Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 2.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[342] and I may fitly say, that by his presence in the right place, at the right moment, among his men, by the exhibition of characteristic coolness, and by his words of encouragement to the men of his command, he infused a confidence and spirit that contributed largely to the success of our arms on that day.

Col. Early brought his brigade into position, and subsequently into action, with judgment; and at the proper moment he displayed capacity for command and personal gallantry.

Col. Moore, commanding the 1st Virginia volunteers, was severely wounded at the head of his regiment, the command of which subsequently devolved upon Major Skinner, Lieut.-Col. Fry having been obliged to leave the field in consequence of a sun-stroke.

An accomplished, promising officer, Major Carter H. Herrison, 11th regiment Virginia volunteers, was lost to the service while leading two companies of his regiment against the enemy; he fell, twice shot, mortally wounded.

Brigadier-General Longstreet, while finding on all sides alacrity, ardor and intelligence, mentions his special obligations to Cols. Moore, Garland, and Corse, commanding, severally, regiments of his brigade, and to their field-officers, Lieut.-Cols. Fry, Funsten, and Munford, and Majors Brent and Skinner, of whom he says: “they displayed more coolness and energy than is usual among veterans of the old service.” General Longstreet also mentions the conduct of Captain Marey, of the 17th Virginia volunteers, as especially gallant on one occasion, in advance of the Ford.

The regiments of Early's brigade were commanded by Colonel Harry Hays, and Lieutenant-Colonels Williams and Hairston, who handled their commands in action with satisfactory coolness and skill, supported by their field officers, Lieut.-Col. DeChoiseul and Major Penn, of the 7th Louisiana, and Major Patton, of the 7th Virginia Volunteers.

The skill, the conduct, and the soldierly qualities of the Washington Artillery engaged were all that could be desired. The officers and men attached to the seven pieces already specified, won for their battalion a distinction which, I feel assured, will never be tarnished, and which will ever serve to urge them and their corps to high endeavor. Lieutenant Squires worthily commanded the pieces in action. The commander of the battalion was necessarily absent from the immediate field, under orders in the sphere of his duties, but the fruits of his discipline, zeal, instruction, and capacity as an artillery commander, were present, and must redound to his reputation.

On the left of Mitchell's Ford, while no serious engagement occurred, the conduct of all was eminently satisfactory to the general officer in command.

It is due, however, to J. L. Kemper, Virginia forces, to express my sense of the value of his services in the preparation for, and execution of, the retreat from Fairfax Court House on Bull Run. Called from the head of his regiment .by what appeared to me an imperative need of the service, to take charge of the superior duties of the Quartermaster's Department, with the advance at that critical juncture, he accepted the responsibilities involved, and was eminently efficient.

For further information touching officers and individuals of the 1st brigade, and the details of the retrograde movement, I have to refer particularly to the report of Brigadier-General Bonham, herewith.

It is proper here to state, that while from the outset it had been determined, on the approach of the enemy in force, to fall back and fight him on the line of Bull Run, yet the position occupied by Gen. Ewell's brigade, if necessary, could have been maintained against a largely superior force. This was especially the case with the Fifth Alabama volunteers, Colonel Rodes, which that excellent officer had made capable of a resolute, protracted defence against heavy odds. Accordingly, on the morning of the 17th ult., when the enemy appeared before that position, they were checked and held at bay, with some confessed loss, in a skirmish in advance of the works, in which Major Morgan and Capt. Shelly, Fifth regiment Alabama volunteers, acted with intelligent gallantry; and the post was only abandoned under general but specific imperative orders, in conformity with a long-conceived, established plan of action and battle.

Capt. E. P. Alexander, Confederate States engineer, fortunately joined my Headquarters in time to introduce the system of new field-signals which, under his skilful management, rendered me the most important service preceding and during the engagement.

The medical officers serving with the regiments engaged were at their proper posts and discharged their duties with satisfactory skill and zeal; and, on one occasion at least, under an annoying fire, when Surgeon Cullen, First regiment Virginia volunteers, was obliged to remove our wounded from the hospital, which had become the special target of the enemy's rifle guns, notwithstanding it was surmounted by the usual yellow hospital flag, but which, however, I hope, for the sake of past associations, was ignorantly mistaken for a Confederate flag. The name of each individual medical officer I cannot mention.

On the day of the engagement, I was attended by my personal staff, Lieutenant S. W. Ferguson, A. D.C., and my volunteer aides-de-camp, Colonels Preston, Manning, Chestnut, Miles, Chisholm, and Heyward, of South Carolina, to all of whom I am greatly indebted for manifold essential services in the transmission of orders on the field, and in the preliminary arrangements for occupation and maintenance of the line of Bull Run.

Col. Thomas Jordan, Assistant Adjutant-General; Capt. C. N. Smith, Assistant Adjutant-General; Col. S. Jones, Chief of Artillery