Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 10.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

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[462] enemy's troops sheltered behind the slopes in front of Marye's Hill, which soon drove them from their positions. At first, a number ran for shelter to the city, but the sharpshooters and guns on Marye's Hill punished these fugities so severely, that the remainder took refuge in cellars and nooks wherever they could be hid, and did not dare to disclose their whereabouts by firing a shot. A brick tanyard on the canal, which had been loop-holed and extremely annoying on Sunday, was also demoralized and silenced at an early hour by a single well-aimed shell, which took off a sharpshooter's head, and during the rest of the day the Confederate line was entirely free from all annoyance, while the artillerists amused themselves by dispersing the many little knots of gazers who had hitherto been able to assemble in the enemy's lines with impunity when out of musket range.

In the afternoon of the 15th, a flag of truce was sent into Jackson's line by General Franklin or one of his corps commanders, asking permission to remove the wounded who had fallen on the 13th between lines. As there was no evidence of its having the sanction of General Burnside, the request was returned by General Lee, to be sent through him, and on its reception from him, it was granted. This truce was only requested, however, on the front below Deep Run, and did not prevail on Longstreet's line, which continued to shell the enemy moderately until dark.

A large force of the enemy appeared during the day on the plateau near the Philips house, and it was supposed to be, and probably was, the newly arrived Eleventh corps, under Siegel. It was still expected, therefore, that Burnside would renew the offensive on the next day, and work upon the Confederate position was accordingly continued all night. The night was cloudy, intensely dark, and windy, and the wind blew directly toward the Federal lines, so that no noise within them could be heard by the Confederate pickets, and during the latter hours of the night it rained. Providentially favored by this weather, General Burnside during the night crossed his whole army to the Stafford side. It is needless to say how bitter was the disappointment of the whole army at this indecisive termination of the struggle.

On the morning of the 16th, the enemy's pickets not being visible, General Kershaw sent out scouts, who soon reported that the town was evacuated. Three regiments were at once despatched to take possession of the town, one from Jenkins's brigade, which had relieved Cooke's during the night, one from Kershaw's and one from Semmes's brigade. These regiments advancing into the city picked up four hundred prisoners and found two hundred and fifty thousand rounds of small-arms