Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1861-10-09
Fourth Alabama tcgiment--Oifcinl


Report.
HEAnQrrARrERs ,!Tll ALA. RECthEHT,
Camp Bee, near Manassas,
July -. lsGl.
Grn WdainS, Commanding I'd Brigade Ar
my of the Shenandoah:
SIR I'm obedisllcc &c ycur order OF the
2G,h Inst, submit Tie following reports OF
the operations Of this regiment, Immediately
preceding and during lie battle Of the list
inst:
On The evening Of Thursday, tho 18th Of
July, vt. ltll nur ranp near Winchester, and
:;ar1ed, nInn : l"icfti march. ac1" : The EluH
Ridge. cn .nmtn i5r Manassas. We marched
ull that night and the next day, arriving Of
Piedmont after nigltfal on the 18th. At that
point ne took tho Cars and arrived at slanas-
sas junction ahont 6 o'clncl; on ;atHr;:Gr. the
.ath. nur tents were lrf al VI Winchester. and
the snrpl5 Of food vas ccant ard insufficient.
Tie men arrived at Carp Walker about ten
,.'clnck A. n. ON saturday, hungry aid much
jaded by the exposure and fatigue.
We bivouackeL that day and night, obtain
ing some icoL, which, with some rest, much
refreshed aid strengthened the men.
On SUNDAY, tho 2l>t, Immediately after
brrakiasL We received the order lo " fall in
with knal:acks and arus. and take up the
line &c march towards where The fire CT the
enemy first nlrned. After marching in that
iirrcrioa anrne three or four miles, most OF the
distance in dcuhlr-qnick time, onr direction
was suddcnly changed towards the lift Of our
line Of battle, 10 which &c marched dr.
tancc CT some two mics, in quick sa;l d';atie'
quick time. Tx: day was exceedingly hot,
aud The supply of water heing small, the men
arrived on the battl. field much exhausted.
suppose j, VA, about . o'clock y. NJ.
when we reached Il skirt ul woods about Two
tunlrrd and fifty Or three huudred yards from
til. cnemy;s line, when we hated and formed
in line or battle.
The enemy were right in front of us in
ovcrm#cring nnmbers-Sherman's battery
liully commanding our position, supported by
immense bodies of infantry.
Hardly had we halted and formed before
the order came to advance, which we did in
,!uublr-'l.lick, through the open field, TO with
ina hundred yards Of the enemy IS line, where
We were commanded to halt and lie down.
The left OF our regiment WAS in the corn-
field, and the right in lie open field. The lire
a, once became general-our men rising 10
fire and lying down to load.
Our advance was covered by ono piece OF
artillery, the fire Of which did much to divert
the attention Of the enemy from our advance
movements. Even in that hour OF peril VIC
could not i;,i To- admire the accuracy and
effect ci lis aim. Unfortunately, alter three
rounds. the horses ATTACHED ~ the caisson
became frightened and ran ci, leaving the
piece without aumunitoa, and leaving US
unprotected by artillery, except in SO far that
the gallant lmboden was permitted, by the
heavy lire in his front, to yield US occasional
shots. Although they could come but Sci
dom, VIXEN they did come VIC recognized in
lhrru the booming "Goi cheer OF Virginia
to Alabama.
For au hour aud u half the ith Alabama
Regiment sustained the most quilting and dc.
s,ructivc fire. Our brave luen ioli in great
numbers, but they died as the brave love t"
lie-with faces TO the foe, fighting i'll the no.
ly causc Of liberty Gi course, it IS imposs-
bic for me TO sny how u,any were opposed to
us. only Judge from The incessant asd trc'
mendous fire that was kept up, that VIC were
greatly outnumbercd.
The forces intended for our support on the
right and left having been withdrawn Tor
three quarters of an hour, alone and unaided,
except by lmbodcns battery, we held our po.
sition, driving back, on three several occa.
sions, the advancing columns Of the enemy,
and enabling reinlurcclnents to come Ep. AT
last outllanked on the right and left, and eS-
poscd to fire from three sides, we were order
cd 10 fall back.
Our gallant Col. Jones, who, during the
hottest Of the engagement, sat conspcuously
on his horse, as calm as statue giving orders
AS they came, fell severely wounded in this
movement.
We retired in good order through the woods
on our left, and, descending hill, again
formed in line of battle on o branch which
runs through the ravinc. On our right, as
VIC descended the hill, We observed two regi-
ments tlr:wn up in close column in line of
battle. These being one-quarter Of mile
behind the position which we Lad just left,
and where We expected to find renforcements,
were confidently regarded by MS as friends.
They returned our signal, and we were on the
point of forming behind them, when, as We
unfnrIed onr Ilag, they opened murderous
fire upon our ranks, killing some and wound
ing many among the latter, Lieut.. Col. Law
and Major Scott, both o! whom had displayed
great sa!laniry, and done much to inspire us
by their example.
Left thus without field cilicers, AMI almost
surrounded by tue enemy, we again fell buck,
after returning in kind and with effect the
compliments Of our suppose friends, through
pine wood 10 an open field where We halted