end of the campaign at Port Republic ; over 500 miles were made in 90 days, inclusive of time given to batdes and reorganization of forces at Conrad's store. Deducting for battles and imperative halts, these troops marched an average of 12 miles a day, many days 30 miles in spite of heat, rains and bad roads. In this period they fought five decisive battles, winning all but one, (and that not a defeat) against adversaries all around them, numbering in the aggregate four vien to Jackson's one. When escaping from the snares that beset his path and reaching Stras- burg on the evening of May 31st ; McDowell on his left, was near Front Royal with 30,000 men, only 12 miles from Strasburg. Fremont was at Wardensville on his right, 20 miles from Strasburg; with 14,600 men — both together numbering near 45,000 men ; while Banks, south of the Potomac and but 50 miles from Stras- burg, had 14,000 men, (but Jackson never took much account of Banks, save for his commissary stores.) Thus making four times the force of Jackson's 15,000. And yet the Federal forces missed their prey. Jackson was out of their toils and the "Foot Cavalry" did it. Winder had marcher over 50 miles in 30 hours. Is it surprising that Lincoln was scared and that the World gazed in wonder? Or that another S7nall batch of 100,000 men was called for to defend Washington ? Such marching and fighting has no example in military history since the conquest of Gaul by Caesar. The only occasions when our Infantry could not surpass the Federals in marching, were those when the latter were "going to the rear." I have often wondered at the surprising "nack" they had in getting away from us. I suppose it was because they went "in light marching order," without knapsack, musket or overcoat. "STAYING." Of all the soldier-like qualities of "Johnny Reb," the most conspicuous was what is known on "the turf," as the "staying" quality, as well illustrated in the ''Old North State," as in any other. If hungry, he stayed\\\xn4,000 men. The contest was fiercely waged, daily, until tlie 13th. when (ii'ant's forces were everywhei-e repulsed, lie then called for reinforcements fn mi Wa>]i- ington ; and did not resume tlie ollensive until (he ISth nreckenridge and Hoke joined Lee with 12,00(1 men. just heforc the bloody contest at Coal Harbor, by which time (rrant had ret'cived re-inforcementsamonntingtf) 45,000 men, making his aggregate forces, that crossed the Happaliannock 100,000 men. Genei'al Lee's aggregate, inclusive of I^i-eckem-idgc and Iloke did not i-xceed (i6,000 It is a significant fact, that, notwithstanding the aiiijile appliancesof the Federal :irmy, their dead, in these battles, wi-re lel't uuburied and ihe wounded left on the field uucared for. II It is well known that ample and regular supplies of food and clothing contribute greatly to the good discipline, high spirits and morale of an army — the best assurance of victories. Their deficiency ; to its discontent, depression of spirits, and that absence of enthusiasm, which is often-times the precursor of defeat. Now it is beyond dispute that no armies since the beginning of this century were so completely equipped as were those of the Federal Government ; while it is equally indisputable that those of the South were as signally deficient in all these essential requi- sites. Hence to great inferiority of numbers might be added the supposed disheartening influence of scanty and irregular supplies of all kinds, to impair the efficiency of the Southern Soldier. But in such a cause and with such leaders, these privations, but added to their strengtli ; and it was found to be true of the South- ern Infantry, as of Soldiers in all armies that "poverty, privation and want are the school of the good soldier." If these could make soldiers, then Lee's army was the best training scJwol the world has ever known. To truly describe the general condition of our men seems now like gross exaggeration. In my brigade when marching on Win- chester, May 24th, twenty five per cent, of the men were bare footed and the rest with shoes, only in name. ' It was a rare thing to see a soldier with overcoat, or blanket, or knapsack. Ne.\t day how- ever, General Banks's stores in Winchester supplied them with all these most needed wants as well as abundant rations. I once heard of a man in the West, who had invented a boat to run in very low water, to keep open the navigation of the Ohio in summer months. It would run in iico feet, one foot, six inches of water ; in fact, if no water could be found, he said it would run where the ground was only a little moist. I think "Johnny Reb's" appetite much resembles the wonder- ful performance of that western boat. It would carry him along with only a little bacon grease, or even with the smell of Banks's commissary stores — Hams all cooked ready for us. If any one doubts the superiority of the Southern Soldier, let him suppose the relative numbers in battles reversed, and then ask what would have been the result ? Would the ablest and boldest of the Federal Generals have been rash enough to hurl 50,000 of their best men against Lee in 12 coniniand of 100,000 Southern Infantry ? If they had done so, who can doubt what the result would have been ? It was often said by ^'ankee Soldiers in social converse on the picket line, "Oh ! if we had such generals as Lee and Jackson, we could whip you." Does not this idea admit the superiority of our soldiers and generals as fully as any one can exjject.'