of the services of my brigade during the day of the 21st of July, 1861:

The brigade left Piedmont* at daylight on the 21st inst., and after much delay and detention on the railroad, arrived at Manassas Junction about 12 M., when it received orders to detach a regiment to remain at the Junction to guard a weak point, and then to proceed to Lewis House, near the battle-field, and hold itself in waiting. Col. A. P. Hill's regiment, being the smallest-four companies not having come up from Piedmont-was designated for the service. Brigadier-General Smith accompanied the brigade to the battle-field, and continued to exercise the command over it with which he had been empowered at Piedmont. The march to the field, part of the way, was performed in doublequick. The battle raged fiercely, and Gen. Smith ordered the brigade to pass Lewis House and proceed to the scene of action.

The Maryland regiment was under Lieut.-Col.
G. H. Steuart and Major Bradley T. Johnson;
the 3d Tennessee under Col. Vaughan, Lieut.-
Col. Reese, and Major Morgan, and the 10th
Virginia regiment under Col. Gibbons, Lieut.-
Col. Warren, and Major Walker.

I cannot speak too highly of the gallantry
and good service of my personal staff, Lieuten-
ants Chentney, McDonald, and Contee. They
were repeatedly exposed to the enemy's fire in
delivering orders, and rendered excellent service
in obtaining information of his whereabouts. I
have the honor to be, very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
ARNOLD ELZEY,

Brigadier-General Cominanding 4th Brigade. To Major Tпoмas G. RHETT, Ass't Adj't-Gen. REPORT OF CAPT. JOHN D. IMBODEN, OF THE "STAUNTON ARTILLERY."

MANASSAS JUNCTION, VA., July 22, 18€1. Brigadier-General W. H. Whiting, Commanding the Third Brigade of the Army of the Shenandoah:

On entering the field to the left, Gen. Smith | was shot from his horse, and the entire command reverted to myself. The brigade was formed in line of battle, with the 10th Virginia I submit the following summary report of regiment in reserve. About this time Captains the part taken in the engagement of yesterday, Hill and Cunningham, of Gen. Smith's staff, by the battery of the brigade-the Staunton reported to me. I detached Capt. Cunningham Artillery-under my command. The battery with four companies of the 10th Virginia regi- arrived at Camp Walker, below the Junction, ment to hold a captured battery, and directed at half-past eleven o'clock the night before the Capt. Hill to conduct Beckham's battery to a battle, with men and horses greatly fatigued, point on the left. The position was well se- by a forced march of thirty-two miles, comlected, and the battery under Lieut. Beckham menced at daybreak over an extremely rough was admirably served and made a decided im- and steep, hilly road. Having had but four pression on the enemy. Having received intel- hours' sleep, and that on the ground, without ligence that our left was weakened, I deter- shelter, on a rainy night, since the preceding mined to make a movement in that direction, Wednesday night, at Winchester, and no food and accordingly to march by the left flank on Saturday, except breakfast which was kindly through a wood to the left and then to the furnished us by some ladies at Salem, in Faufront. The brigade in line-3d Tennessee reg-quier, my men were so tired on getting into iment on the right, 1st Maryland in the centre, 10th Virginia on the left-passed an open field and through a wood. On arriving at the edge of the woods, the enemy was discovered but a short distance in front, Stars and Stripes waving. I ordered the line to open fire. A brisk and terrific fire was kept up for a few seconds, and the enemy disappeared.

camp that they threw themselves upon the ground to snatch a few hours' rest.

A little after sunrise on Sunday morning, the lamentable Gen. Bee sent for me to his quarters, and informed me of the approach of the enemy, and that he was ordered to "the stone bridge" with his brigade and a battery not so much exhausted as mine, and asked me if we would "stand that?" I replied, "Not if we can help it." He then ordered me to put the battery in motion immediately, and let my wagons remain, and bring our rations and forage after us to the field. In about twenty minutes we were in motion, very much stimulated by a cannonade which had then opened so near Camp Walker that one of the balls came whizzing over us just as we started. After

The command was ordered to advance, and on rising the crest of an open field, nothing could be seen but the dead bodies of men and horses. The line continued to advance, and on coming to a thicket in front, again encountered the enemy, and opened fire; the charge was ordered, the thicket cleared, and the enemy dispersed. I was ordered by Gen. Beauregard to retire with my command to the hill in rear, from which I subsequently took up a posi-a tion across the stone bridge. It is with pride and pleasure that I refer to the coolness and gallantry of the whole command during the day. The fire upon the enemy was well-directed and destructive, and they sustained his fire with the indifference of veteran troops.

