Alfred Roman, The military operations of General Beauregard in the war between the states, 1861 to 1865

[462] along the road by which the enemy had come upon the field that morning, but, soon cumbered by prisoners who thronged his way, the former was unable to attack the mass of the fast-fleeing, frantic Federalists.

Withers's, R. T. Preston's, Cash's, and Kershaw's regiments, Hampton's Legion, and Kemper's battery, also pursued along the Warrenton road by the stone bridge; the enemy having opportunely opened a way for them through the heavy abattis which my troops had made on the west side of the bridge several days before. But this pursuit was soon recalled in consequence of a false report which unfortunately reached us, that the enemy's reserves, known to be fresh and of considerable strength, were threatening the position of Union Mills Ford.

Colonel Radford, with six companies Virginia cavalry, was also ordered by General Johnston to cross Bull Run and attack the enemy from the direction of Lewis's house; conducted by one of my aids, Colonel Chisolm, by the Lewis Ford to the immediate vicinity of the suspension bridge, he charged a battery with great gallantry, took Colonel Corcoran, of the 69th regiment New York Volunteers, a prisoner, and captured the Federal colors of that regiment, as well as a number of the enemy. He lost, however, a promising officer of his regiment, Captain Winston Radford.

Lieutenant-Colonel Munford also led some companies of cavalry in hot pursuit, and rendered material service in the capture of prisoners, and of cannon, horses, ammunition, etc., abandoned by the enemy in their flight.

Captain Lay's squadron of the Powhatan Troop, and Utterback's Rangers, Virginia Volunteers, attached to my person, did material service under Captain Lay, in rallying troops broken for the time by the onset of the enemy's masses.

During the period of the momentous events, fraught with the weal of our country, which were passing on the blood-stained plateau along the Sudley and Warrenton roads, other portions of the line of Bull Run had not been void of action of moment, and of influence upon the general result.

While Colonel Evans and his sturdy band were holding at bay the Federal advance beyond the turnpike, the enemy made repeated demonstrations with artillery and infantry upon the line of Cocke's brigade, with the serious intention of forcing the position, as General Schenck admits in his report. They were driven back with severe loss, by Latham's (a section) and Rogers's four 6-pounders, and were so impressed with the strength of that line as to be held in check and inactive, even after it had been stripped of all its troops but one company of the 19th Virginia regiment under Captain Duke, a meritorious officer. And here it is worthy of notice, that in this encounter of our 6-pounder guns, handled by our volunteer artillerists, they had worsted such a notorious adversary as the Ayres's, formerly Sherman's, battery, which quit the contest under the illusion that it had weightier metal than its own to contend with.

The centre brigades, Bonham's and Longstreet's, of the line of Bull Run, if not closely engaged were, nevertheless, exposed for much of the day to an annoying, almost incessant, fire of artillery of long range. But by a steady, veteranlike maintenance of their positions, they held virtually paralyzed, all day, two strong brigades of the enemy, with their batteries (four) of rifled guns.