The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-17
Fourth Alabama Reg i-ueat- Official Re pert.
HEAGQUAsTE&s &rz Ala REGIMENT,
Camp Bee, lear Mauassas,
Gen Whfttng, Commanding 81 Brigade Army
OF the "a La.doln

y, i
OF the sa La-doan
SIR In obedience 10 your order Of the Goth
inst, submit the following report Of the
operations Of tbs regiment. Immediately pre-
Ce&iDg and during tns battle of the 2lst inst
t1 t5G evening Of iGUFS1PY. the Is N OF
July, va lett oux camp near Winchester, and
startef,. apOa q forced march, across the Blue
Ridge. iii route for IanassGs. We marched
IA mat night and 5na next Gay. arriving at
Piedmont atter Gigaif1 on the leth Al thst
poia5 we to0E the cars and arrived at Manas-
SIS Junction aeopt 9 O'Clock On Saturday, the
| 20th Oar tents were Left at Winchester, and
the supply Oi io0t was zcipt and insutfi oient.
| Tee nneD arrived ut Camp walker about ten
o'cj"os \ II ap Saturday, huuEry and much
lIied by III eXro are aoc fatigue.
We }iTouac',el that Jay and Liaht, obtain
ing some Hood, Wh b. with soc1e rest, much
refreshed u} streukthsuei Jne men.
On 6ucday, the 2ist, Immediately after
brea<ftst. we received tha order T. ''fGll i'll -
Win hCapstcEs t-cd arms ard take up The
lire OF march towards whore the fire of the
enemy first cpGref. AFTER marching in that
dirtct'Ca sowe t1Tce or four miles n0sJof the
distance ia ciuc hie-quick time, cur direction
WIS suddenly charged trw2rds the lett e cur
hna %. bltJ.e, 10 Vnica Ne marched q dis
tGi - OF aof,1e ~ taiisS. IN quick and double
Grics tire h0 G.- va exceedingly hot
aEd ire @uVpiy Of vvataC being small lua uIen
arrived Ca 2. 5attle-H Il mach exhausted
! suppose - ~ ts ob "a o'clock A N
wnen ve le9ce+G skirt of " ots abort TWO
h vnJfed ana nsty o. ,hEea hr' deed y5ltig from
in Inns O. batjie.
The -. el0y were rieh. in front Of us in over
y0v2,ri.e : p:.Eab-ss--~se mans battery tally
gC"-taaNGiug ar position, supported o. i'm
men bOai-s @. iatIatFy
H.ritv had we bEitad aed formed before
the oi1er ttsFne % advance, which We did in
double Quh3s. Though ne Cpen ti3ld, 20 with
/ IL e huuul~i yA.U- pt the euemv's line, where
| we wsre corlU1en endot o " halt ani { down :"
Tbs left q our regiment oas IN The corn
| field, ana ne r'Snrln 'Ls open deid. The fire
F; ;,f ou"a became saneral--oug men rising 20 hre
| and ighR down ~ l1Nd
! OuE ;tdyence u.,ts covered by one piece of
! artillery, the IRE OF which I'D much 10 divert
the ate tIiG. OF fhs -I-eTuY from our aayance
| movements Even IT, tLa! hour OF peril we
COQ!d not iaii q admire tbs accuracy and
effect OF its a'm UutortQna tely, after three
rounds, the horses attached 10 the caiss0n
! bee me n gn 'ef al and ran Off, leaving the
piece without ammunition, and eaYiug us
unprot5ct by &rciiery, excep, IN so tar that
the Eaiiaus lm6nicn ygaS< permitted, by the
lotyy hre IN lis front, u yield us occasional
shos. Although they coutd Come but sell
dom, Wha1 t'ey dii come we recognized
in them me booming A. I'D cheer OF Vir-
gIpia 10 Il Eao Lral.
