Thursday past started well enough. Jackson put Hill's division into line of battle next to an unfinished railroad cut on the old Manassas battlefield of a year ago. Our brigade formed the far left of the division line. We could see Sudley Church from where we were standing. We were on a hill, a slight hill. We were ordered to hold the hill. Then there was battle.
It started quietly, as battles sometimes go and then things rapidly got out of hand. At roughly ten of the clock, the Yankees attacked and our General Gregg sent in the First to meet them. The Yankees were reinforced by two regiments of New Yorkers, according to their colors. The First was in trouble and Gregg ordered in the Twelfth to assist the First. The Yankees had the gall to send some Pennsylvanians against us. Gregg then sent in the Thirteenth and we stood and shot it out with the enemy for an hour, I think.
After this hour, the enemy threw large amounts of infantry at us. We were only three regiments. The rest of the brigade, two regiments, were in reserve. Our colonel, Barnes, ordered a charge. There were only three hundred of us in the regiment and we were ordered to charge. It should not have succeeded. We should have been swallowed up whole but instead, we broke a regiment of New Yorkers. They retreated, allowing us to turn and catch some more New Yorkers and even some West Virginians in the flank. They became dispirited and retired.
Now a hole opened up in the Yankee lines and Colonel Barnes ordered us in even though we had been engaged for quite some time and had suffered considerable losses. But fortune favors the bold and in we went only to be met by some Yankees trying to plug the hole. They broke, too, and we followed them until we met their artillery. Flesh can only withstand so much and Gregg withdrew everyone to the place from which we had started.
We were allowed no respite as the Yankees threw several waves at us in succession, trying to break our line. We were determined not to be broken. From this moment to the end of the day, I remember not much more than loading and shooting, loading and shooting. They came at us, we shot them away and they came at us again.
There are some incidents that I will remember despite my best future efforts to forget. I caw Andy Conners of our squad get shot. I did not know him well but will miss him anyway. Kirk and Robinson, neither of whom I knew also fell. Troy Crenshaw was wounded. This has given his brother Wilson, one of our Dandy Eights mess, great distress.
The worst happened when I dropped my ramrod and bent over to retrieve it. I heard the ball hit. I did not have to think anything about it. I knew what had happened. My gut told me. Someone fell on me and then I knew who was hit. It was Bill Johnson who was standing behind me in the rear rank. He was dead before he fell on me. That was my bullet. He was my friend.
We ran out of ammunition so we fixed bayonets and rodded the cartridge boxes of the dead but they yielded little. I took poor Bill's box but he had only four rounds left when he died. I knew there was his blood on his cartridges but I tasted nothing and I bit into them. Crenshaw's Virginia battery and some North Carolinians from Branch's brigade came up and helped to take off the pressure.
For a brief while, they stopped paying attention to us and we started breathing easier. However, the pressure that was taken from us was applied at another place in the line and it broke. Since the Twelfth was not too preoccupied, we were sent in to make things right. Another brigade was brought up to support us and the line was reformed.
The Yankees threw in fresh reserves and our brigade line was forced back. We halted and reformed, declaring that we would retreat no further. We were saved the event of a last stand when the Thirty-seventh North Carolina came up in support. Someone called out, "Longstreet is here", and we felt better knowing we were heavily re-inforced.
Longstreet sent Ewell's division to our position and Lawton's Georgia brigade and Early's Virginia brigade relieved most of our division including us. We went to the rear of these two brigades and prepared to move forward should the line be broken again. When night fell, we fell to the ground, all done in. We held the hill as ordered.
All during the night we listened to scattered musket and cannon fire. We also listened to unhuman sounds from friend and foe alike. Some faded away, some did not. We did what we could no matter what color their uniform. Some were beyond help so we left them with a canteen and went on. There is something about a body being wounded that increases the thirst. There were many canteens to choose from. We understand that our Colonel Barnes was wounded, probably while leading the charge.
This was just the first day.
On the morning of the second day, we arose early and prepared breakfast. Our ammunition was replenished and we formed ranks for another battle. We were quite satisfied to be placed in reserve as other, fresher regiments took our place. Even so, some of us were still desirous of returning to the fray. The Yankees did make some attempts to oblige us but McIntosh's South Carolina battery kept them at bay.
On Sunday, the 31st, there was no rest. Pope had had enough and his army began retreating in the direction of Centervile. Jackson called on us, his "foot cavalry" to pursue and somehow cut off his retreat and destroy him. Yesterday, we came close to cutting off his line of retreat and he fought hard to keep us away.
The entire brigade, including the Twelfth, not yet recovered from the Manassas bloodletting, was put into the front line. The exchange of musketry was not nearly so intense at this place, Chantilly as it was at Manassas. The weather turned against us with a pouring rain. Pope slipped away under the twin cloaks of darkness and weather.
Now it is Tuesday night. There are many campfires and we now have the time to consume a fairly decent meal. I still have two tins of sardines and a small cheese which I will consume tonight as it will go bad soon. We are remembering Bill Johnson and Andy Conners who have passed from this world but not from our hearts. Wilson Crenshaw was not with us as he was with his brother Troy at the hospital. We do not know how bad his wounds are but pray for his recovery.
Lieutenant Williamson and Sergeant Harper came by to tell us to get some sleep as it is a long way to the Potomac. Did we beat them that badly? Are they retreating all the way to Washington? Will we attack and capture Washington and end this terrible war? If Lee says we must then we will do so.
This was just the first day.
On the morning of the second day, we arose early and prepared breakfast. Our ammunition was replenished and we formed ranks for another battle. We were quite satisfied to be placed in reserve as other, fresher regiments took our place. Even so, some of us were still desirous of returning to the fray. The Yankees did make some attempts to oblige us but McIntosh's South Carolina battery kept them at bay.
On Sunday, the 31st, there was no rest. Pope had had enough and his army began retreating in the direction of Centervile. Jackson called on us, his "foot cavalry" to pursue and somehow cut off his retreat and destroy him. Yesterday, we came close to cutting off his line of retreat and he fought hard to keep us away.
The entire brigade, including the Twelfth, not yet recovered from the Manassas bloodletting, was put into the front line. The exchange of musketry was not nearly so intense at this place, Chantilly as it was at Manassas. The weather turned against us with a pouring rain. Pope slipped away under the twin cloaks of darkness and weather.
Now it is Tuesday night. There are many campfires and we now have the time to consume a fairly decent meal. I still have two tins of sardines and a small cheese which I will consume tonight as it will go bad soon. We are remembering Bill Johnson and Andy Conners who have passed from this world but not from our hearts. Wilson Crenshaw was not with us as he was with his brother Troy at the hospital. We do not know how bad his wounds are but pray for his recovery.
Lieutenant Williamson and Sergeant Harper came by to tell us to get some sleep as it is a long way to the Potomac. Did we beat them that badly? Are they retreating all the way to Washington? Will we attack and capture Washington and end this terrible war? If Lee says we must then we will do so.
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