Piedmont is a station on the Manassas Gap Railroad below Front Royal. The delay alluded to is said to have been occasioned by a collision of some empty cars.

rapid march of about five miles we met the infantry of the brigade, who had gone by a nearer route. Gen. Bee, in person, then joined the battery, and rode with us about a mile and selected the ground we were to occupy, and remained till after the firing commenced on both sides. To his consummate judgment in choosing our ground, we are indebted for our almost miraculous escape from utter destruction. We were placed on the slope of a hill facing to

REBELLION RECORD, 1860-61.

the west, with a sight depression or ravine, running almost parallel with the base of the hill. We came "into battery" and unlimbered in this depression, being thus sheltered by a swell in the ground to our front five or six feet high. Our position commanded a beautiful open farm which rose gently from the valley in front of us, back to the woods about 1,500 yards distant. In the edge of these woods a heavy column of the enemy was marching to the southward, while we were descending the hill to our position. At the moment we wheeled into line, I observed one of their batteries of six guns do the same thing, and they unlimbered simultaneously with us. mediately loaded with spherical-case shot, with We imthe fuze cut for 1,500 yards. General Bee ordered me not to fire till they opened on me, as he had sent the Fourth Alabama regiment, Colonel Jones, across the valley to our right to occupy a piece of woods about 500 yards nearer the enemy, and he wished this regiment, together with one 6-pounder they had along with them, to get fairly in position before we fired. He had hardly uttered the order, however, when the enemy's battery-six long rifle 10-pounder Parrott guns, afterwards captured by our troops-within 150 yards of our first position, opened on us with elongated cylindrical shells. They passed a few feet over our heads, and very near the general and his staff in our rear, and exploded near the top of the hill. We instantly returned the compliment. Gen. Bee then directed me to hold my position till further orders, and observe the enemy's movements towards our left, and report to him any thing I might discover of importance. This was the last time my gallant, heroic general ever spoke to me. Seeing us fairly engaged, he rode off to take charge of his regiments. The firing of both batteries now becaine very rapid-they at first overshot us and burst their shells in our rear, but at every round improved their aim and shortened their fuze. In about fifteen minutes we received our first injury. A shell passed between two of our guns and exploded amongst the caissons, mangling the arm of private J. J. Points with a fragment in a most shocking manner. I ordered him to be carried off the field to the surgeon at once. He was scarcely gone when another shell exploded at the same place and killed a horse. About this time the enemy began to fire too low, striking the knoll in our front, from ten to twenty steps, from which the ricochet was sufficient to carry the projectiles over us; they discovered this, and again began to fire over us. After we had been engaged for perhaps a half hour, the enemy brought another battery of four guns into position about 400 yards south of the first, and a little nearer to us, and commenced a very brisk fire upon us. from this last battery soon plunged into our A shell midst, instantly killing a horse and nearly cutting off the leg of private W. A. Siders, just below the knee. He was immediately taken to

the surgeon. A few minutes afterwards another shell did its work by wounding 2d Lieut. A. W. Garber so severely in the wrist that I ordered him off the field for surgical aid. We now had ten guns at work upon us, with no artillery to aid us for more than an hour, except, I believe, three rounds fired by the gun with the Alabama regiment. It ceased its fire, I have heard, because the horses ran off with the limber and left the gun without ammunition. During this time the enemy's infantry right (our left) of their batteries in immense was assembling behind, between and to the numbers, but beyond our reach, as we could Two or three times they ventured in sight only see their bayonets over the top of the hill. when the Alabamians turned them back on their left by a well-directed fire, and we gave them a few shot and shells on their right with the same result, as they invariably dropped back over the hill when we fired at them, as almost every shot made a gap in their ranks.

