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

[724] rounds, the men being exhausted by their march from Harper's Ferry and the labor of the guns. Captain Crenshaw's battery was the last to reach the field and take position on a hill in front of Captain McIntosh's, from which, disregarding the enemy's artillery, he directed his fire entirely at their infantry.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Colonel: At Manassas, on the thirtieth of August, about four o'clock P. M., I was ordered, with six companies of my regiment, (A, B, C, D, E, F, and H,) to support the Second Virginia cavalry. I found the enemy occupying the hill to the right of the Lewis house with the First Virginia cavalry, supported by a New York and the First Michigan cavalry, drawn up about two hundred yards in their rear. I charged the regiment on the hill, and drove them back on their supports, which were, in quick succession, broken and driven back in complete disorder. I pursued them over the run, and as far as the pike, near the stone bridge, capturing many prisoners, among them Colonel Broadhead and Major Atwood, of the First Michigan cavalry, the former severely wounded. My loss was six men wounded.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

General: In compliance with your wishes, I submit the following memoranda of the part taken by my battery in the battle of Groveton Heights:

By your orders, I left Centreville on Thursday, the twenty-eighth of August, 1862, in rear of General Jackson's corps. I marched without interruption till I had crossed Bull Run, at Lewis's Ford, when a small party of the enemy's cavalry appeared in my rear. I detached Lieutenant Breathed with one piece as a rear-guard, and moved on with the rest of my battery. A few well-directed shots from Breathed's gun drove the enemy off. I moved up the Warrenton pike, and, when near, the “Jim Robinson house,” I overtook the rear of General A. P. Hill's division, which had just left the turnpike, and was moving along a by-road to the right. I moved to the right of this division, and passed it. I moved on, and parked my battery in a field, where General Jackson had ordered all his artillery to await orders.

Just before night, orders came for twenty pieces to move rapidly to the front. I took three pieces, at a gallop, through a thick wood in front of this general park, bearing to the right of the troops in position, (Ewell's division,) crossed the old railroad about one mile from Groveton, and took position between it and the turnpike. I neglected to state that one of my guns was unable to keep up, and was lost from the battery, it being dark, and the road narrow and winding. I reported to General Jackson, and he told me that his chief of artillery, Major Shumaker, would show me a position. He conducted me across the railroad, as above stated. I moved on at a gallop until a heavy volley of musketry apprised me of the enemy's presence. I immediately put my guns in position, and engaged them at about fifty or sixty yards. We continued the fight for an hour or more, when, our reenforcements coming up, we drove the enemy back.

During the latter part of this fight I had but one gun, the other having been taken off by the order of some mounted officer. It was dark, and no one could tell who he was, while my attention was wholly directed to the right piece.

After the fight was over, I collected the other pieces of my battery, and reported to General Stuart the next morning. [See his memoranda up to this time.] I was, by him, ordered to report to General Jackson, which I did; and he ordered me to ride over the field with him, and, after pointing out the different roads, he gave me discretionary orders to engage my battery wherever a fitting opportunity should occur. General A. P. Hill sent for some artillery to be thrown rapidly forward, as the enemy were giving way. I placed my battery in position near the railroad, and opened on some batteries and a column of infantry posted on the hills around Groveton.

In obedience to General Lee's order, I started this morning at eight o'clock, with one hundred and fifty cavalry, to go to Warrenton, “to find out if any of the enemy's forces were still in the vicinity of that place.” I went from Thoroughfare to the right on a by-road, which took me into the Winchester road two miles below Warrenton, and came up to the rear of the town. I inquired of the citizens and persons I met on the way, but could not hear that any of their forces were in the vicinity of that place. They informed me that the last left yesterday morning in the direction of Gainesville and Warrenton Junction. We picked up on the way forty-six prisoners, thirty muskets and rifles, one deserter from the Stuart horse artillery, and one sutler, with his wagon and driver. I also paroled two Lieutenants