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[549] my brigade, and form it in line of battle on the left of, and at right angles to, the road. The formation was scarcely completed before I was ordered to advance in line through the woods and thick undergrowth, a heavy musketry fire being heard not far from my front. I had proceeded about one hundred yards when I commenced meeting the men of a brigade, which had preceded me, retreating in great disorder, and closely pursued by the enemy. Opening ranks to permit the fugitives to pass, and pressing forward in unbroken line, my brigade met the enemy, who had already turned the flank of General Taliaferro's brigade, which was on the right of the road. Not in the least shaken by the panic cries of the fugitives, and without halting, my regiment poured volley after volley into the enemy, who broke and fled precipitately through the woods and across the field. On reaching the edge of the field, I discovered the enemy in force on the opposite side, and halting my brigade in an eligible position, opened fire along the whole line. For a time, the enemy stood their ground; but we were within good range across an open field, and the execution we were doing (clearly perceptible to the eye) compelled them to commence breaking. Now it was that their cavalry attempted to charge upon General Taliaferro's brigade, which had partially rallied, after I had cleared their flank. The cavalry moved diagonally across my front, presenting to me their flank. The combined fire of Taliaferro's brigade in front, and mine in flank, broke up the column, and sent it flying to the rear. My brigade immediately moved forward in pursuit of the retreating enemy, and whilst I was hesitating in the field, in doubt what direction I should take, Major-General Jackson came up, and, by his order, I changed front so as to incline to the right, and pushed on to a point some distance in advance of the battle-field, at which he had ordered me to halt.

The battle having terminated in a complete rout of the enemy, my men slept on the ground they had so bravely won.

My officers and men behaved finely, and I refrain from discriminations. Such was their steadiness, that I was able to preserve my line of battle, unbroken, throughout the day.

Captain J. T. Hawks and Lieutenant J. A. Bryan, of my staff, were with me, and conducted themselves gallantly.

Your obedient servant,

L. O'B. Branch, Brigadier-General.


Report of Brigadier-General Pender.

headquarters Sixth brigade, Light division, August, 1862.
General: I have the honor to state that, in obedience to your orders, I formed my brigade on the left of General Archer's, on the left of the road going from Cedar Run to Culpeper, in the battle of the ninth instant. As he had moved forward before my line was complete, and as I had to move through thick woods, I found myself some distance to his left, on coming into a field, and consequently flanked to the right; but on receiving a request to go to the support of troops in front, which were being flanked on the left, faced about and moved to the left until I had reached the wood on the extreme left of our position, and then I moved to the front. This manoeuvring placed my line obliquely to that of General Archer's, and as we moved forward, came together again, and from this time cooperated. However, before we had joined our troops, I met the enemy, repulsing him with heavy loss in almost the first round. He made but slight resistance again during the evening. I thought it prudent, during my advance, to detach the Twenty-second North Carolina to operate well on my left, as it looked probable that I might be flanked in that direction. This turned out to be timely, for, as we advanced into the field, after dusk, a body of cavalry was seen on the left; but it soon scampered off, as this regiment was coming up in its rear, and our advance was cutting it off. General Archer and myself advanced well to the front, and halted until we could feel our way, with skirmishers, in the wood on the opposite side of the run. At this time we had gotten to the right of the wood. Here we received orders to halt and remain until late, when we were ordered to the road to follow in the pursuit.

My loss in killed was only two; in wounded, eleven; and in missing, two--making a total of fifteen.

The officers and men behaved well. Lieutenant-Colonel Gray and Major Cole, Twenty-second, and Captain Ashford, Thirty-eighth, handled their men skilfully, showing great coolness.

Captain Ashe, my Assistant Adjutant-General, deserves notice for his conduct, being found at every point almost at the same time, directing the men. Lieutenant Young, my Aid-de-camp, acted with his usual efficiency. Language cannot express the appreciation I have for his services in action.

Very respectfully,



Report of Brigadier-General Early.

headquarters Fourth brigade, Third division, August 14, 1862.
Captain G. C. Brown, Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Division:
Captain: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of my brigade in the battle on Cedar Creek, near Slaughter's Mountain, in Culpeper, on Saturday, the ninth instant:

Early on the morning of that day, I was ordered by Major General Ewell to move forward to the cavalry camp of General Robertson, picketing the road at suitable points, to the right and left, to prevent surprise by the enemy's cavalry on our flanks, and the Forty-fourth Virginia regiment and six companies of the Fifty-second Virginia regiment were detached for that purpose. With the balance of the brigade I reached General Robertson's headquarters. After some time spent in observing the enemy's cavalry in our front, my brigade, by direction of General Ewell, was


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