nearly two hours, a detachment of some other After we had been engaged for, I suppose, battery, (the New Orleans Washington Battalion, I believe,) of two guns, formed upon our right and commenced a well-directed fire, much to our aid and relief. My men by this time were so overcome with the intense heat and excessive labor, that half of them fell upon the ground completely exhausted. The guns were so hot that it was dangerous to load them— one was temporarily spiked by the priming wire hanging in it, the vent having become foul. My teams were cut to pieces, five of the horses were killed out of one single piece, and other teams partially destroyed, so that, alone, enemy's batteries as briskly as was necessary. we could not much longer have replied to the

ished numbers-Lieuts. Harman and Imboden We were now serving the guns with diminworking at them as privates, to relieve the privates; the latter had the handspike in his hand directing his piece, when one of its rings was shot off the trail by a piece of a shell. After enemy advanced a third battery of four pieces our friends on the right commenced firing, the down the hill, directly in front of and about six hundred yards distant from us, upon which we opened fire immediately and crippled one of their guns by cutting off its trail, compelling them to dismount and send the piece away without its carriage. While this last battery was forming in our front, a vast column of thousands of infantry marched down in close order, about two hundred yards to its right. I did not then know where the several regiments of our brigade were posted. We heard firing upon our right and left, but too far off to protect us from a sudden charge, as we were in the middle of an open field, and not a single left, or rear. At the moment the enemy's main company of infantry visible to us on the right, column came down the hill, we observed the head of another column advancing down the valley from our left, and therefore concealed by

a hill, and not over 350 or 400 yards distant. | plexity. He directed me to fall in between At first I took them for friends, and ordered two of his regiments and return to the first hill the men not to fire on them. To ascertain cer- again and fight with him. I did so with a tainly who they were, I sprang upon my horse remnant of my men and guns. The caissons, and galloped to the top of the hill to our left, except one, were empty, and many of the men when I had a nearer and better view. There were ready to faint from sheer exhaustion. were two regiments of them. They halted We got into position 300 or 400 yards north of about three hundred yards in front of their the ground we at first occupied, within full own battery on the hill-side, wheeled into line, view of the enemy's heavy column of divisions with their backs towards us, and fired a volley, advancing towards us. We opened fire at once, apparently at their battery. This deceived me, but slowly, as we had not over four or five and I shouted to my men to fire upon the bat- men left able to work the guns, respectively, tery, that these were friends, who would charge and ammunition had to be brought from a caisand take it in a moment. Fortunately, my or- son left two hundred yards in the rear, because der was not heard or not obeyed by all the we were unable to get it up with the guns. gunners, for some of them commenced firing Every shot here told with terrible effect, as we into this line, which brought them to the right- could see a lane opened through the enemy about, and they commenced advancing towards after almost every fire. Our first gun was us, when their uniform disclosed fully their worked, during this part of the action, by the character. I instantly ordered the second sec- Captain, First Lieutenant, and two privates. tion of my battery to limber up and come on In the course of three-quarters of an hour our the hill where I was, intending to open on supply of shot and shells was exhausted-the them with canister. Anticipating this move- men could no longer work-we had nothing ment, and intending to make the hill to the left but some canister left, which was useless at so too hot for us, or seeing me out there alone, great a distance. A fresh battery came upon where I could observe their movements and the field, and Gen. Jackson ordered me to retire report them, their nearest battery directed and with my men and guns to a place of safety, fired all its guns at me at once, but without which I did, and had no further part in the fight. hitting me or my horse. I galloped back to my guns, and found that the two guns on our right had left the field, and we were alone again. My order to limber up the second section was understood as applying to the whole battery, so that the drivers had equalized the teams sufficiently to move all the guns and caissons, and the pieces were all limbered. On riding back a short distance, where I could see over the hill again, I discovered the enemy approaching rapidly, and so near that I doubted Several others were slightly touched with our ability to save the battery; but, by a very fragments of shells, without injury. I had 71 rapid movement up the ravine, we avoided the horses on Sunday morning, before_the_battle shells of the three batteries that were now di- commenced; 10 of those are killed and missrected at us, sufficient to escape with three ing, and 21 more variously injured and at guns and all the caissons. The fourth gun, I present wholly unserviceable, leaving me but think, was struck under the axle by an explod-40 horses fit for work. My harness is half deing shell, as it broke right in the middle, and dropped the gun in the field. We saved the team. Their advance fired a volley of musketry at us without effect, when we got over the hill out of their reach, and a few moments afterwards heard the infantry engage them from the No company in the army was more exposed, woods, some distance to the south of us. See- and none, I believe, so long a time, and yet no ing no troops where we first crossed the hill man quailed. There were instances of indiamongst whom we could fall in with and pre-vidual heroism worthy of special notice; but pare for battle again, and having had no com- where all did so well, it would seem almost inmunication with or from any human being for, vidious to single out individuals. I suppose, three hours, and not knowing where to find our brigade or any part of it, I determined to retire to the next hill, some 400 yards distant, and there form the remnant of my battery, and await the opportunity for further ser- REPORT OF MAJOR WALTON, OF THE WASHINGTON vice.

