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four o'clock in the afternoon, began to press forward against General Jackson's position. Wilcox's brigades were moved back to their former position, and Hood's two brigades, supported by Evans, were quickly pressed forward to the attack. At the same time, Wilcox's three brigades made a like advance, as also Hunton's brigade, of Kemper's command.

These movements were executed with commendable zeal and ability. Hood, supported by Evans, made a gallant attack, driving the enemy back till nine o'clock at night. One piece of artillery, several regimental standards, and a number of prisoners were taken. The enemy's entire force was found to be massed directly in my front, and in so strong a position that it was not deemed advisable to move on against his immediate front; so the troops were quietly withdrawn at one o'clock the following morning. The wheels of the captured piece were cut down, and it was left on the ground. The enemy seized that opportunity to claim a victory, and the Federal commander was so impudent as to dispatch to his Government, by telegraph, tidings to that effect. After withdrawing from the attack, my troops were placed in the line first occupied, and in the original order.

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During the day, Colonel S. D. Lee, with his reserve artillery, was placed in the position occupied the day previous by Colonel Walton, and engaged the enemy in a very severe artillery combat. The result was, as the day previous, a success. half-past three o'clock in the afternoon, I rode to the front for the purpose of completing arrangements for making a diversion in favor of a flank movement, then under contemplation. Just after reaching my front line, I received a message for re-enforcements for General Jackson, who was said to be severely pressed. From an eminence near by, one portion of the enemy's masses attacking General Jackson were immediately within my view, and in easy range of batteries in that position. It gave me an advantage that I had not expected to have, and I made haste to use it. Two batteries were ordered for the purpose, and one placed in position immediately and opened. Just as this fire began, I received a message from the commanding general, informing me of General Jackson's condition and his wants. As it was evident that the attack against General Jackson could not be continued ten

minutes under the fire of these batteries, I made no movement with my troops. Before the second battery could be placed in position, the enemy began to retire, and, in less than ten minutes, the ranks were broken, and that portion of his army put to flight. A fair opportunity was offered me, and the intended diversion was changed into an attack. My whole line was rushed forward at a charge. The troops sprang to their work, and moved forward with all the steadiness and firmness that characterize war-worn veterans. The batteries continuing their play upon the confused masses, completed the work of this portion of the enemy's line, and my attack was, therefore, made against the forces in my front. The order for the advance had scarcely been given, when I received a message from the commanding general, anticipating some such emergency, and ordering the move which was then going on, at the same time offering me Major-General Anderson's division. The commanding general soon joined me, and, a few moments after, Major-General Anderson arrived with his division. The attack was led by Hood's brigade, closely supported by Evans. These were rapidly re-enforced by Anderson's division from the rear, Kemper's three brigades, and D. R. Jones' division from the right, and Wilcox's brigade from the left. The brigades of Brigadier-Generals Featherston and Pryor became detached, and operated with a portion of General Jackson's command. The attacking columns moved steadily forward, driving the enemy from his different positions as rapidly as he took them. My batteries were thrown forward from point to point, following the movements of the general line. These, however, were somewhat detained by an enfilade fire from a battery on my left. This threw more than its proper share of fighting upon the infantry, retarded our rapid progress, and enabled the enemy to escape with many of his batteries, which should have fallen into our hands. The battle continued until ten o'clock at night, when utter darkness put a stop to our progress. The enemy made his escape across Bull Run before daylight. Three batteries, a large number of prisoners, many stands of regimental colors, and twelve thousand stands of arms, besides some wagons, ambulances, etc., were taken.

The next day, like the day after the first battle of Manassas

Plains, was stormy and excessively disagreeable. Orders were given early in the day for caring for the wounded, burying the dead, and collecting arms and other supplies.

About noon, General Pryor, with his brigade, was thrown across Bull Run, to occupy the heights between that and Cub Run, and, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the balance of the command marched to cross Bull Run at Sudley Ford. Crossing the run on the following day, the command marched for Chantilly, via the Little River turnpike. The enemy was re ported in position in our front, as we reached Chantilly, and he made an attack upon General Jackson before my troops arrived. He was repulsed, however, before my re-enforcements got up, and disappeared during the night.