^^ DESERTION. I would like, if time permitted, to say a word about deserticjns. "johnny" did not understand the meaning of "desertion," as detined by "the Articles of War." He probably never taxed him- self with reading such "heavy stuff", and I don't think they were ever read to him on "parade inspectioi\." He thought it no harm to go home after a hard campaign, tell his story of battles, see "the old folks at home" and return in time for another fight. I well remember, after our battles around Richmond, when we were recuperating our exhausted strength at Liberty Mills ; that the Colonel of the 21st North Carolina regiment came to my tent one morning and reported that forty men, the night before, had left his command. I said "Colonel this is a very serious matter and must be promptly attended to ; can't these men be pursued and arrested ? He "thought they could not be, until they reached their homes, but the effect of arresting" them, and of trying them *NOTE. — The Sontliern Soldier was full of expedients for bettering his condition ; by mitigating the pangs of hunger ; by supplying deficiency in clothing, and by restoring the freijuently exiiaustcd aniniunitioji. His ingenuity invented "Stone Soap" and raw hide shoes : and the appropriation of the arms, aiiHunnition, knapsacks, &c., of dead or defeated enemies, often restored his exluuisted supplies of these articles. His confidence, coolness and bravery never forsook him on the march, or in the conflict ; and liis propensity for fun and jest broke out in tlu^ midst of dangers in tiie heat of battle. Said a Sol- dier to Ins comrade, in a lull of battle in the "Wilderness" : "Taint no use to shoot tliese Yankees, if you kill ten of em, twenty ste))S into their places — but tlie dead 'uns' act fair, they leave us their loaded nuiskets." "Come out of these boots, my friend," as a Soldier said when taking that article from a dead enemy. It is a well authenticated fact, that in tlie severe and bloody conflict in the IF^7fZen^ess, against numbers, wliicli would liave been overwhelming on open ground, our men ingenuously supplemented their deficiency of numbei's, by collecting on many occasions, arms-full of muskets and cartridge boxes from dead or defeated enemies, carrying them to the rear; ready for the next on- slaught of Grant's forces. Saying "Its a {)ity to waste so much fine amuni- tion, and I reckon thar is no orders agin shooting Yankees with their own guns. It saves taking prisoners." 13 and sentencing them to be shot would have a bad effect and deter effectually, other citizens from that State from entering the Army." "But Colonel that matter is not for us to consider; desertion in this wholesale way must be stopped." "But," he rejoined, "General these men are not really deserters, they will come back again in two weeks or so, if let alone ; and if I am not much mistaken, will bring more men with them." I was so much impressed by what he said, that I concluded to try the experiment and say no more about it. Before the expiration of the three weeks, the Colonel appeared one morning with a cheerful face, and said — "Well General my deserters have all come back." "Forty of them." I replied, "this is good news." "Yes" he said, "but the best news is, that they have brought back with them thirty one new recruits." This presented certainly, a novel condition of things, and might well call for some modification of the "Articles of War" in relation to "desertion." In calling up these men, I delivered, with as much gravity as I could assume, a lecture on the evil of desertion, which might, as practiced by them, disband the whole army, at a crisis in military movements. I then dismissed them with what I thought the keen- est reproach I could utter, viz: "How would you have felt, men, if we had fought a battle when you were away?" One of them replied without any tears in his eye too, "Oh ! we knew that 'Old Stonewall' had to rest his men ; but General if a battle had come off, we would have been thar somehow." Knowing the temper, and child-like simplicity, yet the true loy- alty of the Southern Soldier ; and that they all, in the beginning, had been volunteers ; I was always opposed to shooting, what were called "deserters." If any of these 40 men had been arrested and tried, they would have been condemned and shot, and yet they were innocent of the crime of desertion. Jackson, with his stern, rigid sense of duty, felt differently and would not condone any violation of rules. General Lee sanctioned the shooting of three men convicted of desertion, in the winter of 1862-63, but never afterward. He knew that in an army, composed as ours was, of true men, it would be a cruel sacrifice of lives — a two edged sword which would, while striking at a crime, wound our cause in a vital point. '4 The feelings ol tlic Arniv were against it. Almost tlu- univer- sal sentiment of the Soiith was opposed to such rigorous construc- tion of martial law. In very truth, we know that the Southern Armies were com- posed of men, such as hlled the ranks o^i no others since the days of Caesar, and he — -that greatest of all generals and of all men, did not punish soldiers even when guilty of mutinous revolt. He only told them to "go home ! that they should not serve in Caesar's Army." That was to them the bitterest condemnation and they sought forgiveness on bended knees. Suppose for one moment that (kMieral Lee had called before him a brigade or a regiment from which men had deserted and said to them "some of your men ha\e tarnished the good name of this Army by