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

[637] at it, and marching to Chantilly the next day; whence, under orders from General Longstreet, I sent Toombs's and Anderson's brigades to the support of General Jackson, who was engaged with the enemy at Ox Hill. These brigades took up line of battle on the right of the turnpike, and slowly advanced into the woods bordering it, supposed to contain the enemy. Night coming on and no enemy being visible, my troops were withdrawn to the road for bivouac. Captain Thurston, ordnance officer of my division, was here captured while carrying my orders, riding into the enemy's lines by mistake.

Remaining in position at Ox Hill during the second, I marched, on the third, for Leesburg by the Dranesville road, crossing Goose Creek, and reaching that place on the evening of the fourth. On the morning of sixth September, I crossed my division into Maryland, now increased to six brigades, by the addition of Kemper's brigade, Pickett's brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General Garnett, and Jenkins's brigade, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, marched through Buckeystown, and camped on the banks of the Monocacy, marching next day to the Monocacy Junction, and going into camp near Frederick City.

On the morning of the tenth, I marched through Boonsboroa, Funkstown, and Hagerstown, camping near the latter place on the Williamsport road, on the twelfth.

On the fourteenth, I marched, on the Frederick road, in the direction of that city, hearing heavy firing, leaving Toombs's brigade in command of Hagerstown, and Eleventh Georgia regiment, of Anderson's brigade, in charge of wagon train. Halting just beyond Boonsboroa, Drayton's and Anderson's brigades were temporarily detached from my command, and ordered to report to General D. H. Hill. With my three other brigades present, I was ordered, by General Longstreet, to march to a pass about a mile to the right of the main road, through which the enemy was said to be flanking our army.

Reaching the pass, and finding the report incorrect, I was directed to bring my brigades as rapidly as possible back to the main road and to the mountain top, and, under orders from General Longstreet, placed Kemper and Garnett, supported by Jenkins's brigade, in position on the ridge to the left of the road and above it. While taking position, my troops were exposed to severe shelling, and shortly afterward, to a heavy infantry attack in overwhelming numbers. Despite the odds, they held their ground until dark, when, the brigades on my left giving way, they were withdrawn in comparatively good order to the foot of the mountain. The enemy did not pursue his advantage, and our troops were marched to Sharpsburg, which we reached on the morning of the fifteenth. On this march Anderson's brigade was assigned to General Hood, to act as a rear guard, and General Toombs, with two regiments of his brigade, joined me, the balance of his brigade having been sent to Williamsport with wagons.

My command took possession of the heights in front of and to the right of the town, being the extreme right of our whole line. I ordered General Toombs to defend the bridge over the Antietam Creek in front of me, with the Second and Twentieth Georgia regiments, reenforced by a half company from Jenkins's brigade and the Fiftieth Georgia regiment, of Drayton's brigade. These reenforcements took but small part in what ensued, from the nature of their position. The enemy appeared on the opposite side of the creek, and heavy artillery firing was kept up during the day, continuing also the sixteenth, with but little damage to my command.

Daylight of the seventeenth of September gave the signal for a terrific cannonade. The battle raged with intensity on the left and centre; but the heavy masses in my front, repulsed again and again in their attempts to force the passage of the bridge by the two regiments before named, comprising four hundred and three men, assisted by artillery I had placed in position on the heights, were unable to effect a crossing, and manoeuvred as if about to cross below, at some of the numerous fords. My command had been further reduced on the right, by detaching Garnett's brigade to the front of the town, leaving me, for the defence of the right, with only Toombs's two regiments, and Kemper's, Drayton's, and Walker's brigades.

When it is known that on that morning my entire command of six brigades comprised only two thousand four hundred and thirty men, the enormous disparity of force with which I contended can be seen.

About this time the two regiments of Toombs's brigade, Seventeenth and Fifteenth Georgia, which had been left behind, accompanied by five companies of the Eleventh Georgia regiment, Anderson's brigade, came upon the field, and were at once placed at General Toombs's disposal, to aid in the defence of the bridge, my force before having been too weak to aid him with a single man. Before, however, they could be made available for that purpose, the gallant Second and Twentieth, having repulsed five separate assaults, and exhausted their last round of ammunition, fell back, leaving the bridge to the enemy. Meanwhile, General A. P. Hill had come up on my right, and was effecting a junction with my line, several of his batteries already in position, assisting mine in firing on the enemy, now swarming over the bridge. Undeterred, except momentarily, by this fire, the enemy advanced, in enormous masses, to the assault of the heights. Sweeping up to the crest, they were mowed down by Brown's battery, the heroic commander of which had been wounded but a few moments before. They overcame the tough resistance offered by the feeble forces opposed to them, and gained the heights, capturing McIntosh's battery, of General Hill's command. Kemper and Drayton were driven back through the town; the Fifteenth South Carolina, Colonel De Sausure, fell back very slowly and in order, forming the nucleus on which the brigade rallied. Jenkins's brigade held