On the 2d of September the command marched via Drainsville, Leesburg, and across the Potomac, at White's Ford, to Frederick City, Maryland, arriving there on the 7th. I moved from Frederick for Hagerstown on the 10th, and reached there, with part of my command, on the 11th, sending six brigades, under Major-General Anderson, to co-operate with Major-General McLaws in the assault upon Maryland Heights and Harper's Ferry. During the operations against this garrison, the approach of a large army from Washington City for its relief was reported. We were obliged to make a forced march in order to reach Boonsboro' Pass to assist MajorGeneral D. H. Hill's division in holding this army in check, so as to give time for the reduction of Harper's Ferry. I reached Boonsboro' about three o'clock in the afternoon, and, upon ascending the mountain, found General Hill heavily engaged. My troops were hurried to his assistance as rapidly as their exhausted condition would admit of. The brigades of Brigadier-General Evans, Pickett (under Garnett), Kemper, and Jenkins (under Colonel Walker), were extended along the mountain to our left. Brigadier-General Hood, with his own and Whiting's brigade (under Colonel Law), Drayton's, and D. R. Jones' (under Colonel G. T. Anderson), were extended to the right. Major-General Hill had already placed such batteries in position as he could find ground for, except one position on the extreme left. It was my intention to have placed a battery in this position, but I was so much occupied in front, that I could find no time to do so before nightfall.

We succeeded in repulsing the repeated and powerful attacks of the enemy, and in holding our position till night put an end to the battle. It was short, but very fierce. Some of our most gallant officers and men fell in this struggle, among them the brave Colonel J. B. Strange, of the Nineteenth Virginia regiment.

Had the command reached the mountain pass in time to have gotten into position before the attack was made, I believe that the direct assaults of the enemy could have been repulsed with comparative ease. Hurried into action, however, we arrived at our position more exhausted than the enemy. It became manifest that our forces were not sufficient to resist the renewed attacks of the entire army of General McClellan. He would require but little time to turn either flank, and our command must then be at his mercy. In view of this, the commanding general ordered the withdrawal of our troops to the village of Sharpsburg. This position was regarded as a strong defensive one, besides being one from which we could threaten the enemy's flank or rear, in case he should attempt to relieve the garrison at Harper's Ferry.

. Crossing the Antietam, on the morning of the 15th, MajorGeneral D. H. Hill's divison and my own command were placed in line of battle between the stream and the village of Sharpsburg. Soon after getting into position, we heard of the surrender of Harper's Ferry. This left the portions of the army engaged in the reduction of that garrison free to join us. After much shelling at one point and another of our line, which extended more than a mile on each side of Sharpsburg, the enemy finally attacked General Hood, on my extreme left, late Tuesday evening, September 16th. Hood drove him back, but not without severe loss, including that of Colonel Liddell, of the Eleventh Mississippi, an officer of great merit, modesty, and promise. During the night, the enemy threw his forces across the Antietam, in front of Hoods position, and renewed his attack at daylight the next morning. Hood was not strong enough to resist the masses thrown against him. Several of Major-General D. H. Hill's brigades re-enforced the position, but, even with these, our forces seemed but a handful when compared with the hosts thrown against us. The commands engaged the enemy, however, with great courage and

determination, and, retiring very slowly, delayed him until the forces of Generals Jackson and Walker came to our relief. D. R. Jones' brigade, under Colonel G. T. Anderson, came up about the same moment, and, soon after this, the divisions of Major-Generals McLaws and R. H. Anderson. Colonel S. D. Lee's reserve artillery was with General Hood, and took a distinguished part in the attack, on the evening of the 16th, and in delaying that of the 17th. General Jackson soon moved off to our left, for the purpose of turning the enemy's right flank, and the other divisions, except Walker's, were distributed at other points of the line. As these movements were made, the enemy again threw forward his masses against my left. This attack was met by Walker's division, two pieces of Captain Miller's battery of the Washington Artillery, and two pieces of Captain Bryce's battery, and was driven back in some confusion. An effort was made to pursue, but our line was too weak. Colonel Cooke, of the Twenty-seventh North Carolina, very gallantly charged with his own regiment; but, his supply of ammunition being exhausted, and he being unsupported, he was obliged to return to his original position in the line.

From this moment our centre was extremely weak, being defended by but part of Walker's division, and four pieces of artillery, Cooke's regiment of that division being without a cartridge. In this condition, again the enemy's masses moved forward against us. Cooke stood with his empty guns, and waved his colors to show that his troops were in position. The artillery played upon their ranks with canister. Their lines began to hesitate, soon halted, and, after an hour and a half, retired.

Another attack was quickly made, a little to the right of the last. Captain Miller, turning his pieces upon these lines, and playing upon them with round shot (over the heads of R. H. Anderson's men), checked the advance; and Anderson's division, with the artillery, held the enemy in check until night. This attack was followed by the final assault, about four o'clock P. M., when the enemy crossed the bridge in front of Sharpsburg, and made his desperate attack upon my right. Brigadier-General Toombs held the bridge, and defended it most gallantly, driving back repeated attacks, and only yielded

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