deserting its ranks and our cause, go home, if you will ; but if you stay your colors shall be taken from you." Does not everv one of us know that that (xondemned Brigade would, in the \ery next battle, have sought death in the foremost ranks to win l)ack the favor t)f a belox'cd chief MARYLAND MEN. I must here say a word or two of the Maryland men. ( icneral S. Cooper, Adjutant General of our Government, told me in Richmond, that over 21,000 Marylanders had entered the South- ern Armies. Very unfortunately 1 think for the good name of our State, and for the success of the cause espoused, these soldiers were never organized into Brigades or Divisions. There were enough to make a corj)s, and what a corps it would ha\'e been ; what deeds performed ! General Lee often told me that he had much at heart, the sep- arate organization of the Marylanders. "They are, he said, un- rivalled soldiers and if brought together we may get many rjther Marylanders to join us." In a letter of May 1S63, when I applied after sickness, to join him, he wrote: "I have something better tor you. I wish you to take command of the .Shenandoah Valley — your headquarters at Staunton. You will haxx- all the Maryland troops, which I hope vou will be able to organize and build up into something respectable. \'ou can give general super\isi(Mi of operations there, and form the left wing of the Army. Let nic know your decision and I will issue the necessary orders." 15 Before I was well enough to reach Staunton, the move into Pennsylvania had begun, and I was swept along with it. And. so the collection of Maryland men into Brigades, &c., was never accomplished. And now my friends, I shall trespass on your patience but a moment longer. At first we had but one regiment of Mary landers, the gallant 1st. How shall I speak of that? Every one in Lee's and Jack- son's Armies admitted the superiority of its martial bearing ; its unquestioned bravery and its unequalled discipline. On a march — not hobbling along in broken ranks, but proud and ere6l in neat fitting uniforms, they "swung on" in platoons of fours, "right shoulder shift," keeping step, "with flag to the breeze." How superb they looked ; no "straggling" there ; on they swept, "dauntless and fearless and free," always welcomed with a cheer as they passed by other troops. They could march better, fight better, make better biscuits than any soldiers of the Army. Oh ! if we could have had a Di\'ision or Corps of such Soldiers ; some of us would have seen more of Maryland and Pennsylvania and stayed there longer I think. I Once said to General Lee after the battles around Richmond, when urging the collection of Marylanders together; that with 20,000 such men, he could march to New York. That was "tall bragging." But who can say it might not have been done ? The ist were the "dandies" ot the Army ; better dressed ; better shod ; better drilled and in gayer spirits than any in the whole Army, and never 07ic deserter. Who that has stood on some battlefield of the war— made memorable by heroic deeds and dauntless bravery — that was not impressed with deep solemnity in gazing over its features ? I have done so, but one year after the war was over, and surveyed with overpowering emotions the plain where Bright sword and gleaming bayonet fia.shed In the liglit of mid-day where serried liosts Were shivered ; and the grass — green from the soil ( )f carnage ; then waved above the crushed And mouldering skeleton — where plats of broken soil Still seamed tlie plain — showing where "unnamed" Graves entomljed the fallen dead "naine.s unknown To all, but lieroes still." * * * * i6 And as my eye fell on these humble hillocks, and my steps pro- faned not their hallowed earth ; I stood with uncovered head and bowed in homage to the heroes who had passed to silence and patriotic dust. And as the glance fell on the undulating surface of that field — its bordering woods ; its fences and tangled under- growth ; what sight did memory picture 77iost vividly in the con- flict that raged there ? Was it that noble chieftain, who so much won our love and admiration? Seated calmly, with majestic grandeur, on the old grey horse, and who only loved better the cause he served than the lives of his "boys in gray." The lifting of whose arm made a nation tremble, and whose presence was ever, the inspiration of victory — No! it was not him. Was it the boom of the great guns on yonder hill — sending and receiving death at every roar — and covering the field with that sulphureous canopy — the battle shrowd of those who die ! No ! it was not the cannon's roar, nor the wild shriek of shot and shell. Then what was it! I'll tell you my comrades. It was that lo7ig line of dusky forms and flashing bayonets which moves with silent, steady tread across yon open field and towards yonder woods, — from which the enemy has, for one hour, sent sheets of leaden hail and from which a fiercer tempest is poured, as those intrepid men advance. The plain is dotted behind them thick with fallen forms. The line grows ragged under this relent- less deluge of death — Flags go down ; but float again : Still on they go ; on ; on ; on ! The wood is near, we hold our breath, and then, above the mad roar of the conflict, there swells upon the air that "Rebel cheer" before wliirh no hostile forces ever stood — and the day is won. Yes : my comrades ; another victory — victory after victory ; why — my friends, we -were gorged with victories, and we begun to loathe them. They were too dearly paid