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crossing under the protection of their guns, driving off Lawton's brigade and General Pendleton's artillery.
By morning a considerable force had crossed over.
Orders were dispatched to Generals Early and Hill, who had advanced some four miles on the Martinsburg road, to return and drive back the enemy.
General Hill, who was in the advance, as he approached the town, formed his line of battle in two lines, the first composed of the brigades of Pender, Gregg and Thomas, under the command of General Gregg, and the second of Lane's, Archer's and Brockenbrough's brigades, under command of General Archer. * * * * * The Federal infantry lined the high banks of the Virginia shore, while the artillery, formidable in numbers and weight of metal, crowned the opposite heights of the Potomac.
General Hill's division advanced with great gallantry against the Federal infantry in the face of a continuous discharge of shot and shell from their batteries.
The Federals, massing in front of Pender, poured a heavy fire into his ranks, and then extending with a view to turn his left, Archer promptly formed on Pender's left, when a simultaneous charge was made, which drove the enemy into the river, followed by an appalling scene of the destruction of human life.
Two hundred prisoners were taken.
This position, on the bank of the river, we continued to hold that day, although exposed to the enemy's guns and within range of his sharpshooters, posted near the Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
Our infantry remained at the river until relieved by cavalry, under General Fitzhugh Lee. * * * We remained near Martinsburg until the 27th, when we moved to Bunker hill, in the county of Berkeley.
T. J. Jackson, Lieutenant-General.