Just as we were ascending this second hill we met Gen. T. J. Jackson with the First Virginia brigade, hastening on to the field of bat

We were the first battery of the left wing of the army engaged. We were in the fight till near its close, having been engaged altogether upwards of four hours. We fired about 460 rounds of ball and case-shot, our whole supply, during the action. The only serious damage to my men I have mentioned above. Privates Points and Siders will doubtless get well, but will lose their wounded limbs. Lieut. Garber may save his hand.

stroyed and lost. One piece is dismounted, but will be as good as ever when remounted on a new carriage. All my officers behaved throughout with heroic coolness and bravery, and the conduct of the men was that of veterans.

Respectfully submitted,
J. D. IMBODEN,
Capt. Battery, 3d Brigade, C. S. A.
-Richmond Dispatch, July 26.

ARTILLERY.

HEAD QUARTERS, WASHINGTON ARTILLERY, NEAR STONE BRIDGE, BULL RUN, July 22, 1861. GENERAL: I have the honor to report:-On

tle. I reported to him my condition and per- the morning of the 21st instant, (Sunday,) the

REBELLION RECORD, 1860-61.

battalion of Washington artillery, consisting of
four companies, numbering 284 officers and
men and thirteen guns-six 6-pounders, smooth
bore, four 12-pound howitzers, and three rifled
6-pounders, all bronze-under my command,
was assigned to duty as follows:

Four 12-pound howitzers, under Lieutenant
J. T. Rosser, commanding; Lieut. C. C. Lewis,
Lieut. C. H. Slocumb, and Lieut. H. A. Battles,
with Gen. Ewell's second brigade at Union Mill
Ford.

Two 6-pounders, smooth bore, under com-
mand of Capt. M. B. Miller, Lieut. Joseph
Norcom, with General Jones's third brigade, at
McLain's Ford.

well-directed fire, death, destruction, and confusion in the ranks of both; as the enemy's artillery would frequently get our range, we advanced by hand to the front, until finally the battery was upon the crown of the hill, entirely fantry. At this moment their fire fell like hail exposed to the view of their artillery and inaround us, the artillery in front of our position evidently suffering greatly from the concentration of fire from my guns and those of the battery on my right, and notwithstanding we infantry on our left, my guns were as rapidly were at this time subjected to a terrific fire of and beautifully served by the cannoneers, and are when upon the ordinary daily drill. with as much composure and silence, as they

One rifled 6-pounder and one smooth 6pounder, under command of Lieutenant J. J. Garnett, Lieutenant L. A. Adams, (reported sicking become silenced, and the fire of the infanafter being engaged in the battle of the 18th inst.,) with General Longstreet's fourth brigade, at Blackburn's Ford.

