Chapter 1: the invasion of Virginia.
After the fall of
Fort Sumter, the
Government at
Washington commenced concentrating a large force at that city under the superintendence of
Lieutenant General Scott of the United States Army, and it was very apparent that
Virginia would be invaded.
When the ordinance of secession had been passed by the Virginia convention, and the authority had been given to the
Governor to call out troops for the defence of the
State,
Governor Letcher called for volunteers.
The
Navy Yard at
Gosport, near
Norfolk, and the arsenal and armory at
Harper's Ferry were taken possession of by militia forces hastily assembled, but not until the
United States officers had partially destroyed both.
As soon as
General Lee reached
Richmond, which was very shortly after his appointment to the command of the
Virginia forces, he entered actively on the work of reorganization.
The day the convention took recess to await the result of the popular vote, I tendered my services to the
Governor, and received from him the commission of
Colonel in the volunteer service of the
State.
On reporting to
General Lee, I was ordered to repair to
Lynchburg, and take command of all the Virginia volunteers who should be mustered into service at that place, and organize them into regiments, as they were received by companies.
I
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took command at
Lynchburg on the 16th of May, and proceeded to organize the volunteers, which were being mustered into the
Virginia service at that point, by
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel A. Langhorne.
While there, I organized and armed three regiments, to-wit: The 28th Virginia Regiment (
Colonel R. T. Preston) and the 24th Virginia Regiment (my own), both as infantry, and the 30th Virginia Regiment (
Colonel R. C. W. Radford), as cavalry.
This latter regiment was subsequently designated the 2d Virginia Cavalry.
On the 24th of May, the day after the election in
Virginia ratifying the ordinance of secession, the
Federal troops, under the command of
Brigadier General McDowell, crossed over from
Washington into
Virginia, the bands playing and the soldiers singing “
John Brown's soul goes marching on” ; and
John Brown's mission was, subsequently, but too well carried out in
Virginia and all the
Southern States under the inspiration of that anthem.
The Confederate Government had sent some troops to
Virginia, and a portion of them along with some of the
Virginia troops were concentrated at and near
Manassas Junction on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, about thirty miles from
Washington.
Brigadier General Beauregard was sent to take command of the troops at
Manassas, and other troops had been sent to
Harper's Ferry, to the command of which
General Joseph E. Johnston was assigned.
As soon as it was ascertained that the
Federal troops had crossed over and occupied
Alexandria, I commenced sending the regiments organized by me, as they were ready, to
Manassas.
The infantry was armed with smooth-bore percussion muskets, but there were no belts or bayonet scabbards or cartridge boxes for them, and they had to be supplied with cloth pouches for their ammunition.
The cavalry regiment, consisting of nine companies, was armed principally with double-barrelled shot guns, and sabres of an old pattern which had been collected in the country
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from old volunteer companies.
The State had very few arms of any kind, and those furnished the infantry had been borrowed from
North Carolina.. There were no cavalry arms of any value.
I also armed and sent off a number of companies to be attached to regiments already in the field.
Having attended the convention when it re-assembled in June, as soon as the ordinance of secession was signed, I received orders to turn over the command at
Lynchburg to
Colonel Langhorne and join my regiment in the field.
The Confederate Government had now reached
Richmond, and that city became the capital of the
Confederacy.
I reached
Manassas and reported to
General Beauregard on the 19th of June.
I found my regiment (the 24th Virginia) under
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hairston, located about four miles east of the
Junction, for the purpose of watching the fords of
Bull Run immediately above its junction with the
Occoquon, and those on the latter stream above the same point.
At this time no brigades had been formed, but in a few days the regiments under
General Beauregard's command were organized into six brigades, as follows: a brigade of
South Carolina troops under
Brigadier General Bonham, a brigade of
Alabama and
Louisiana troops under
Brigadier General Ewell, a brigade of
South Carolina and
Mississippi troops under
Brigadier General D. R. Jones, a brigade of
Virginia troops under
Colonel George H. Jerrett, who was subsequently replaced by
Brigadier General Longstreet, a brigade of
Virginia troops under
Colonel Philip St. George Cocke, and a brigade composed of the 7th and 24th Virginia, and the 4th South Carolina Regiments under my command, but the 4th South Carolina had been sent to
Leesburg in
Loudoun and did not join, it being subsequently replaced by the 7th Louisiana Regiment.
