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

[681] and knees, to reach the enemy occupying the crest of the hill, and delivering a murderous fire in their faces as they made the perilous ascent. From the nature of the ground, and the impenetrable thickets of laurel and brush, none of the regiments, except the First Georgia, obtained a favorable position; but the regulars succeeded in getting a good position, and inflicted a very severe chastisement on the superior force of the enemy. Captain Patton brought down five with his pistol, killing three of them. The regulars, in this affair, officers and men, behaved with distinguished gallantry, as they have on every occasion in which they have met the enemy, and I only regret that our army is not composed of just such men.

On the twenty-ninth of August, we bivouacked in the vicinity of the Manassas battle-ground, but were not engaged during that day.

On the thirtieth, I was ordered to advance in line of battle, near the Chinn house, and moving in this direction, Lieutenant C. C. Hardwick, A. A. A. General, a noble and gallant officer, was severely wounded in the thigh, and compelled to leave the field. In a few moments my horse was shot under me, leaving me on foot and without an aid. Arriving in front of the Chinn house, and perpendicular to it, I found that I must change my front, which I did, making the left the pivot, and then continued my advance, by order of Brigadier-General Jones, commanding division. I soon marched to the position to which I was ordered, to the right of Colonel Benning, commanding Toombs's brigade. The men were now in front of the enemy, and under a heavy fire of artillery; but with all the coolness of veterans they went to work, and soon drove the brigade in front of them from the field. A fresh brigade was soon brought up, and the fight resumed with all its intensity; but the men and officers stood to their posts under the most murderous fire I ever witnessed, with the resolve to fall rather than yield. My right flank being exposed, the enemy succeeded so far in turning it, as to enfilade that portion of my line, when I drew back my right, so that I could keep my front to the enemy. Fresh troops coming up, soon after the enemy were again and finally driven from the field, when, with the remnant of my brigade, I moved back a short distance to the rear to rest the men, and finally bivouacked for the night in front of Chinn's. For the desperation of the fights and the fierce tenacity with which my men held the ground, let the list of casualties testify. I can bear testimony to the good conduct and gallantry of the whole brigade, without exception. Seven out of eight of the field officers, and over fifty company officers being killed and wounded. Among the mortally wounded was Colonel W. T. Wilson, Seventh Georgia, who so gallantly led the charge at Dam No. 1, near Yorktown, the sixteenth of April last. Always at the post of duty and danger, he fell with his face to the foe, gallantly cheering his men to the onset. Lieutenant Hardwick, A. A. A. General, had only joined the command the day before, from sick leave, and was wounded before the command was engaged.

In the engagement at Turner's Gap, near Boonsboroa, Maryland, my brigade, in conjunction with General Drayton's, was ordered forward to report to Major-General D. H. Hill. I found General Hill at the Mountain House, and he conducted us, in person, to the right of our line, and, after giving the necessary orders, left for other parts of the field. Brigadier-General Ripley, the next senior officer, was then left in command of the four brigades, viz.: Brigadier-General G. B. Anderson's, his own, my brigade, and General Drayton's, in line from right to left, as enumerated. Before Drayton had formed his line, General Ripley ordered the whole line to move by the right flank, and about this time the enemy opened a heavy fire on Drayton. I had, by moving to the right, under General Ripley's order, become separated at least three hundred yards from General Drayton's right, when General R. came by, and ordered me to move by the left flank into the wood, which I did; my skirmishers, (the right wing of the Georgia regulars, Captain Wayne commanding,) not having the command to change direction, had continued moving by the flank, and uncovered my front. Having moved some distance over the mountain's side, I halted and sent forward to find Captain Wayne, but could not, for the reasons above given; and finding that the fire of the enemy was more to my left than front, I changed front, forward on the left, and had the left wing of the Georgia regulars, under direction of Colonel Magill, deployed as skirmishers, and as I was in the act of advancing to find the enemy, Lieutenant Shellman, Adjutant Eighth Georgia regiment, reported the enemy as having turned Drayton's right flank, and, being on our left and rear, a few of them were taken prisoners, and several of Drayton's men, who had been captured, released.

To prevent the enemy from cutting off my small brigade, being at the time alone, (General Ripley's brigade, on my right, being several hundred yards away, as I found by sending Captain Montgomery, First Georgia regulars, to report for orders, who reported him at least one fourth of a mile from my right, after a long search,) I ordered my brigade to move by the left flank and recross the road in our original rear, and there re-formed my line of battle, and was advancing to find the right of Drayton's brigade, when Captain Twiggs and Lieutenant Lamar, First Georgia regulars, in charge of skirmishers, called my attention to the fact that the enemy were crossing the road in considerable force on my left flank. Seeing this myself, and to prevent my left from being turned, I moved by the left, diagonally to the rear, to intercept them, and at this time found General Hood's two brigades coming up to support that part of the line. He engaged the enemy and drove him back. Not knowing where to find General Ripley or General Drayton, I reported to General Hood for instructions, and was requested by him to hold my position, to protect his left flank, and remained there until drawn