Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-08-14
HEAD QUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoToMAc,
MdaaSSd, July 31st, 1861. {

DEAR SPIRIT Since we left Danville, we
have gone through some of the degrees of a
soldiers life. We were hurried from D.. to
Richmond, remained there two days, and
were then ordered to Winchester, but ar
rived at Manassa the evening before the bat
tie at Bull Run on Thursday the 18th. We
were ordered to Bull Run in order to take
part in the fight. The Regiment, lumber
ing eleven hundred and sixty, had to sleep
in one train of freight cars "Wednesday
night on hard benches and the tioor-about
forty or fifty in a car. | suppose it was ne
ceSsary 10 harden Us a little before taking us
to the field Of action. We were up bright
and early next morning, and Col. Kirkland
soon had US in line and marched us to Bull
Run, about four miles from Manassa. We
were sent up the creek about a mile to keep
the yankees from coming over on our side.
The enemy'S cannon commenced firing, the
balls were whizzing over, but without effect.
The Colonel told US to stoop down behind
the fence we were soon down upon our
knees with our guns through the cracks of
the fence. We were close to a wooded swamp
which was in our front, and were commanded
to keep a sharp lookout for the yankees, and
if one made his appearance, to pull trigger
on him. Sometimes the boys would hear
SOilCIllllR III luG WOOuS OF see Il horse
pass by, and there was a general ~clatter-
ing along the line, springing their locks
ready for a fire. Unfortunately, a young
man belonging to the third South Carolina
Regiment went across to hunt a horse and
came in the way we were looking for the
in the thick woods and three or four ofthem
fired on him, but as he was rather protected
by the trees, only two shot took effect, and
thor ,NoCcol tbro,,~b fho ao,l, ~o.4 fL,,o 49,.
without breaking the bone The enemy did
not get close enough to US to fire upon them
the advanced part of the army whipped
them in a few hours.
We were ordered late in the evening to
march down the creek about a mile and get
behind the batterieS-the batteries were not
completed, but the several Captains soon had
spades and mattocks and put us to work.
W. worked night and day until we threw up
splendid entertainments, and were we'll pro
tected by the morning of the Dist. at which
time the great battle commenced-a battle
that will be long remembered by Doth sec
tions of the American Continent. That beau
tiful Sabbath day (before its close told to the
yankees that they had intraded upon the
Lords day and an inoffensive people, and
perhaps by this time they have learned that
the Southern boys will not be so easily sub
jugated as they at first anticipated. We were
placed about the centre of the line the fight,
was on the left wing. There was a battery
of heavy artillery placed in front of us, about
tao miles off: they fired at us nearly all day
with heavy slugs and bombshells, but we
were so well fortified that they could do US
no harm. Late in the evening we were or
dered to pursue the enemy, which we did in
double quick" for abont three miles but
the yankees got so far the start on US, and
were so badly scared, that we never caught
up with them.
Our Regiment is stationed at Bull Run yet.
A few of them are sick but not seriously so.
As a general thing we are a healthy set of
boys, and | hope we will all do our duty, and
be ready at all times to stand up in defence of
our country. | believe our field officers are
a brave, patriotic and competent set of men,
and only require a chance to prove themselves
worthy of promotion. Fine looking Regi-
ments are coming in nearly every day
There is a large body of fine looking troops
here now.
May the God of battles soon send the time
when we may be able to proclaim to each
other, and to our friends whom we have left
behind, that victory is ours, and peace anC
prosperity once more prevail in our land.
Prayer is still kept up in the Mountain
Tiger Camp" and We are glad to inform oul
friends that in point of morals we are no
retrograding, A. G.,
OF the Mountain Tigers,
18th Reg. n. G. Vols