After this organization the troops were located as follows: the 4th South Carolina Regiment and
Wheat's Louisiana Battalion were at
Leesburg under
Colonel
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Evans;
Bonham's brigade was at Fairfax Court-House,
Cocke's at
Centreville, and
Ewell's brigade at and near Fairfax Station, all in front of
Bull Run; while
D. R. Jones' brigade was encamped on the south of the
Run near the railroad, at a place called Camp Walker,
Longstreet's at the
Junction, and the 7th and 24th Virginia Regiments of my brigade, camped separately, northeast and east of the
Junction, from three to four miles distant. The cavalry, consisting of
Colonel R. C. W. Radford's regiment of nine companies and several unattached companies, was employed mainly on scouting and picketing duty with
Evans,
Bonham, and
Ewell, one company being on my right to watch the lower fords of the
Occoquon, and the landings on the
Potomac below the mouth of the Occoquon, where it was subsequently joined by another.
It was my duty to watch the right of our line, and the two companies of cavalry on that flank,
Eugene Davis' and
W. W. Thornton's companies of
Virginia cavalry, were placed under my command, and
Captain John Scott was assigned to the immediate command of them.
A few days after my arrival, under orders from
General Beauregard, I made a reconnaissance to the village of Occoquon, near the mouth of the stream of that name, with the 24th Regiment, and examined the landings of the
Potomac as far down as
Freestone Point.
Early in July
General Beauregard summoned all his brigade commanders to a conference at Fairfax Station, and there disclosed to them, in confidence, his plan of operations in the event of an advance by the enemy, for which he had learned active preparations were being made.
He anticipated that the enemy's main force would move on the road through Fairfax Court-House and
Centreville toward
Manassas, and his plan was, for all the troops on the north of
Bull Run to fall back to the south bank of that stream.
Bonham, in the centre on the
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direct road to
Manassas, to Mitchell's Ford;
Cocke, on the left, to
Stone Bridge on the
Warrenton Pike; and
Ewell, on the right, to
Union Mills; and
Evans was to retire from
Loudoun and unite with
Cocke; while
Longstreet was to move up to Blackburn's Ford, about a mile below Mitchell's Ford;
D. R. Jones to McLean's Ford, about a mile or two further down; and I was to move up to
Union Mills in support of
Ewell.
His anticipation further was, that the enemy would follow up
Bonham and attack him at Mitchell's Ford; in which event the rest of the troops were to cross
Bull Run and attack the enemy on both flanks-Longstreet crossing at Blackburn's Ford, and
Jones at McLean's Ford, and attacking the enemy's left flank;
Ewell at the same time moving up towards
Centreville, on the road from
Union Mills, and attacking the enemy on his left and rear; while I was to follow
Ewell in support and look out for his right flank and rear, and
Cocke, supported by
Evans, was to come down on the enemy's right flank.
The routes by which all these movements were to be made were pointed out and designated on maps previously prepared, and each brigade commander was instructed to make himself familiar with the ground over which he would have to operate.
General Beauregard at the same time informed us that the returns showed an effective force under his command of very little more than 15,000 men.
A few days after this, the 7th Louisiana Regiment, under
Colonel Harry T. Hays, arrived, and was assigned to my brigade in lieu of the 4th South Carolina.
The 7th Virginia was commanded by
Colonel James L. Kemper, and the 24th by
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Hairston.
On the 12th of July I made another reconnaissance to Occoquon, with the 7th Virginia Regiment under
Lieutenant Colonel Williams, and a section of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans, under
Lieutenant Squires, and returned to camp on the 14th.
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