Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[627] they remained until late in the afternoon, while General Hill's division was engaged in front, being in range of the enemy's shells, by one of which Captain Feagin, in command of the Fifteenth Alabama regiment, was seriously wounded, he being the only regimental commander of that brigade who had not been killed or wounded at Sharpsburg.

Late in the afternoon, I was ordered to move back, and on the way received orders to continue to move on, following Jackson's division, which preceded me, and did so until I was halted, about twelve o'clock at night, near the Opequon. We remained at this position until the twenty-fourth, and then moved across the Opequon, and camped on the Williamsport turnpike, six or seven miles from Martinsburg. On the next day my camp was moved to a place near the Tuscarora, about three miles from Martinsburg, and on the twenty-seventh we moved to Bunker Hill.

This embraces the whole of the operations of this division during the period designated in the order of the Lieutenant-General commanding this corps, as far as I am able to give them, and I am sorry that I am not able to do more justice to Lawton's, Trimble's, and Hays's brigades in this report; but my difficulties in making it have already been explained, and it is owing to them, and not to any design on my part, that the report as to these brigades is not so complete as it is in regard to my own.

I submit herewith lists of killed, wounded, and missing, from which it will appear that, in the period embraced, this division has lost in killed, five hundred and sixty-five; in wounded, two thousand two hundred and eighty-four, and missing, seventy; making an aggregate of two thousand nine hundred and nineteen, showing the severity of the conflicts in which it has been engaged. Its loss at Sharpsburg alone was one hundred and ninety-nine killed, one thousand one hundred and fifteen wounded, and thirty-eight missing, being an aggregate loss of one thousand three hundred and fifty-two out of less than three thousand five hundred, with which it went into that action.

I hope I may be excused for referring to the record shown by my own brigade, which has never been broken or compelled to fall back, or left one of its dead to be buried by the enemy, but has invariably driven the enemy when opposed to him, and slept upon the ground on which it has fought in every action, with the solitary exception of the affair at Bristoe Station, when it retired under orders, covering the withdrawal of the other troops.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Major: For the information of the Major-General commanding, I have the honor to report the operations of the First division (Jackson's) from the time the army moved from Crenshaw's farm, near Orange Court-House, to the twenty-ninth ultimo, when, by the advice of the surgeon, I left the army for this place.

On the morning of the twentieth, I left Crenshaw's farm, following the division of Major-General Ewell, which marched in rear of that of Major-General A. P. Hill, and, after crossing the Rapidan River at Somerville Ford, bivouacked at Stevensburg, in Culpeper County, for the night.

Next morning I was ordered to move the division to the front, and, after passing the divisions of General Jackson's corps, near Brandy Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, I was pushed forward toward Cunningham's Ford, on the Rappahannock.

action at Cunningham's Ford, August 21ST.

On approaching this ford, I discovered the enemy on the opposite bank, (in what force I could not tell,) their infantry holding the edge of a cornfield and a skirt of woods which approached the river bank, and the brows of the hills over-looking the ford. I could not discover their batteries, but supposed they would soon be exhibited. I halted the troops under cover of the woods, and ordered to the front, under charge of Major L. Shumaker, my chief of artillery, the long-range guns of Brockenbrough's, Wooding's, Poague's, and Carpenter's batteries.

These pieces, having been placed in position, soon developed the position of the enemy's batteries, and, after a short resistance, silenced their guns, blowing up one of their caissons, and dispersing, in confusion, their infantry.

By direction of the Major-General, the infantry was kept back, while a cavalry force was pushed over the ford to reconnoitre.

This force, under Major-General Stuart, (re-enforced by a section of Brockenbrough's and Wooding's batteries,) remained over the river some two hours, capturing a number of prisoners and many arms, which had been abandoned in their haste to escape the severity of our shelling.

Some time after, the enemy was discovered moving large masses up the river from below us. Here, the cavalry having retired, his batteries were again placed in position near the ford, and a large party of skirmishers thrown out to the river bank, above and below the ford. I at once detailed a sufficient force of sharpshooters from the Third brigade to hold the river bank, between whom and the enemy an animated skirmish was kept up during the rest of the day.

Toward night the enemy reinforced his skirmishers with a brigade of infantry, when I directed Major Shumaker to open upon them with his pieces, which, although it drew upon our artillerists a heavy fire, which was continued as long as it was light enough to distinguish objects, had the effect of driving them back in confusion. Our batteries then replied to those of the enemy