for, by the blood of our brave men, (not the hirelings of foreign lands) and the tears wrung from broken hearts in far-off" southern homes. VTCTOR^'. It is said that a victory is sadder even than a defeat. In the latter, we do not realize at once our loss. In the former, we are face to face with the ghastly wounds of the fallen, hear the heart-rend- ing moans of the wounded, and we must perform the saddest ot all 17 sad duties, the task of hunting for and interring our dead comrades. Then the triumphant cheer is changed to subdued tones, as the dead are thrown into hastily made graves. There they repose ; no name, nor stone to mark the spot. Yes ; they will march no more — hunger no more — fight no more — but sleep undisturbed until the "Great Reveille" shall wake them to a better life ; where wars are not, where no tears are shed nor weariness is known. Yes ; there they slumber ; far away from their homes of sunny childhood. The wild flowers of summer are all that deck these humble mounds. "Which tell of hearts that are waiting in vain For those who shall never come home again ; Of the widow's moan and the orphan's cry And the mother's speechless agony." Ah ! no : humble , enduring ; patriotic : brave ; unselfish ; glorious ! "Johnny Reb." you will never be forgotten ; you need no sculptured stone, nor classic epitaph to tell of your deeds. They will be sung in verse and told in story. "When marble wears away. And monuments are dust." But I have detained you too long with this feeble tribute to the valor and prowess of the .Southern infantry and will close by words from the verse of our sweetest Southern Poet "Firm as the hrmest wh?re duty led He hurried without a falter ; Bold as the boldest lie fought and bled And the day was won — but the field was red, And the blood of his fredi young heart was shed For his country's hallowed altar. But til ir memories e'er shall remain, to us Their names — bright names without stain, for us ; The glory they won shall not wane, for us ; In legend and lay, our heroes in gray Shall forever live over again for us." "OUR CAVALRY." First in the front, last in tlie rear. The Artillery rested sometimes ; the Infantry rarely ; the Ca\alry never. RESPONDED TO HY LT. COL. clemp:nt .SULIVAXE, .\. A. (;. CLSTIS lee's DIVISIOX, a. X. VA. Mr. President and my Old Comrades : There is some indefiniteness about this sentiment which I am called on to respond to, that tends to further embarrass the well known modesty of a cavalry-man. "Always" first in the front and last in the rear." P>ont of what and rear of what? If it be intended to insinuate that they are always first to sit down at a well spread table, "with concomitants accordin'," and the last to leave it, in allusion to the well known slur of the other corps of the service on the Confederate cavalry, that they were always first in the front to attack the turnip patches and such like other objects of a soldier's love, gracefully retired to the rear at the first sound of heavy guns, and there pertinaciously remained to supply them- selves with the debris of battle before expeditiously following the infantry and artillery in advance or retreat, then fellow soldiers, I repel the same with indignation. But the second sub-division of this sentiment seems to forbid the idea of any such intention. "The Artillery sometimes rested, the Infantry rarely, the Cavalry never." Being in the past tense it cannot refer to the present, and can mean but one thing, viz : that the Artillery sometimes rested from marching and fighting, the Infantry rarely, and the Cavalry never. And taking the two together, especially in view of this so happy an occasion that brings so many of us old soldiers together once more, I can but conclude that it is designed as a compliment, and in reply to it on part of my cavalry comrades, will say that we are as happy to meet our old comrades of the Infantry and Artillery on this fes- tive occasion, as (and many a time it has been) we were in the stern days of yore, after weary hours of "holding the situation," to see the long lines of bayonets of the one wheeling into line behind us, and the other unlimbering their cannon in hot haste on the adjacent hill tops. Then indeed "there was music in the air." But the fact is, Mr. President, it was my fate to serve in all three wings of that famous army, that e\^en in defeat, has added fresh glory to the annals of war, and I think I can speak impartially. Being not much more than an infant, naturally I first served in the Infantry and graduated in that renowned corps under then Capt. (since Colonel) J. Lyle Clark, here present, ably assisted in 22 his tutclai^c \ty Lieut. Stcuart Svmiiititon, seated at niy side, who was the '■|)rett\' lad" of our eoin|^any — and I beUeve the ladies maintain it to this da\'. Cei-tainh' it is not I who will say them nay. Then, like m\- friend. Col. |aek W'iiarton, (A celebrated memory, bein<; ot a somewhat adx'enturous turn in those days of V'OUth, .ylor\' and hope, and ha\ ini^ always heard that "if you want to catch h-11 just jiiie tin- caxalry, "I attached myself to that celebrated (-orps and had full op])ortunity f(jr a year and a half to experience the lull heuefil ol the situation. And then i went back to my first lo\-e, there to remain until the last g'uns /;/// those of Appomattox resounded o\er desolated but e\-er glorious Vir- ginia, 1 refer of" course to "Sailor's Creek." My experience with my friends, the Artillerists, so handsomely represented here to-night b\' Lieut. Col. M