Five guns-three smooth 6-pounders and two rifled 6-pounders-under command of Lieutenant C. W. Squires, Lieutenant J. B. Richardson, Lieutenant J. B. Whittington, with Colonel Early's fifth brigade, then bivouacking near McLean's farm-house-thirteen guns.

At about seven o'clock on the morning of the 21st an order was communicated to me to follow, with the battery under Lieutenant Squires, the brigade of General Jackson, then on the march towards Stone Bridge. Every preparation having been previously made, the order to mount was immediately given, and the battery moved forward, arriving at Lewis's farmhouse, just in time to receive the first fire from the enemy's guns, then in position near Stone Bridge; here I was ordered to halt and await orders from General Bee. Shortly after halfpast eight o'clock A. M., I detached two rifle guns, under Lieut. Richardson, and took posisition about one-half mile to the left of Lewis's farm-house, where the enemy was found in large numbers. Fire was at once opened by the section under Lieut. Richardson, and continued with good effect, until his situation became so perilous that he was obliged to withdraw, firing whilst retiring, until his guns were out of range, when he limbered up and reported to me. In this engagement, one of the enemy's pieces was dismounted by a shot from the rifle gun directed by First Sergeant Owen, first company, and other serious work was accomplished. Now, under directions of Gen. Cocke, I took position in battery on the hill in front of Lewis's farm-house, my guns directed towards Stone Bridge, where it was reported the enemy was about to attack. Shortly before ten o'clock orders were communicated to me to advance with my battery to a point which was indicated, near the position lately occupied by the section under Lieut. Richardson. Here we at once opened fire, soon obtaining range with the rifle guns against artillery, and the sixpounders, with round shot, spherical-case and canister, against infantry, scattering, by our

The batteries of the enemy on our front havtry upon our left increasing, I considered it prudent to remove my battery from its then nition, (some of the guns having only a few exposed condition, being nearly out of ammurounds left in the boxes;) the order to limber to the rear was consequently given, and my battery, followed by the batteries on my right, was removed to its first position upon At about one o'clock, as nearly as I can now the elevated ground near Lewis's farm-house. calculate, Lieutenant Squires was detached with three six-pounders and took position near the road leading to Stone Bridge, from Lewis's house, and directing against the enemy's artillery which had now opened fire upon our position from the vicinity of Stone Bridge. This fire having been silenced by some guns of Colonel Pendleton and the section of my guns under Lieutenant Squires, we discovered from the position on the hill the enemy in full retreat across the fields, in range of my rifled guns, when I opened fire upon their retreating columns, which was continued with admirable effect, scattering and causing them to spread over the fields in the greatest confusion, until I was ordered to desist by General Jackson, and save my ammunition for whatever occasion might now arise. Subsequently, I was permitted by General Johnston to open fire again, which was now, after having obtained the range, like target practice, so exactly did each shot do its work. The enemy, by thousands, in the greatest disorder, at a double-quick, received our fire and the fire of the Parrott gun of the battery alongside, dealing terrible destruction at every discharge. Thus ended the battle of the 21st, the last gun having been fired from one of the rifles of my battery

Captain Miller, with General Jones's brigades, The guns of this battery, under command of and Lieutenant Garnett with General Longstreet's brigade, were not engaged at their respective points, although under fire a portion of the day. The howitzer battery under Lieutenant commanding Rosser, with General Ewell's brigade, was on the march from two p. M., in the direction of Fairfax Court House, and, returning by way of Union Mills Ford, arrived

with the reserve at my position, unfortunately | will, through all time, make famous Bull Run too late to take part in the engagement, not- and the plains of Manassas. On Friday, the withstanding the battery was moved at a trot 19th, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, who had comand the cannoneers at a double-quick, the en-manded the army of the Shenandoah, posted tire distance from Union Mills Ford. at Winchester, arrived at Manassas Junction with four thousand of his division, to reinforce Gen. Beauregard. The remainder of his army (with the exception of a sufficient force to hold Winchester) were intended to arrive on Saturday, the 20th; but, in consequence of some railroad casualty, they did not reach the scene of conflict until Sunday, between the hours of 2 and 3 o'clock, when the battle was raging at its height.