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

[657] already greatly reduced command; but it rushed forward alone at double-quick, giving the enemy but little time to estimate its small numbers, and drove him from his strong position. By this time it was nearly sunset. General Branch's brigade came down about thirty minutes after I reached the wall, and formed some thirty paces to my rear, where General Branch was killed, and Colonel Lane, assuming command of his brigade, moved it down to my left.

The next morning, about nine o'clock, the little strength with which I entered the fight being completely exhausted, I turned over the command to Colonel Turney, reported to the Major-General commanding, and left the field.

My brigade remained all that day in the same position where I had left it, and on the morning of the nineteenth of September, together with Gregg's and Branch's brigades, formed the rear guard of the army on its return.to the Virginia shore.

My loss in this action was fifteen killed and ninety wounded; among the latter, Colonel McCowel, Fourteenth Tennessee, severely, and Captain Flint, Nineteenth Georgia, dangerously. The gallant conduct of both these officers attracted my attention, though, when all who were engaged behaved so gallantly, it is difficult to select examples of particular merit.

Captain R. H. Archer, my Assistant Adjutant-General, though not yet recovered from a severe illness, Lieutenant Thomas, Aid, and Lieutenant Lemmon, Ordnance Officer, rendered brave and efficient assistance, and charged with the troops upon the enemy.

The regiments of the brigade were commanded as follows: First Tennessee, Colonel Turney; Seventh Tennessee, Lieutenant Howard, Adjutant; Fourteenth Tennessee, Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart, and Nineteenth Georgia by Major Neal.

Shepherdstown, 22D September.

I resumed command of my brigade the evening of the nineteenth of September. On the morning of the twentieth the division moved down to repel the enemy, who were crossing the Potomac at the Shepherdstown Ferry. Line of battle was formed in a cornfield, about three fourths of a mile back from the ferry. Pender's brigade moved forward in the direction of the ferry, and General Gregg's and Colonel Thomas's toward a point somewhere to the right. When General Pender had gotten about half way to the ferry, General Hill directed me to take command of the three remaining brigades, (Field's, commanded by Colonel Brockenbrough, on the right; Lane's in the centre; and my own, under the senior Colonel Turney, on the left,) and advance to the support of Pender. I moved straight forward until within a few hundred yards of General Pender's brigade, when, on his sending me back information that the enemy was attempting to flank him on the left, I moved by flank to the left, and the left regiment of my brigade, as soon as it was unmasked by Pender's, and each other regiment as soon as unmasked by the preceding one, went in at double-quick. Colonel Lane's next, and then Field's, were in like manner, and with equal spirit, thrown forward on the enemy, killing many and driving the rest down the precipitous banks into the river.

The advance of my command was made under the heaviest artillery fire I have ever witnessed. Too much praise cannot be awarded to officers and men for their conduct. The little corps, in this, as in all the battles, has displayed as much valor as any troops in the field. Lieutenant Shelley, commanding that corps, displayed his usual gallantry, remaining under fire in the discharge of his duty, after a severe wound, until ordered off the field.

Captain Archer and Lieutenants Thomas and Lemmon, of my staff, rendered valuable and efficient assistance.

We held our position until dark, when we returned to camp, and took up our line of march the same night toward Martinsburg.

The regiments were commanded as follows: First Tennessee, Colonel Turney; Fourteenth Tennessee, Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart; Seventh Tennessee, Lieutenant Howard, Adjutant; Nineteenth Georgia, Captain F. Johnson.

The loss of the brigade was six killed and forty-nine wounded.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

General: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by my brigade in the battle of Manassas Junction, the two days fighting at Manassas, the battles of Ox Hill, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and Shepherdstown:

At Manassas Junction, while lying under cover from the occasional shots from the enemy's artillery, a brigade of their infantry was seen approaching, upon which our battery opened, and they soon broke. My brigade being in rear and a little to the right of Generals Branch and Archer, I advanced so as to form an extension of their line of battle; but as they advanced upon the enemy, my brigade continued to move forward, passing by the hospital near our advance redoubts, and from thence, bearing a little to the right, in the direction where the railroad crosses Bull Run, going east; but when getting a little lower down than the railroad bridge, I changed direction so as to get possession of it. My skirmishers met the enemy at the river, and soon my whole brigade was engaged with the enemy across the river. I held this position for a while, and then threw two regiments across, preparatory to advancing farther, but at the instigation of General Hill, withdrew, going lower down, and crossing in order to cut the enemy off; but they had left before I could form on the east side of the river. Thus ended the fighting that day as far