The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South
Alexander Kelly McClure, Ed.

[698] brigades were broken; and at four o'clock, though Longstreet had thrown his fine division in upon the right, and Hood's Texans and Law's Mississippians were surpassing heroism in their magnificent disregard of death, the fortune of the day remained with McClellan. But Hill re-formed his shattered lines and still fought on close under the frowning brow of the hostile intrenchments. And now, through the swampy woodland to the left rings a cheer and the rattle of musketry. It passes like wine through the veins of the men of whom one bloody morning has made veterans. Jackson, with defiant energy, had rectified the blunders of his guides, and is on the field. Now the obstinate foe is beset on every side. But even yet victory wavers in the balance. The Federals make stout resistance even to the impetuous legions, fresh and used to triumph, of Jackson and the elder Hill. It is almost dusk, and yet the tenacity of the assailed is more than equal to the desperate courage of their assailants. At last comes the supreme moment. Jackson sweeps, in one of his resistless moods, upon the rear; Hill puts forth one last imperious effort for the centre, and on the right Wood and Law make up their minds to win. They all succeed. The Federals pour madly back across the river. Now, if a Jackson, or Hill, or Longstreet were on the thither flank, McClellan would be in deadly toils! But on the Confederate right sloth, if not timidity, prevailed. McClellan, floundering through the White Oak swamp, on the one road which offered him passage to the James, was not intercepted. Again Hill and Longstreet come upon his rear and lock with him in deadly combat at Frazier's farm; but the clutch that should be upon his throat is wanting. At Malvern hill he is forced to time and do battle again; but the grand scheme of envelopment has failed.

Hill's was now a household name throughout the South, and the army christened his command “The light Division,” and lavished upon it unselfish praise. But no time was given to the younger commander nor his men to rest upon these laurels. Already, while McClellan was gathering up the bruised fragments of his grand army at Berkeley, the Federal Government, not dismayed by disaster, .was organizing a new movement upon Richmond. From the Army of the Mississippi, where he had won, in easy circumstances, some incipient reputation, General John Pope was called to measure swords with Lee. The remains of the armies sent into the Valley originally under Fremont, Banks, Shields, and McDowell, were moved forward upon Culpepper Court-House with the design of seizing upon Gordonsville. This force of sixty thousand men, preceded by the boastful declarations of their leader, advanced without