For "A hour und q half the + h Alabama Re-
ginant sustained I = most CALLING and dee truc-
tive tire. Oar brave men fell III great num-
bere. bat IN ) died IS Laa brave love 10 die
WITH faces 70 lba foe, GEhtIng in the holy
cause u liberty. OF course, il IS i'm pos sibla
for ne 10 say now MANY were opposed to US.
only Judge from tAe IncesSant and tremen-
dous fi9e iEaa was Kept 1p, that we were
greatly UU1numEcIel
The forces Intended FOR Cnr support on the
right and left having been Withdrawn for
three quarters q Az bGuT, alone ana unaided,
except oy lmAOden's pf terry, we held our po-
sitiuu, Criving oack. GA three several occa-
siOns, The a iVaCcing columns or Ihe enemy,
and enabling Teiaf0rceneEts Is 70 CONS up. at
last, 0u;HaEheo OF The rlgn: aud left, and ex-
posed 10 llrS from tAIse SI4eS, we ere ordered
10 fan back.
Oar gallant Col. Jo~es, wise, during the
hottest 0f l1e engagement, S II cons spicuousiy
on his horse, as calm is Il statue gi wing orders
as they ane, teu severely wounded i'll this
Ii DYemeHt.
We retired liz good order through the woods
on our let, and, descending It hill, again
formed II line u battle on {. branch which
runs through Yhe laVins. Ga our right rs
We descended the hill, we observed two regi-
men IS dra VA up IL close column in line OF
battl9. These beiag one-4uarter of a mile be-
hind the position which y had Just left, and
wleEe We expect ted to had TeInfoFcements,
were confidently regarded by as Ms friends
They returned cur slgaai, and We were on the
point OF forming behind them, when, as we un-
furEed orr Il g they opened 4 rnuTderous tire
upon our ranks, killing some and wounding
many, among the latter, Lieut.. Col. Law
and NJ tlOr Scott, both 0E whom had displayed
great g&llSntry, AMI. aope much 10 inspire US
by their example
Lett thus without field officers, and almost
surrounded Icy the enemy, we again fell back,
after returning IN KIND and with effect the
compliments OF our supposed friends, through
& pine wood TO an open teil where we halted
and awaited orders. The thirst OF the men
was intense aud aimoSi intolerabie.
At this place, half 10 lie behind our origi-
nal posi- tiop, AMID the bU sting of shells and
the rafting storm Of musketry, our heroic
GsneTsi Bee rode up 10 the re- tnent and
inquiries! what body OF troops we were Be
Iog tc!t thaE "it WAS what remained OF the
4ta Alaoana," ne replied, with an express
sive gesture, "this is nil Of my brigade that
caa iina-wii you follow me-back to where
the Hiring Is going en- 7' 10 the death, " was
the response, whereupon he put himself Gu
the lett OF oar line and N rched US by the
irft Il ak 20 where the light was raging
nearing, tne scene, train OF artillery that
WIS falling back cut our line, thus
separating tie left company from The rest Of
the regiment This company, with our Gen
eral st ia head, ob lq ~ cd 10 the right, upon
the oteu PLAIN, and proceeded ahouI loo yards
when oar gallant aud beloved commau der
fell IaortAly wounded. Ihe rest OF the regi-
mrnt, not seeing The direction which the
head OF the column had taken, marched
straight forward through the w0od, exposed
at every step 10 Il gAllIng FIRE. Deprived. as
We then were, of our Brigadier General of
our Colonel, LieaE Col mel aud Major not
knowing our friends from our enemies ex-
pc. Cd 10 Il ma'derops hre, with no opporlu-
Ii'y ot rein ming IL, we marched back re-
10 med oar Ah", and aw aited oraers
We Teia4laei on the Held until the battle
clcsad, ~ith ranks thHled, IL - true, but yet
always with perfect . 3 tnizati0n.
fhe fesiin-A~ Was exposed to heavy fire for
seven or eight hot RS, ard during ths whole
time, aAa particularly during That por ton of
il whea trey were actually engaged, the Off
GERS ~ d men exhibited the most admirable
eooIness AID saltAugay.
cannot ref S,iu from mentioning tho gal
iaLl conduct ot AaiJr Howard, the Aid de.
Camp OF Gen. bee. Hs was ever where the
nd hAd 80.